Am I going to regret it if I...

[21hens-incharge]

DH wants to build a new coop. My current set up is five coops housing 22 hens. The goal is to have a single long coop separated into 3 sections.
The area we have is 16x22 that would have to have the coop and the run in it. It is rectangular with mature lilacs on the long side and sumac trees on the opposite long side.
The plan is to have a 22 foot long raised coop along the side with the sumac and the run butting up next to the lilac bushes.
The big questions for me are ....
If I make the coop 22 feet long and 6 feet deep will this be a major pain to clean? I know I may have to crawl under if a hen is in need or they lay under it.

If I only make it 4 feet deep is that going to be enough indoor space for them? I am in Colorado and in the winter they tend to stay inside.

We have metal roofing that DH got on the extreme cheep. (It is used but still solid.)
If we use it to roof the entire run and coop will it be something I need to insulate in the coop?

The coop will have to be over 6 foot at the back wall height so DH does not loose an eye going behind the coop. Is a drop of only 18 inches enough on a 16 foot length to shed snow?

 

[Judy]

I would build it at least 8 feet wide; I would think the 4' would be very inconvenient, and I would not set it so a chicken can get under it. For one thing, that is an invitation to rats, never mind hidden eggs, sick chickens, etc. No, that drop won't be enough, I wouldn't think. our local Home Depot type store should be a help in this, or you can try Google.. I don't believe there would be any reason to insulate in Colorado.

Have you seen these articles? They were written b a Canadian member. I hope ou will find some useful viewpoints in them.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/winter-coop-temperatures

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...-go-out-there-and-cut-more-holes-in-your-coop

 

[thomasboyle]

One thing to factor is a long coop takes more building material than a square one. If your coop is 6'x22', you have 132 sq feet and 56 feet of outer wall (two walls 22', two walls 6'). If you built a 11x12 coop, you have the same 132 sq feet and 46 feet of outer wall - a difference of 20%. So from a materials perspective, a square coop is cheaper to build.

As for cleaning, will you be able to walk in it to clean, or will you have doorways to have to reach in and clean from the outside? If you can't go inside the coop, then I would make it at least 24-36" off the ground, so you won't be bending over trying to shovel it out.

From a snow load perspective, you are planning on a 10:1 slope (10 inches of run going down 1 inch). Most roofs designed to shed snow are closer to 5:1. You could certainly use a snow rake on a 10:1 roof, but the snow won't slide off on its own. Adding insulation is not necessary, but many people do it. I converted a shed into a coop, and the shed already had insulation installed. I have found my coop (12x16) stays 10-15 degrees warmer than the outside air. This is due to the chicken's body heat being kept in by the insulated coop. I keep two windows open all year long for proper ventilation, even in the winter.

Let us know how it goes, and post pictures!

Here is my coop in the winter, after a 24" snowstorm. The roof on my run is 12:1, and the snow never slides off it.

 

[21hens-incharge]

A bit more information on my current issues that we are trying to resolve with the new build.
1. Muddy, icy run in the winter and spring.
2. Not enough shade for the ladies. I have shade cloths strung up but it is not very nice looking.
3. Five separate run doors to open and close every morning. I have padlocks on them all due to someone stealing eggs and putting my girls at risk. (Found footprints in the snow going from side gate to coops and out again. I had 0 eggs that day.) Locks are a pain at 4:30 am in the winter.
4. Mice in the converted shed coop. Looking to turn it back into a shed. No mice in the raised coops so far. That is why we are looking at raising the long coop idea.

I have read the muddy run page and the ventilation page. LOTS of good information on them. I am not so worried about the winter temps in the coops as I am having a metal roof causing condensation. I would only be looking to insulate or rather provide a barrier from condensation on the ceiling of the coop.
I had not considered a dirt floor coop because of the mice that got into the converted shed.
I have the population under control but worry about them getting in and causing more problems.
Do you think the mice would be less inclined to go in the coop if the floor was dirt?

Oh and the reason for the long instead of square coop is I have some bantam cochins and would want to keep them separate. I also have a few really mean large hens that cannot be in with the SSH's. I am looking at needing at least 3 areas.
Perhaps I should re-home the meanies.

 

[Judy]

I have an all metal coop with no inside walls. If there is enough ventilation, you won't get condensation. There is open area all the wa aorund the tops of the walls, between the walls and ceilings.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Good to know. I was very worried about condensation and since I plan on tons of ventilation at the top it should not be an issue.
Still working on the plan. It seems no matter what I do I simply have a few to many hens.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Just an update.
I took a long long long look at the space I have and the needs for my girls.
I took a really really long look at the coops pages and took some advice to heart.

I began building the walls 3 hours ago and have only a little framing left to do. I LOVE my new impact driver. I did not have to predrill the holes.

I am making it an 8x16 coop split in the middle giving me 2 8x8 areas to work with. The runs will each be 8x 18 with no access under the coop area.
I will be losing a couple small trees and one bush but I think it is on the no no list anyway. (elderberry)
The coop will be about 5' on the short side and 7' on the tall side.
So far I have all of the 16 foot walls constructed with windows framed in. I am doing them in 8 foot sections so they will be a prefab sort of thing.
I am sorry I do not have pics. (dead battery in camera.) I will take some once I can find the cord to charge it with.
The coop roof will be metal with 2x6 framing as will the run. The base will be 2x6 framing on the blocks usually used for decking. I am going to do pea gravel under the coop and yes there will be hardware cloth to keep anyone from going under it.
Estimated cost given that we are reusing the chain link fencing and have metal roofing already as well as lexan I can make the windows from is 1500.

The roof line I am going for is based off of one I saw on the large coops page labeled big coop by Schroeder. Not exactly the same but very similar.


A big thank you to everyone for documenting their coops so well. It has helped me design my own a lot.