Breeding pen ideas - Looking for opinions from breeders

[Mother of Chaos]

What a treasure to have a barn to build out of!

Check out Paragon Ridge Ranch. They have multiple pens of rare breeds. You could do a similar build - only you'd have acess from inside, keeping weather off of you. You could build out different sizes of pens for individual needs.

Also check out Mandelyn Royals - Arcadian Orchard. She has a barn w/ individual pens, a brooder room & i think her hatching room is also in the barn (but may be in house), not sure... She is concentrating on American Bresse meat birds.

https://youtube.com/@arcadianorchard?si=5_bo2nSwfRJPnsVV

My own self - I'm refurbishing & building a hoop coop larger. My plan is to have nest boxes the left side of the gate/doors. 1 next to door, 1 on back wall, next to door out to run. Both front & back will have room for 2nd nest box, if necessary. The plan is to build in a removable broody hen brooder (no electricity for heat) using a puppy xpen that can be folded away when not in use - allowing all chickens acess when no broody hen/chicks. A basket w/ front partially removed will sit on the floor for broody to hatch - can be hung up when not in use or flipped over to be both a short roost & a "hide". For the slanted top(s), hinged panel(s) that will keep other chickens from roosting on top of broody pen. When not in use, will sit flush against wall it's hinged from. Idea(s) in my head at moment - no drawn out plan yet... The design is actually similar to Roost & Roots plans w/ my idea for broody pen.

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Coop itself is planned to be 10' wide x 8' deep. Right side will hold removable roosts. Left side will be nest box & brooder. Main water/feeder will be outside, but if needed, can put under each nest box (ha - hopefully preventing laying under the nest box).

If I need a separate broody hen for a non-broody breed, an orpington or silkie should hopefully work. The plan is to have one w/ each breeding group... I have no idea if it will work yet. We shall see...

Will the side of the roosting area that opens to the center of the coop be open (or with hardware cloth swing doors), or will it be closable in the winter? I've always liked the openness of this design, as well as the separation of the nesting boxes, which would make it easy to block a broody from them at night.

 

[paintedChix]

Will the side of the roosting area that opens to the center of the coop be open (or with hardware cloth swing doors), or will it be closable in the winter? I've always liked the openness of this design, as well as the separation of the nesting boxes, which would make it easy to block a broody from them at night.

Yes, to open to roosting.

The nest boxes that I plan to try in this coop are Little Giants &;have a perch bar that can be flipped up @ night.