A few basic questions

[michellebee]

Logging on this morning and blown away by the awesome response. Thank you all so much for the wonderful detailed info. This has already helped lots. Work awaits but I will try to respond in detail when I am settled in. Thank you

Also, I have updated my location as advised, thanks @Ted Brown and @aart . I am in Northern California in the San Francisco Bay Area, so we have a pretty mild climate (no snow in winter, low humidity in summer, etc).

 

[RoyalChick]

Welcome to BYC and good for you doing all your research first. You sound like me - I read everything I could before starting!
I don't really have anything to add to the excellent posts already made. So I will just say 'good luck' with your build - it will be fun.
Not knowing exactly where you are it is hard to say - but the approach of having a small true 'coop' (ie fully walled and enclosed) and a slightly larger fully secure area that is more open (basically your hen-house and coop on the diagram) is a good model with lots of flexibility for temperature changes. Have fun with it!

 

[aart]

I skip over threads with basic questions that can be answered with a quick search.

Wellll....except the search stinks.
Plus what a great first post here and a good sketch!

 

[Ryan A]

Hi everyone, nice to meet you all. I'm Michelle and I just joined BYC today. Over the holidays I had the chance to take care of my sister's family's flock of 3 young Golden Comets, which in short was total fun! It got me launched into many hours of research this week on having a flock of our own.

I've spent hours reading about basic coop design, the supremacy of hardware cloth, browsed many ingenious designs of repurposed materials, aww'ed at pics of baby chickies etc. But I still have a few (probably very simple) questions I can't quite parse out from my basic Google searches. I would appreciate your advice on my general plan as of now.

I am thinking about 4-6 chicks to start, but would like to plan to have space for at least 8. Please see pic for very rudimentary drawing of the coop/run layout. (I'm not an architect, but hopefully you get the gist).
View attachment 2480589
Essentially, I have a 26' x 6' area set aside for them and chose the "coop" space to be 6' x 6' with the day run of 20' x 6', all enclosed at 6 feet tall. We have many predators in the area, so I am basically envisioning a big rectangle of framed welded wire, hah. The "coop" will be predator-proof, hopefully, but the day run I might more loosely wire (thinking larger mesh on the top half) as a consideration of cost.

• Do you think that is OK spacing for a flock of 8 max? I basically chose the sizes of each section for ease of math.
• I use "coop" in quotations because I don't quite understand the distinction between the "coop" and the actual "hen house" where they sleep and nest. It seems these terms can be used interchangeably. What I want to know is how much space the "hen house" itself should be in a 6' x 6' square foot space. I will keep the waterer and feeder outside the 'hen house' itself.
• Probably silly: I have seen the figure for square footage requirements per hen in the hen house, but how does one figure height into those calculations? As an example, if 6 hens should have 3 sq ft each, would my planned dimensions of say 4' x 3' x 3' (36 ft^3) suffice or am I thinking about this in a weird way? Hah.
• I would like to use this project as an opportunity to learn some woodworking/construction skills, but to be honest, am not at all handy *right* now. For me, time is not the issue, but skill and cost is. An outer enclosed frame seems feasible for me to build, but I wonder if I should try to build the hen house itself or try to buy a pre-fab. Has anyone had particular success with easily repurposing existing "structures" (say, kids' play cottage, dresser, shed) into the hen house and care to share? I've browsed many designs and have been constantly scouring Craigslist to see what I might be able to grab for free, but haven't seen any clear winner of course.

Edit: For additional info, I am in the Northern California region, close to San Jose. Our climate is fairly mild (no snow, low humidity, etc). Hot days in the summer and rain in the rainier seasons, of course, but not too concerned about overheating (lots of natural shade from neighboring shrubs and trees) or flooding.

There is so much great info online it is almost difficult to narrow down my thoughts, so again, I am grateful for any clarifications you can make to these initial ideas.

Thanks all, looking forward to your responses.

That’s a good idea. I’ve heard that chickens are happier if there are at least four of them so they don’t get depressed. Also, I think it’s cool u got to play with Golden Comets because I have a Golden Comet too.

