Advice for Chicken coop with Greenhouse together

[KKehr]

I have a certain space and I am trying to figure out how to construct a chicken coop with a greenhouse attached.

Purpose of the greenhouse is to have a warm location to start plant during our snowy season. We get a lot of snow for we are against the mountains in Utah.

What suggestions do you have? Due to CCRs I can only have 8 chickens in my neighborhood. So what size of coop do you recommend and things are must haves and which things should avoid?

Which things do you wish you would have considered or done better?

I appreciate you advice and help.

Kim

 

[coolcanoechic]

Hi! Welcome to BYC!!!!!

I have never seen a coop with a greenhouse attached. Will you be letting the chickens in there while you are growing things as well? I think the chickens will eat and scratch up anything that they can find that is green, so your plants should be fenced off somehow to keep that from happening.

A 4 ft by 8 ft coop will house 8 chickens nicely. Have you checked out the coop page yet? There are lots of very nice coops to look at, as well as ideas to draw from. It helped me design my coop.

 

[Baymule]

I have 8 hens and my coop is 8'x7'. They don't have arun (yet) and they don't free range because my dog would use them for squeaky toys.

the floor is dirt so they can scratch and dig, and boy do they dig! Holes a foot deep! They seem happy with their space and I give them lots of garden clippings to eat. I like the idea of building a greenhouse next to the coop!

 

[Baymule]

Oh, just had an idea! What about a hoop coop and divide in half for chickens on one end and greenhouse on the other? Hoop coops are made with cow panels bowed over and secured to a frame. Do a search and you will get some good pics.

 

[peep-a-boo]

How about having the coop in the greenhouse? Then the run can be attached to the back.

 

[new chick 203]

The Coop greenhouse combo is the permaculture holy grail. I'm working on a plan for one that I hope to build this year. Here is a drawing to show the principals. The idea is that the greenhouse on the south side collects warmth during the day and the chickens generate some heat at night and everyone stays even. The 2 spaces should vent to one another so the exchange of CO2 and O is also mutually beneficial producing healthier chickens and plants. Also having a compost pile in the greenhouse in winter is convenient and produces heat. The chickens don't go in the greenhouse.

 

[OakCreekClucker]

Oh, I like this idea a lot. Here in MN greenhouses without supplemental heat are more of a season extender rather than a year-around solution. What do you think of letting the chickens run in the greenhouse in the winter when it's too cold to grow things then having a separate "summer run" for when the greenhouse is in use? Any advice from someone who has done this?

 

[FoxyChicken]

Oh, I like this idea a lot. Here in MN greenhouses without supplemental heat are more of a season extender rather than a year-around solution. What do you think of letting the chickens run in the greenhouse in the winter when it's too cold to grow things then having a separate "summer run" for when the greenhouse is in use? Any advice from someone who has done this?

This is exactly what I'm planning! I just got my very first chicks about a month ago and have a tractor for them for this summer, but we're planning on building a greenhouse/coop before winter. I would let them in there in the fall and winter (we're in NE MN) but not in the spring and summer while I'm growing things. That way they can have a "sunroom" if they don't want to go outside in the winter. My husband just bought a pallet of used windows at an auction so hopefully we can start construction soon. I'll try to post pictures! (This is my first post, I JUST joined!)

 

[anniemary]

This is EXACTLY what I'm looking into, too! I live on the MN/WI border. I was wondering if I let the chickens in the greenhouse or not, and it sounds like in our region, I could very well do that. Any one have some good websites on the permaculture idea?

Most of the sites I've found are for regions south of us. And our winters are a variable that doesn't seem to be covered.

Great post!!

 

[jjakaus]

Love this, but have to ask!! Is that pot closest to the chickens!! ?? LOL