Newbie to chickens, starting plans for first coop :) Input appreciated

[Hunny]

Hello all!

So I've started on my hen house...and thought since I found this website I'd give you an idea of what I have started and see what input I get before I continue

I have choosen to make the hen house out of thick particle board ( 3/4in ) I laid a 48x24in board down for the flooring.
So far, I have built a sturdy, tall box on one end ( 48in tall 24 inchs each side ) with a flat roof.
I made three 3in round holes on the north and south side walls near the top and covered the wholes with the mesh stuff

Door is not yet cut out. ( but drawn out for 10in by 8in with hinge and lock )
One side of my box *a 48in x 24in side* has hinges and a lock for my access.

For nesting, I picked up three, 2.5 gallon buckets with lids (I cut the lids so there is just a lip to keep nesting material and eggs in)
I plan on mounting them to the wall inside the box it would look like

O
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I will put in perching wood in there when I'm done...no solid plans for laying that out.

So how am I doing so far?! LOL Am I on the right track? I have apx 3 weeks to get this right before I get the chicks

I'd like to extend out a wood frame with chicken wire (open bottom) from the hen house, and put two wheels on the hen house side, for easy moving.

I'm ready! Hit me with the news... what do you think? thanks in advance for your input!

**Hunny

 

[TaylorC]

How many chickens? Either you have waaaay too many nesting buckets or not nearly enough real estate!

 

[savingdogs]

It sounds like you are doing great!
I can't tell where you are to know your climate, but you may want electricity to your hen house in winter and install a light for heat and increasing egg production.

We don't mention your food and water systems in here, I suppose you have a plan for that? There are lots of good suggestions here on BYC but keeping the water clean seems to be one of the biggest chicken chores so don't scrimp in that area. We like the food and water areas to be apart from one another and not together or they make a mess of both.

We chose to use sand in the coop after using shavings at first. Our chickens much prefer the sand. We just use shavings in the nest boxes. We just use tall plastic trays from the dollar store, but we built a little ledge they fit into on the side of the coop where the window opens and there is a curtain in front so it is more private.

We also chose to use a roosting board with a pull out tray underneath it and really are pleased with it. I can give you more details if you are interested. But it really contains most of your poo.

Chickens are so much fun, get ready to enjoy! We have only had ours since last May but we really like being "chicken people." This forum will be invaluable to you!

 

[Hunny]

Quote:
I am planning 3-4 hens. More than likely 4 when it comes down to it ! I'm not sure I have room for more.

 

[Hunny]

Quote:
I'm in a cold enough area where I should consider electricity. In all honesty, I considered just bringing the hen house into the garage for winter storms and cold temps. Probably not the best plan

I'm still considering what I want to do for food and water, I'd love to make my own DYI feeder, and purchase a reliable waterer from the feed store. Would it be acceptable to place the food and water on the outside portion of my hen house? And inside the henhouse during cold weather?

I would love more info your roosting board and pull out tray!

 

[tnchickenut]

Ok. you are doing good... how many birds are you going to have? 48x24 is 4 x2 is 8 sq ft.... that is 3-4 standards or 6-8 bantams. (that is by the book.... personally, I wouldn't put more than 4 bantams and maybe two standards in there.... ESPECIALLY if they have no run.

Nests... I'm not certain what you are trying to do with the nests (I'm a visual minded person)... three is too many though... two would be enough.

I prefer to do my nest (keep in mind it is a preferance) attached to the outside... this opens up the floor space.

Are you going to put a run on this? Are they allowed out?

The garage thing is not crazy... but chickens are addictive. You most likely will be getting more, so keep that in mind too. You don't want to be pulling 2,3, or 4 coops into the garage.

the feed and waterer... I have a 4x2 coop... I only have two bantams in it. The nest is on the outside, like I mentioned before. They have one and a half perches. I put their main perch over to the far right, then their door on the far left. On the left wall, I have a rabbit feeder (the metal ones you put on the outside with the lip in the hutch) on the left wall, just left of the door.... then I have the water on the right of the door. No where near the perches... something to think about. The right wall is one big door, for me to be able to clean out of. the back wall has the one nestbox attached to it. Then the nest box has it's own door on the back so I can get eggs out.

Maybe this helps you a bit. Maybe it doesn't. lol

 

[Intheswamp]

I would suggest you go no more than 2 large fowl birds...at the very extreme 3 large fowl birds. (Three chickens is a good number to have in case something happens to one).

Paint the particle board very, very well.

Study over pop door sizes and nestbox sizes.

I STRONGLY suggest that you study some of these coops..... BYC Small Coop Index Page

Best wishes,
Ed

 

[Hunny]

Quote:
I planned on 3-4. No need for more. Its just me and two little ones

I was looking at smaller breeds, but haven't decided yet.

I think I will stick with just two nests, I was unaware that they didnt mind sharing! This website is very useful.
They will be allowed out, I plan on free range but I am aware if I have a flighty bird I'll need to reconsider.

Do your chickens like the rabbit feeder? I have one I could use, but wasnt sure if they would like it or not! Would you mind (or do you have) a photo of your feed/watering set up?

 

[TaylorC]

Man, if I could wheel my coup into the garage a few weeks a year I'd sure do it just for the ease of it. It doesn't get *really* cold here much, but when it does I'll be taking extra measures out there.
I've heard all over this site to shoot for 3-4 sq ft per bird, which would put this 2x4' box at the 2-bird level. If you kept the nests out of the floor space and choose breeds that are known to do well in confines and don't have long very-cold spells and can keep it very clean and dry and have plenty of chicken run then you might be fine with three, but seems you'll be tempting fate with squabbles and such if they're stuck in there long. All over not finding another bit of scrap lumber.
Then again, you're talking to the guy that just built a 3x3.5x3.5' brooder for my eight chicks, that's now taking over my living room. – Only because that was the size sheets I had, and was watching three little ones while doing the construction and less cuts out in the garage = more eyes on the kids. My wife came home and was, uh... surprised. To my credit, her idea was bigger than mine (though smaller than what happened) and I did tell her the dimensions of these sheets and get a half-nod while she was typing on the computer....)

 

[tnchickenut]

Quote:
I planned on 3-4. No need for more. Its just me and two little ones

I was looking at smaller breeds, but haven't decided yet.

I think I will stick with just two nests, I was unaware that they didnt mind sharing! This website is very useful.
They will be allowed out, I plan on free range but I am aware if I have a flighty bird I'll need to reconsider.

Do your chickens like the rabbit feeder? I have one I could use, but wasnt sure if they would like it or not! Would you mind (or do you have) a photo of your feed/watering set up?

Yes, they do good with the rabbit feeder. I don't have a photo... I will try to get you one tommarrow. I'll PM it to you.

Might I suggest a larger bantam breed. My bantam barnevelders are larger than some bantams, but smaller than a standard... the eggs are pretty big for bantams. Actually, I hatched mine and at first I was thinking I got the wrong eggs! They were far to big to come from bantams... so I thought.

That is not to mention that they are the softest birds I have ever held. like a rabbit.