*For Sale* Handmade Coop

[Matthew1979]

$850
•Location: Salisbury, NC

•New, updated taller design handcrafted in my own woodworking shop

•Large, heavy-duty, and easily movable pen for up to 12 chickens or other small animals. This design is much more sturdy and higher quality than kits you can buy and is built to last many years with very little maintenance

•All new materials

•Solid construction with predator proof galvanized poultry netting and latches, severe weather pressure treated wood, 3 nesting boxes, easy to clean pullout metal tray, galvanized metal roof panel, solid maintenance free wheels, polycarbonate shatter-proof window

•If not using chickens, will have roosting boards removed and netting floor installed

•Dimensions: 9.1'L x 3.4'W, 5'H (house peak), 4.4'H (run)

•Free delivery within 10 miles from Salisbury

 

[nuthatched]

You did a great job, it look wonderful. Though it's only big enough for 6 birds, max. :]

 

[Matthew1979]

You did a great job, it look wonderful. Though it's only big enough for 6 birds, max. :]

Thanks for the feedback. Going off 2 sq.ft. per bird equates to 13.2 bird capacity (8' x 3.3' = 26.4 divided by 2 sq. ft.)

Joel Salatin's management techniques: Salatin provides 1.3 to 2.4 square feet per bird, hitting the sweet spot in which chickens aren't stressed by overcrowding

 

[BDutch]

Its a beautiful build but rather small for normal sized chickens imho.

My coop/roofed run combination is about the same size. For 12 medium sized chickens this is definitely way too small if you want to give the chickens a good space without stress.

I build an extra run to the coop for my bantams to solve the space problem. I find the dimensions okay for 10 bantams, because the chickens have access to an extra run, whole day. And our winters are very mild.

If chickens need to stay inside this coop/run the whole day, I would advice 2 normal sized chickens or 3 bantams in this size setup.

 

[nuthatched]

Thanks for the feedback. Going off 2 sq.ft. per bird equates to 13.2 bird capacity (8' x 3.3' = 26.4 divided by 2 sq. ft.)

Joel Salatin's management techniques: Salatin provides 1.3 to 2.4 square feet per bird, hitting the sweet spot in which chickens aren't stressed by overcrowding

Ah, vaguely familiar with him.
His methods are to maintain low costs, stable stock, and increase output/profits. His methods are better than the government standard, but not by much at all. Government standard is 1sq per bird, and those are birds kept fairly packed into cages or open barns. Few meat and egg farm have adequate space but now farms are moving to more modern views in space management.
His measurements are best suited to quickly raised and dispatched meat birds or people who quickly cycle through birds quickly, i.e people who dispatch 6 months after point of lay.
They also don't take into account various climates, breeds etc.
For that coop to be sutible for 6 birds (at the very most, 3-4 is the greatest number I'd personally go, the coop house area would have to be doubled.
With all respect to Joe Salatin, It's far, far too small for 12 average hens to live stress free or even comfortably.

 

[StinkyAcres]

Thanks for the feedback. Going off 2 sq.ft. per bird equates to 13.2 bird capacity (8' x 3.3' = 26.4 divided by 2 sq. ft.)

You have to separate the coop and run AND you have to think about roost space. Minimum for happy, healthy chickens is about 3-4 sq.ft. in the coop and 10 sq.ft in the run and 1 linear foot of roost space per bird, so it's big enough for about 2 average birds. Even if you went with a cramped 2 sq.ft. per bird in the coop it would hold about 3 birds.