25 White Leghorns. how big of coop?

[OkChickens]

Would it make since to use painted plywood or leave the tin? It will get anywhere from 10-105 degrees here and really humid sometimes.

-Nate

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Either one..tin I believe will hold in heat...so you may want to use painted plywood and make a few windows that you can open and close. Be sure to put wire over the windows.

 

[OkChickens]

That is the reason why I want to change to plywood rather than tin! I will put ventilation on the front and back sides along with a window on the side with the run. My plans are to put a window that slides open in the summer for more ventilation.

-Nate

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

That's what I had in mind.

Just be sure when you build it that you make it where you can close it up in the winter months to help keep them warm.

 

[DVTO2]

One of the suggestions someone made to me when I was building my coop was to design the roost over a board that could be slid out and easily cleaned. Most of the poop inside the coop is on this board, and mine slides out through the next box roof/door. With 25 chickens, you are going to have a lot of poop. Since you are going to replace the sheet metal with plywood, you could put a row of nest boxes down one side, with a roost and poop board (or boards) just over the nest boxes.


I don't see much ventilation. Make sure you have adequate ventilation. With your 8 x 12 A-frame, and 25 birds, you might want to open the top foot or so of the roof, building a secondary roof to cover that, so that fumes and heat can escape. For the summer, I'd put some vents down low as well, so that cooler air can come in while the hotter air escapes.

 

[OkChickens]

Quote:
I have 11 chickens in there right now. They do not roost for some reason? There is ventilation in the front of the coop because the back faces North and it would be very drafty if I did that. My plans are to have a 12x12 hole in the front on the off to the side. I will either build or use nesting boxes probably 5 for 20-25 chickens. I will put these on the front wall with the exit hole to the run. The roosts will probably be along the sides about 2 feet up the whole lengh (12 ft) on both sides. I will put a small door on the north wall for entrance and exit.

The Ventilation will be 2 8"x12" vents. 1 on the north and south sides. I will put a 12x12 door to swing up on the bottom with hardware cloth over to open during the summer and to keep predators out. I will probably let them free range a few times a week. I will probably clean up poop during this time.

-Nate