 

[3KillerBs]

I am in Northern California in the San Francisco Bay Area, so we have a pretty mild climate (no snow in winter, low humidity in summer, etc).

You'll want to look into "Open Air Coops" then.

Heat is a much bigger concern than cold for chickens and the more fresh air they have year round the better.

 

[David61]

Here is my build. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/10x6-roofed-with-a-8x20-run.1325133/#post-21614569
take what you can from it. as for location, think shade.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Hi, welcome to the forum. Glad you found us.

Never be afraid to ask a question on here. The search function is challenging even for people very familiar with the forum so it is not easy to find what you are looking for. You are in a unique situation and your excellent post explained that very well. Many posts are more generic or may not specifically apply to you.

I think what you are considering is to have that 20' x 6' run available during the day. In that 6' x 6' area you label "coop" is still covered by wire and inside that you have a "hen house" of unknown size that will be totally enclosed with wood. The chickens would have access to both the coop and hen house areas at night with the roosts and access to the nests in the hen house. It's not what I'd call a normal concept but in your weather in the Bay area it could work if you make it predator proof.

View attachment 2480589

all enclosed at 6 feet tall.

You want to be able to stand up, whether in the coop or run. It hurts to bump your head. When I walk I kind of bounce up and down. Is that 6' tall the bottom of something you might bump into or the top?

Besides, any solid roof needs to slope so water runs off of it. You do not want that rainwater to run into your run because that will make it muddy. You do not want water to run off of the roof onto you as you are opening a door or maybe gathering eggs if you have outside access to your nests.

Do you think that is OK spacing for a flock of 8 max? I basically chose the sizes of each section for ease of math.

The overall size is fabulous for eight chickens. One huge consideration is your comfort and convenience. You need room to work in there. I don't believe in magic numbers for much of anything as far as chickens go. You can follow the link in my signature below to see why that pertains to space. Think as much in terms of you as you do of chickens.

What I want to know is how much space the "hen house" itself should be in a 6' x 6' square foot space. I will keep the waterer and feeder outside the 'hen house' itself.

What you need in the enclosed "henhouse" section is a roost. You are feeding outside. For eight hens you probably want something close to eight feet of roost space. That can be one roost 8' long, two 4' roosts, or even an L-shaped roost 6' and 2', 5' x 3', or something like that. I think your 6' x 6' area is too small to do that and give you room to work in that end. I'd consider making the run area shorter so you can make the coop area bigger. That may mean extra costs for more hardware cloth to make it predator safe and maybe some more wood to build that enclosed shelter. Or can you move the people door to the end? I see you have a nest hanging outside that area, probably for outside collection. Could you move that hen house to the far side and keep the nest inside where you would need to enter the coop area to gather eggs? I'm having trouble coming up with enough sheltered roosting area and still give you decent access in a 6x6.

I have seen the figure for square footage requirements per hen in the hen house, but how does one figure height into those calculations?

As I said I don't believe in those kinds of magic numbers. Chickens do not think in concepts of coop space versus run space. If they need space they don't care where it is as long as they have it.

As for vertical space, my method is to determine where the coop floor is, including any bedding depth. Then position your nests. Some people like nests on the coop floor. Some prefer them up higher, maybe so they don't have to bend over to gather eggs if they have a bad back. If kids are going to be collecting eggs you might want the nests fairly low. Again, think of you, the chickens can adjust. Next position the roosts higher than anything you don't want them roosting on at night. That usually means your nests but might mean something else. In colder climates I then would want ventilation openings above their heads when they are on the roosts so any breezes flow over their heads instead of hitting them. In the Bay area that is not as important.

I'd also want the roosts to be as low as I could reasonably make them. The higher the roosts the more clear space they need below to land in. You don't want them banging into nests, walls, or such on the way down. In what I think is your configuration I'd consider a sloped roof to keep rain off of them and four walls hanging down to keep rain from blowing on them or in the nests but leave the bottom open.

For 8 hens you need two nests.

I would like to use this project as an opportunity to learn some woodworking/construction skills, but to be honest, am not at all handy *right* now. For me, time is not the issue, but skill and cost is.

