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  1. Since we live in Minnesota, I needed the run to be designed in such a way that I could neatly cover it with plastic for the winter. The run stays comfortable with passive solar heat. I do have a ventilation fan to keep the humidity down. The hens appear to handle the cold above 0F, at which point I add a warming lamp. The hens have supplemental lighting fall through spring. My original design plan was to detach the coop and put it in the garage in really cold weather (in Minnesota, really cold is -20F or more). This has proven not to be necessary with a good 250 watt bulb.

    Since we live in Minnesota, I needed the run to be designed in such a way that I could neatly cover it with plastic for the winter. The run stays comfortable with passive solar heat. I do have a ventilation fan to keep the humidity down. The hens appear to handle the cold above 0F, at which point I add a warming lamp. The hens have supplemental lighting fall through spring. My original design plan was to detach the coop and put it in the garage in really cold weather (in Minnesota, really cold is -20F or more). This has proven not to be necessary with a good 250 watt bulb.

    • mnchickenfamily
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    • Album: Coop and Run Design Plans
  2. mnchickenfamily

    Comment by 'mnchickenfamily' in album 'Coop and Run Design Plans'

    I have been raising layer hens since 2012, and I have quite a few photos and stories to share. I am working on getting these loaded.
  3. This is my run/coop combo. The coop separates entirely from the run for safe storage of the birds while the run is moved around the yard. The coop can roost six birds with two nesting boxes. The coop has rubber tires and can be moved by one person, the run sits on skids and requires a lawn tractor to be moved.

    This is my run/coop combo. The coop separates entirely from the run for safe storage of the birds while the run is moved around the yard. The coop can roost six birds with two nesting boxes. The coop has rubber tires and can be moved by one person, the run sits on skids and requires a lawn tractor to be moved.

    • mnchickenfamily
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    • Album: Coop and Run Design Plans
  4. Here is a rear view of the frame design I used.

    Here is a rear view of the frame design I used.

    • mnchickenfamily
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    • Album: Coop and Run Design Plans
  5. Sketch Up allowed me to virtually separate and attach the coop to the run so I could make sure that I had some room for uneven ground.

    Sketch Up allowed me to virtually separate and attach the coop to the run so I could make sure that I had some room for uneven ground.

    • mnchickenfamily
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    • Album: Coop and Run Design Plans
  6. Here is the coop with both the lower and higher run designs.

    Here is the coop with both the lower and higher run designs.

    • mnchickenfamily
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    • Album: Coop and Run Design Plans
  7. In this design, I raised the height of the run so as to allow the access door to sit higher against the coop.

    In this design, I raised the height of the run so as to allow the access door to sit higher against the coop.

    • mnchickenfamily
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  8. This design set the run lower and used clear fiberglass windows to let in natural light in the run. In this design I turned the roof 90 degrees so I could incorporate the windows over the laying boxes. This design also changed the "storage area" below into a droppings catch area.

    This design set the run lower and used clear fiberglass windows to let in natural light in the run. In this design I turned the roof 90 degrees so I could incorporate the windows over the laying boxes. This design also changed the "storage area" below into a droppings catch area.

    • mnchickenfamily
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    • Album: Coop and Run Design Plans
  9. I used the program Sketch Up for all of my designs, which allowed me to completely build my plan on the computer and work out the bugs. Here the coop and run are shown together.

    I used the program Sketch Up for all of my designs, which allowed me to completely build my plan on the computer and work out the bugs. Here the coop and run are shown together.

    • mnchickenfamily
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    • Album: Coop and Run Design Plans
  10. This was an earlier design based on the same idea of the detachable coop. This one incorporated a storage area below.

    This was an earlier design based on the same idea of the detachable coop. This one incorporated a storage area below.

    • mnchickenfamily
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    • Album: Coop and Run Design Plans
  11. Coop Frame, side view

    Coop Frame, side view

    • mnchickenfamily
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    • Album: Coop and Run Design Plans
  12. I wanted to design a coop that could be detachable from the run, large enough for six hens, with two laying boxes. My final coop turned out to be similar to this original design. This drawing helped me to design the frame so I could use 2x2 lumber.

    I wanted to design a coop that could be detachable from the run, large enough for six hens, with two laying boxes. My final coop turned out to be similar to this original design. This drawing helped me to design the frame so I could use 2x2 lumber.

    • mnchickenfamily
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    • Album: Coop and Run Design Plans
  13. Coop and Run Design Plans

    Coop and Run Design Plans

  14. mnchickenfamily

    Official BYC Poll: How Many Chickens Do You Have + How Many Chickens On BYC?

    1 Gold Sex Link 2 Easter Eggers 1 Black Australorp 1 Silver Laced Wyandotte 1 Barred Rock (all are hens) 11,294 + 6 = 11,300
  15. mnchickenfamily

    Comment by 'mnchickenfamily' in article 'Two piece tractor'

    Yes, I would be happy to. Give me a few days and I'll post something. Thanks!
  16. mnchickenfamily

    New chicken owner and coop question

    I haven't been reading everyone else's posts, so I may be repeating what others are saying. In my experience, any bedding and sand you put in there will get tossed around and will be all over around the outside of the coop before long. That is where some type of side helps to contain the...
  17. mnchickenfamily

    New chicken owner and coop question

    I live in Minnesota, and here's what I did for the winter: The coop was open to the ground so they could scratch the ground directly. I covered the run in plastic to keep the bedding dry, but left some small ventilation holes in the top to keep down humidity. I put several inches of wood...
  18. Two piece tractor

    Two piece tractor

    Two years ago I knew nothing about raising chickens... Then, I got hooked. This is a two piece chicken tractor that I built in the spring of 2013 to house six layer hens. I needed a laying/roosting coop that could be stored in the garage at night when necessary, and a run that could be moved...
  19. A closeup of Zoe.

    A closeup of Zoe.

  20. Goldie outside the run as usual.

    Goldie outside the run as usual.

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