1 thing I wish I knew when I was starting out...

[Shellz]

My new one is 8 X 12. Love all that space! Got 11 standard birds in it now, but definitely need a poopboard! ASAP! I also have a 4 X 8 grow-out coop with 6 chicks in it. I will be cycling thru 3 batches of different aged chicks soon. Lots of juggling between the incubator, brooder, grow-out coop & main coop. Can't wait for warmer weather & get these birds free ranging!

 

[ms4runr]

If at all possible it's better to have a setting hen in a separate pen or at least somehow separated from the rest of the flock.

One thing I do when building a coop is to put linoleum on the floor. It makes it a whole lot easier to thoroughly clean the floor.

I have not had them long enough, but was told the Buff Orps are good brooders. I'm expecting the oldest of the 2 hens to go broody. Her eggs are distincly different, larger than the younger hen. I do not mind building a nesting and brooding area under the poop board. How do I get her there? Right now, 3 hens are using 2 nests 30inches off the ground. I can move the eggs to the lower nest, but how do I get her to do there? Do I collect the eggs I do not want hatched and wait for her to sit on the higher nest then move all of it?

I have rough lumber on the floors. How about if I put down DE, then PDZ, then hay? Or shavings appropriate for the peeps? Why is linoleum better than rough lumber? Was it because of the smell build up? My coop is new and I put down a large layer of shavings for the winter. As soon as it warms up a bit I'm going to remove it all and put down PDZ and maybe some sand with it. However, if there is a good argument for it, I can put down linoleum first. I have 5 chickens and 4 guineas now, but am planning on letting one female from each hatch a brood this summer.

 

[Mikedero]

Pssst...go 8x12, more room and less scrap wood with 4 foot increments ;-)

LOL it is funny you say that because I learned from my mistake and I am going 12X16 with a little storeage room for the feed and what ever else . I am going to use the 4X8 coop as a grow out pen for any new chickens I get plus with the runs right next to each other they will be used to each other with out the fighting (At least I hope)

the run will be half covered with a hard roof and the other have with chicken wire but 2X4's for support so that snow does not bring it down.

 

[Rescued10]

Three things: Heated waterer for the winter if you live where temps drop below freezing; electronic opener for pop door (I got mine, which operates by pulling the door up in the am and lowering it slowly in the pm, from add-a-motor and love it); and a poop board with one of those heavy-duty plastic mats for computer chairs on it to make for easy scooping. I have 10 very active RSLs; my coop does not smell and I clean it once a year.

 

[Time-Out]

Think about-:2. Where will you put my half grown chicks --before they are big enough to go in to the big girls room.

Where am I going to put your chicks?! I have enough trouble finding where to put all of mine!

 

[Tamena]

Where am I going to put your chicks?! I have enough trouble finding where to put all of mine!

LOL! I have no problems with this issue - I raised Guinea Hens on my dining room table till they could go outside and we breed/show guinea pigs so I have plenty of cage space even for big chickens till they can go outside too!

Tons of great info gang - thank you so very much! I will be prepared for when I finally get my birds I hope!

 

[BGMatt]

You will never have enough room, keep building and adding on as money allows. That goes triple for anyone that might ever want to breed or show. Also something a bit more personal to me is, don't get a breed because a friend has it, or because there's more competition at a show, you may find the new breed doesn't appeal to you as much (unless you have room for new and old). When I started showing I was still young and didn't have enough coop space so I decided to get rid of my Langshan large fowl and bantams (all three colors of each) for the far more competitive OEGB's, I still regret that almost 15 years later.

Edit: Condensed without me rambling and added one:

1) You never have enough space.
2) Don't let anyone talk you out of a breed you want.
3) Don't overthink things.

 

[Shellz]

You will never have enough room, keep building and adding on as money allows. That goes triple for anyone that might ever want to breed or show. Also something a bit more personal to me is, don't get a breed because a friend has it, or because there's more competition at a show, you may find the new breed doesn't appeal to you as much (unless you have room for new and old). When I started showing I was still young and didn't have enough coop space so I decided to get rid of my Langshan large fowl and bantams (all three colors of each) for the far more competitive OEGB's, I still regret that almost 15 years later.

Very good advice! I agree!

 

[jweiher]

Reading this thread leaves me with questions and I hope it's okay that's put them here. My husband is building a custom coop for me but this means without plans we don't really know what we are doing. We have read about some dimensions but I'm having trouble with the roosts. I expect to have mostly full sized girls. Our nesting boxes are about a foot off the ground of the coop which is 8x5 and 6' tall (do we need to help them get into the boxes?) There will be nesting boxes on either end (5' foot lengths) sticking out so that they don't take up any of that 40 sq foot space. They will also have a lip so eggs don't fall out (no rooster so none will hatch). We will have windows on front and back screened with hardware cloth. There will be a human door in the middle of one of the 8' lengths and a chicken door into the run on the opposite side. The floor of the coop will be covered in a single, seamless sheet of linoleum or vinyl. My husband will build pull out poop boards. From this forum I see I should us sweet PDZ and have a lip all the way around so that everything stays on the board which I can pull out and clean out into a bucket without having to go into the coop. So, considering that this coop is like a 5x8 shed with exterior nesting boxes on each end and a human door in the middle of the 8' wall, at what height should I put my poop boards and first roost? I say this because I was imagining a ladder roost...and with a ladder roost, how much space between each rung? Also, the roosts would be in front of the windows on either side of the human door. Is that okay? We can add functional shutters for the winter if the birds would get too cold in front of the window (we live in VA so it's not extremely cold here). I will take all th advice I can get. thanks!

 

[The Bird House]

I wish I had of known how dangerous using improper extension cords were.. or that hay is highly flammable..

Did the birds peck through the ext cord? I'm working on the inside of mine now and considering adding an electric outlet inside the coop.