Build the coop.. now what?

[Texas Chicken Tender]

We finished the Coop for our 4 Brahmas and 2 Americanas (15 weeks old waiting at the neighbors house for everything to be finished) I over researched and am now questioning my initial plans. The Coop is 8x12 with 2 windows,tomorrow we put down linoleum and install 4 vents ( one on each side ) . The 3 nesting boxes will be 16-20 inches above the floor to allow for storage . So here is where I’m unsure.. is 20x20 nesting boxes big enough for brahmas? Where would you put the roost? What kind of roost??? We are in East Texas so summer heat,snakes and really cold Jan/Feb weather is common.

 

[Raptor Chicken]

That coop has ZERO ventilation and that will be detrimental to your birds. That would be priority number one. Get some ventilation up high.

As for roosts I would say putting some 2x4's flat ways on top of the top plates of the walls would work. Similar to this...

 

[Texas Chicken Tender]

Ventilation is coming this for the front above the door and the back above the window Sun Energise Solar Powered Fan Pro, 15W Solar Panel + 6 Inch High Speed Exhaust Fan with Anti-backflow Valve, Wall Mount Ventilation & Cooling Vent for Greenhouse, Chicken Coop, Shed, Garage, Attic https://a.co/d/fQxeJDn
Then 3 of those on each long wall under the eaves. The windows also open and are covered wird galvanized hardware cloth

 

[gtaus]

So here is where I’m unsure.. is 20x20 nesting boxes big enough for brahmas? Where would you put the roost? What kind of roost??? We are in East Texas so summer heat,snakes and really cold Jan/Feb weather is common.

First of all, let me say that I really like your coop. I think it will be great for your chickens.

I have never had brahmas, so I don't know how big a nest box should be.

I would put the main roosting bar about 4 feet off the ground. You might need to have a second roosting bar lower so they can jump up to the top bar. In my case, I have one roosting bar at 2 feet and the main roosting bat at 4 feet. I use 2X4's laid flat. Also, I sometimes add a ladder to the roosting bars for new chickens.

I have my roosting bars where there is less chance of a breeze coming up from underneath the sleeping birds. You want good ventilation, but not a breeze or draft coming up from underneath the birds.

I read that you plan on adding ventilation on the peaks of the roof, front and back, and that should help with ventilation. Heat rises, and can escape out those top vents.

I have 2 sliding windows across from each other, which provides great cross ventilation. I live in northern Minnesota, so most of my concern is not about the coop getting too hot. I keep my sliding windows open most of the year, but in the winter, the north side window is opened only a crack. My windows are the far side of the roosting bars.

I don't know how cold it gets in East Texas, but where I live, we typically get a week or two of -35F to -40F in the dead of winter. So far, I have not lost any chickens due to the cold in 3+ years.

I would also recommend you adding your geographical location to your member icon. It helps people offer advice that may be more helpful to your location. Obviously, my needs in northern Minnesota are probably different than someone in southern Florida, for example.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Heat will be your bigger worry, not sure if your vents will be enough but I have no experience with the type of vent you're looking at.

20x20 should be fine for Brahmas.

Roosts should be placed higher than nests to encourage chickens to use them, though Brahmas may not be as agreeable to higher roosts (I don't have any, just going by what others on here have experienced). So you may need ramps or laddered roosts to get them up there. Anything from thick tree branches (2"+ diameter) to 2x4s will work as a roost, so use what's available and sensible for you. As far as where in the coop they should go, really any place is fine, but keep in mind that chickens need ample space in front of a roost to land - if a roost is 3' up, they need at least 3' in front (possibly more) unobstructed to land.

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC.

I'm afraid that I have to jump on the "need more ventilation" bandwagon.

In fact, as a fellow hot climate person, I would suggest that you pull all the siding off the leeward end and replace it with hardware cloth and add at least a ridge vent if not a monitor.

Here's my article on hot climate chickenkeeping: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hot-climate-chicken-housing-and-care.77263/

And my article on coop ventilation: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/repecka-illustrates-coop-ventilation.77659/

20x20 should be more than generous. My Brahmas were a little cramped in 12x12 but fine in 16"-wide boxes.

However, these big girls often don't fly well (my girl Dumpling could achieve 18" when powerfully motivated by the idea that someone else had a treat she wasn't getting), so if you're installing your nests at a convenient height for you to gather eggs and putting the perches above them to keep the hens from sleeping in the nests you're going to need ramps or some other arrangement to help them up and down.

 

[Auntiejessi3]

Nice start! I live in Central Texas, so I understand the heat and the cold and our bipolar weather, lol. I'm going to have to strongly agree on the need for a ton more ventilation. I have an 8x9 coop, front half south facing is a half wall covered in HWC, large exhaust fan on the north wall, windows on east and west walls, eves all the way around the roof are open and covered with HWC... and it still gets a couple degrees warmer than the actual outside temperature. I have a brahma (she's 2 1/2) and my nest boxes are 18x18 and she fits fine. As far as roosts, she roosts with everyone else (she's the queen B) about 4ft up and uses a ramp to get up there just fine. Pictures for reference (some of the pics are from a while ago, but you'll get the jist)...chickens rock and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!