Need a new coop design

[Bulldog6]

During this never ending winter and an earlier ice storm I lost a large tree on the coop we had. The coop was empty so no birds were lost but I never really liked the coop anyway so no big loss. It seemed to small and hard to clean. I was considering two different designs one like CoopDelisle (top Pic) had made in the coop section and something else I saw online(bottom pic) . Just wondering if anyone has coops similar what are the pros and cons what would you change in yours to make it better. I am getting 25 birds this spring 12 egg layers and 13 meat birds. I also have most of the 8' x 35' run left from the old coop I want to attach to the new coop when I can't let them free range.

Thanks for all the help

 

[MoonShadows]

I like the uniqueness of the top one.

Jim

 

[GD91]

I think the top looks good, but interior pics would make the choice easier

 

[ClovisMan]

I like the bottom one. Something about natural wood and it looks "chicken-ey". LOL

The top one looks like a place you stash your old Mother-in-Law when the time comes that your are forced to care for her.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I assume your meat birds are going to be the hybrids that are ready to butcher by 8 weeks. Those grow so fast and don’t do much else other than poop and eat, so they don’t mix really well with your layers. I suggest rather than thinking coop, you consider something more like a shelter, just something that will provide predator protection and weather protection but not much else. Another option is to make your coop big enough that you can section off a section just for the meaties, then open that to your layers when the meaties are gone.

There are so many different coop designs and we have such different priorities it’s hard to be specific. So much of it is just personal preference. But some of the features I like about mine:

I really like a walk-in coop. I’ve found snakes, a dead chicken, eggs on the floor, and a possum in there that would not have been obvious if I were gathering eggs from external nests.

You need access to every spot in the coop. You never know when you will need to catch a hen that doesn’t want to be caught, make a repair, collect an egg from a strange place, clean up a mess, or whatever.

I like the flexibility and room to work extra space gives me. Don’t make it too crowded. Think in terms of “How can I give my chickens and me enough room?” instead of “How many chickens can I shoehorn into this space?”

I use a droppings board under my roosts. That really helps reduce the poop load the coop has to carry. It’s a lot easier to clean a droppings board than change out the bedding, pus the pure poop is great for composting.

I built a swale above mine to divert rainwater runoff and put about 3” of clay dirt inside the coop to assure it will stay dry.

Like I said, some of this is personal preference. With 12 hens I would not crowd it and I would give a lot of important to my comfort when working in or on the coop. Instead of the chickens, think more about yourself.

 

[Bulldog6]

Yes ridgerunner the meat birds are a jumbo cornish x. The splitting of the coop was an idea that i had with the top coop. If you have one can i see what your droppings board construction looks like.

 

[Bulldog6]

Although i could just make the bottom one 8x12 and have a door on each side with a removable partition to keep them seperate hmmm.

 

[txcarl1258]

Bulldog I used to raise broilers for 4-H granted I live in texas but I only used a 3 sided shed with an attached run. It was very simple. They seem to get hot very easily and once they get past 4 or 5 weeks they don't move around that much so they don't need an elaborate coop.

 

[Bulldog6]

Thanks txcarl you think a smaller shelter in the run would work once they feather in?

 

[bluefrog87]

I like the bottom. I like very traditional styles. They are time tested.