Advice on coop

[SouthernChick54]

Brand new chicken farmers here. This is a coop a local guy built for us. I'd like your inputs and what, if anything, we should adapt or change. Mt big Q is, should I replace the 1x1s he used for roosts to be 2x4s? My husband is going to add a 8x10 run with hardware cloth and a roof. Should the run go from the chicken door (on the left side) out or should the chickens be able to go under the coop? We live in western NC and are planning on eventually having 8-12 chickens; starting with 6. Any advice is welcome!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Welcome To BYC

I'd replace the roosting with wider boards.

Is the coop going to be inside the run or are you attaching the run to the coop?
The chickens will love going underneath, but think about the height of the coop as it sits, will you be able to get a chicken or eggs out from under there if you need to? I guess it depends on how agile you are

Looks like you have pretty good ventilation. You may find that in winter you'll need to shield the windows from direct wind and/or blowing snow depending on how you have your coop positioned.

 

[SouthernChick54]

Welcome To BYC

I'd replace the roosting with wider boards.

Is the coop going to be inside the run or are you attaching the run to the coop?
The chickens will love going underneath, but think about the height of the coop as it sits, will you be able to get a chicken or eggs out from under there if you need to? I guess it depends on how agile you are

Looks like you have pretty good ventilation. You may find that in winter you'll need to shield the windows from direct wind and/or blowing snow depending on how you have your coop positioned.

Thank you for the advice. We were planning on covering the windows with plastic during winter; we live in a mild climate. I will replace the roosts.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you for the advice. We were planning on covering the windows with plastic during winter; we live in a mild climate. I will replace the roosts.

Most of the year is not too bad. Jan/Feb/March can be brutal at times. I usually leave my windows open until the end of December. They can handle the temp swings very well, but being able to get out of the wind is the most important thing.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Yes I would replace the roosts that he put in there. Unscrew them, pull the nails, cut them out, and replace with either 2x4s or branches around 2" or more in diameter.

Also do not place roosts like how they currently sit on the ladder on the right side of the photo - see how the 1x1s are diagonal? That means the birds' feet will be resting on the edge of the bar, instead of the flat part of it, which can cause foot injury - or may simply cause them to not use the roost.

Thank you for the advice. We were planning on covering the windows with plastic during winter; we live in a mild climate. I will replace the roosts.

What other ventilation is there other than the windows? Are the soffits open? I'm asking because if you cover them with plastic, you need to make up for the missing ventilation elsewhere.

You want 1 sq ft ventilation minimum per bird 24/7, preferably up high, and that applies year round.

The chickens will love going underneath, but think about the height of the coop as it sits, will you be able to get a chicken or eggs out from under there if you need to?

^ This. The space underneath is usable, but you need to consider your ability to access it. *I* don't want to crawl around trying to reach an injured bird.

All that said, especially if you are not going to leave the underside space open, I would urge you to consider a larger run space. You mentioned having up to 12 birds, but your current run plans (assuming you exclude the underside of the coop) is only enough for about 8 fully integrated birds. Integration always takes more space. If 12 is the eventual goal, I'd aim for 150-200 sq ft at least, unless you plan on free ranging for most of the day.

 

[BDutch]

Hi Southern,
Welcome to the world of chickens.

What breed(s) do you intent to buy?

Looks like a good coop with a very large space for nest boxes. The location is good but you only need 2 nest boxes for 8 , and max 3 for 10 chickens. Maybe you can use half of the space to storage feed/supplies.

The roosts shouldn’t have sharp edges. 1“ sqr with rounded edges is okay for very small bantams. For normal size chickens I think that about 1.5 by 2” is nice size. Use a plane or file to remove sharp edges for comfort and to avoid foot problems.

I don’t understand the construction with the roost ladder + the roost bar from one side to the other + the high roost in the corner. And will the ladder on the ground go from the pop door to the run? . it’s convenient to have the roost above the laying nest but not too high . About the hight as the one in the middle. Make one large roost from end to end , or a second one on the same hight as the one in the middle. You might need a ‘step up bar, depending on the ability of the chickens to jump. It’s convenient to make a poop board under the roost bar(s).

If you have a sunny run, its good that the chickens can hide underneath the coop. Also great to hide if there are hawks circling. But as Wyorp Rock says it’s not convenient if they go where you can’t reach chickens or eggs.

In winter you need good ventilation too. The ventilation under the roof, on one side is maybe not enough. Depending on the number and size of the chickens. Probably you need to keep at least one inch in the top open in the opposite large hwc windows. You might need an air flow in winter too.
PS Rosemarythyme gave good advice, I was typing when she posted.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I don’t understand the construction with the roost ladder + the roost bar from one side to the other + the high roost in the corner. And will the ladder on the ground go from the pop door to the run? . it’s convenient to have the roost above the laying nest but not too high . About the hight as the one in the middle. Make one large roost from end to end , or a second one on the same hight as the one in the middle.

Oh good call, I didn't notice the extra bars at the end. I'd remove all of those to prevent the birds from using them, and then yes, run 1 or 2 long roosts across the space where the current smaller ladder roost sits.

 

[SouthernChick54]

Yes the ladder goes from the chicken door to the run.

I’ve decided to not allow access to under the coop thanks to y’all’s input.

These are all great ideas; thank y’all so much. I had noticed the “sharp” edge of those roosts on the right first and thought about the poor chickens feet. I will pop them all out and replace.

 

[Acre4Me]

Leave inside as is for now. The 1x1 is supported in the middle. It is plenty fine for the chickens for now. FWIW, a wide roost can cause issues - we had a very nasty breast blister on our rooster from his keel bone rubbing on the wide roost (flat side 2x4), which took daily treatment for 2 weeks, then several months to fully heal. We turned the 2x4 roosts in our coop to be narrow side up. If you change then, you can always use dowels or “straight” thicker branches.

Outside, yes I’d allow them access to under the coop if possible and if there is enough height. In the heat of the summer ours love being under our elevated coop.

Run off pop door is fine, but you’ll need a people door into the run, of course. Try to have some shade if possible, if the location allows for it. If not, I’ll recommend using foliage for shade. You are warmer than here, with a longer warm (non-freezing) weather. For shade, I recommend using bird house gourds. These (of ALL the many gourds I’ve tried) have the largest leaves and grow fast. But a luffa gourd could work too. Lately we have been using “hyacinth bean vine” for shade on the south part of our run. Gourds will not tolerate any frost at all. Also, planting some bushes outside the run can also work, but is a longer term solution.

Very nice coop! Enjoy your chickens!

 

[BDutch]

Yes the ladder goes from the chicken door to the run.

I’ve decided to not allow access to under the coop thanks to y’all’s input.

These are all great ideas; thank y’all so much. I had noticed the “sharp” edge of those roosts on the right first and thought about the poor chickens feet. I will pop them all out and replace.

Your welcome.

If you block of where you can’t reach, its a good place to hide for the rain and for feed (stays dry). Gives some (almost) free extra space too.