Breeders? (Need help with coop design)

[Mmmatt13]

I am hatching some EE's in a little over a week, and I would really like to do some breeding and sell their hatching eggs when they're all grown up. I have 28 shipped eggs in the incubator right now, I'm expecting a 50% hatch rate, so that's 14, with approximately 7 boys and 7 girls. I have 7 pullet EE's from the farm store, so that's about one roo to 2 hens.
I'd like to build a housing unit with 6 or 7 sections (was thinking a long building with different "rooms" and runs), but I'm not sure what would work best, as I've never actually seen a small breeder set up. If anyone has any ideas or pictures, please share.

Also if you have suggestions for dimensions of the "rooms" and runs, let me know.

Thank you!

 

[Arielle]

THis is of great interest to me too! Hopefully you will have some of the breeders chime in. If not try doing a search for "breeding pen" and read through the selection. Its some info anyway. Hopefully the breeders chime in.

 

[OkChickens]

In my opinion you won't need 1 Roo to 2 Hens. I have mine usually 7-11 Hens to a Rooster. I have 9 EE's (8 hens 1 Roo) and I have a 90%+ hatch rate. My 12 Welsummers (11 Hens and 1 Roo) and get usually 90-95% hatch rate!

I currently have a 20x30 coop for my 40 Eating Egg Layers and I have 2 9x10 rooms side my side in my barn 1 side for Welsummers and the other side EE's. I'm debating about changing the size to 3 6x10 rooms. Making the rooms 60 sq ft instead of 90 sq ft. I will add a 6x16 ft run side by side off of each room.

I have 25 Delaware one day old pullets with 2 delaware Roos and 1 RIR Roo coming on the 30th. I will probably build 2-3 more 6x10 rooms like I currently in my coop for breeding pens with 6x16 runs. These will be for breeding Delawares and also Red Sex Links.

I hope this gives you some ideas!

Nate

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
My current design is similar to yours I havent built it yet but I have the materials.... Mine will be 24 x 24 with four areas that will be 6x12 one area that will be 6 x 18 and two areas that will be 6x6 Each area will have its own run. But here is a picture of my layout. I am not a breeder but do want to keep purebreds just because I want good bloodlines.

There is a hallway down the middle to access the nest boxes and each of the pens. My design is made of dog kennel panels I have a boat load of them.

 

[perchie.girl]

My plans are to have:

6 x 12 pens will have
Wellsumers
Marans
Amauracanas
Bachelor flock

6 x 6 pens will have
Auracanas
Sumatras

and last

6 x 18 pen will have
Guineas

 

[sixshooter60]

If you are starting with nothing and working from the ground up i have found the easiest and cheapest way to go is to get one of those portable carports. i dont know if you have them in your area but here they sell them on about every street corner . you can get a single which is 12x20 for 595.00 here . they come and set them up for you and it takes them about an hour to do it from start to finish. you can have the ends closed in and the sides if you want and a door but all that costs extra. if you can its way cheaper to do all that yourself . you can design it any way you want . they are cheaper thay anything you can build for the size and its fast. like i said they come in lots of sizes and colors . mine is still in the planning process now so i dont have any pics to show you . its just another option to think about.. hope this helps

 

[OkChickens]

Deb that's a great design! I am not a breeder either but I to want purebreads.

My 4 6x10 rooms will hold
12 Welsummers
11 Americans
11 Delawares
10 Delaware hens X 1 RIR Rooster

Maybe 1 more room that is 6x10 for 11 Rhode Island Reds

My 10x20 room will probably hold 40-50 Egg layers that will free range on most days, now it only has 6! Its a work in progress!

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
Thanks... its all stuff an old woman with a cane can build from the ground. I am still trying to figure out a way to roof it. Cant climb a ladder, im too heavy anyway. No one seems to want to volunteer for the job....LOL. I am thinking small leverageable prefab modules that can be sealed and fastened from underneath to Cross beams set to the correct pitch.

The out building roofs here need to be pretty flat pitched Any doors need to be on the lee side of the building or they literally get ripped off their hinges within about six months. Lots of wind.