My Head Hurts Stupid question Please, Ive read hundreds of threads and I still dont know

[Howard E]

Will this work? It can be set next to your dog pen.

Made from 4 sheets of 1/2" 4 x 8 plywood and about 10 or so 8' - 2 x 4's. I'd suggest an insulated metal roof. You will also need hardware cloth or cage wire for the open front.

 

[aart]

Ok I have a plan, thanks for whatever reason i just wasnt getting it, but i got it Thanks again put this post to bed.

Post won't go away, unless you 'report' it and ask to have it deleted.
Just wanted to empathize...
..first year of chicken(planning) is like getting a sip of water out of a fire hose.
I spent 6 months reading and planning.
There's a lot of misinformation out there, especially if you use the prefab coop manufacturers idea of space vs population.
There's also a lot of different opinions on how much space chickens need,
and much can depend on your climate.

This is one of the best treatises on Space that I've ever read:
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-much-room-do-chickens-need

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Ok, I try and wrap my head around 4 sq ft per bird, then see all the coops that are half the size on a gazillion sites, to the point of i dont know what the heck im reading anymore, my gut was saying 4x6 with protruding nesting box, but 2 more ft isnt gonna kill me. Info overload, sorry for the dumb post, but I did read so many articles before I got to this point thanks folks, i'll try to contain my ignorance, but will always research before i ask, cause I know the answer is out there

It can be confusing and I'd like to shed a bit of light on this whole 4 sqft per bird- This is a number that is too often quoted. The reason for it is if you lock your birds in coop for extended times you won't be crowding them and causing behavior problems. There are many who refuse to let birds out in winter and you can see that they'd need a minimum of 4 sqft per bird as that is effectively their run in cold months or if the family is on vacation for week. Do you need that if you don't plan on keeping birds in coop days on end? Absolutely not. Don't get too hung up on sqft numbers. A good size run is far more important. If you only have 2 sqft per bird for coop space keep in mind they can not be locked in coop for any extended time. If you manage your flock that the coop is only to roost at night for protection and go into to lay eggs in nest box then you don't need a huge coop. In winter I have a lean to structure that we park the coop in front of late fall. With three sides covered and hay tossed on ground it becomes an extension of their small coop for our harsh north winters.