Most building materials come in standard 4' or 8' dimensions. If you can factor those into your design you can usually reduce the number of cuts and waste. A 6' dimension isn't horrible, you can often use the cut-offs for nests or something else. Cutting a 2x4 isn't that hard but cutting an 8' long piece of plywood requires some thought if you want a straight edge.

Another issue can be tools. If you are not skilled in construction you may not have many tools. The right tool makes a lot of difference, saws especially, but can be kind of expensive to buy. I suggest you screw things together instead of a hammer and nails. Mistakes and changes are a lot easier to handle if you screw things together. If what you are building is kind of flimsy it can be hard to even drive a nail.

You can manage this. When my boys were 10 and 12 I had them build a small shed for me to house the lawn mower and such. Of course I supervised but they did the work and read the plans. After that when they were helping on Boy Scout projects they amazed their friends with how well they could handle a hammer with one hand.

You can get books on how to construct at your local library, look for shed how-to books. Home Depot or Lowe's often have books on that.

If you can find a building you can avoid a lot of this. Prefab sheds can be expensive but aren't that hard to erect or convert into a coop. You will probably need a foundation. If you can find something on Craigslist you might save money. You might ask at a construction site if they have waste lumber, they often use stuff as a construction aid and the throw it away.

Good luck with it, it is a project. And once again,

 

[Aunt Angus]

Logging on this morning and blown away by the awesome response. Thank you all so much for the wonderful detailed info. This has already helped lots. Work awaits but I will try to respond in detail when I am settled in. Thank you

Also, I have updated my location as advised, thanks @Ted Brown and @aart . I am in Northern California in the San Francisco Bay Area, so we have a pretty mild climate (no snow in winter, low humidity in summer, etc).

PERFECT climate! I used to live in the Bay Area. The only thing I miss is the weather.

Wait - I also miss that things are open late. Things close early where I live now. LOL

 

[CinnaBun]

I agree, a 3 sided ‘hen house’ (or chicken coop) would probably work out great in the Bay Area.

Look at hoop coops (could just make a hoop chicken run).

And look at dog kennels converted to chicken runs or made into chicken coops / ‘hen houses’. Add a sloping roof, 3 walls, roosts, nests, etc. Dog Kennel Panels are often in 6’ lengths, you could make your secure area 6’x12’.

 

[michellebee]

@Ted Brown Thanks Ted. I get now that the dresser idea etc would be too small to plan for possibly 8 hens. I am certainly thinking about pallets for at least part of the run (maybe using them for the lower half of the run's back wall, for ex.). I've just made a folder of bookmarks just for searches on Craigslist for "plywood," "pallets", "wire," etc . Time is somewhat on my side at the moment, so amassing the materials will be a fun and satisfying challenge.

@cavemanrich Thank you - sheds seem a feasible way to go given the space requirement. I think I have a lead on a free disassembled metal one on Craigslist - fingers crossed!

@Aunt Angus thanks for your input and congrats on your awesome coop. Agree, the more I look at it the prefabs just don't seem a good value. Nest boxes will definitely go on the outside if I can help it, because that's how my sister's coop was and it was just so convenient!

My climate is very amenable for chicks, but my space is constrained mostly by just how much I can spend on good wire, if that makes sense. The aforementioned 26' x 6' is also level. There is still a lot of yard to the right of the day run, at least another 300 ft^2 ripe for the pickin', but at a big downward slope. I figure I will eventually stake some metal posts and run cheap wire around that big area so they can 'free range' but only when someone's able to watch.

@3KillerBs I think you hit on exactly my confusion!! Thanks for clarifying the terms. When I cared for my sister's chickens, they were always out of their small coop (roost/nest space) even by 7 / 7:30 am, but seemed calm waiting on the ground in their fully-enclosed 'mini-run' before I let them out to their much bigger day run. I envisioned similar for mine.

Appreciate the specifics of measurements and tip on "open air coops". Now that I am leaning towards building my own, that info will come in very handy. Lovely pics - love to see those little baby chicks!

I wish hoop coops were feasible for me, but I've checked major hardware stores within ~30 miles of me and they simply don't stock cattle panels! That and I'm not sure if I would be able to haul. I'll keep it in mind, though, because I do love the simplicity and ease of that construction.