Building a chicken coop/run

[STxChickenman]

Looks like you have some shade from a nearby building, but that is probably only there for a fraction of the day?
/QUOTE]
Yes, that picture is about an hour before sunset. The garage would provide no heat relief whatsoever. I guess that I was originally more focused on keeping them warm and didn't worry about the Summer heat. After walking into the coop now that it's built it is eerily still in there. It's usually so windy here with a cool breeze coming off of the bay such that I didn't think about Summer ventilation. I like the idea of louvers but that would also allow cold air to flow in with North/Northwest wind cold fronts. That is certainly a viable option though. I'll be able to vent this coop somehow, I just need to think it through and figure out the best way to do so. My main concern is to get it finished so that I can move the chickens from their cages into their new home.

 

[aart]

Yes, that picture is about an hour before sunset. The garage would provide no heat relief whatsoever. I guess that I was originally more focused on keeping them warm and didn't worry about the Summer heat. After walking into the coop now that it's built it is eerily still in there. It's usually so windy here with a cool breeze coming off of the bay such that I didn't think about Summer ventilation. I like the idea of louvers but that would also allow cold air to flow in with North/Northwest wind cold fronts. That is certainly a viable option though. I'll be able to vent this coop somehow, I just need to think it through and figure out the best way to do so. My main concern is to get it finished so that I can move the chickens from their cages into their new home.

Yeah, big clue there, and the best way to determine if you have enough, or too much, is to be inside coop when very windy and also not windy(if that ever happens as close to the bay/ocean as you are).

Ventilation is hard to figure, every coop and site is different and hard to assess over the internet. I'd start with removing the eave covers. Any other windows and/or vents should be built with adjustability in mind, both for day to day and season to season. You'll figure it out.

My main concern is to get it finished so that I can move the chickens from their cages into their new home.

Understood....can't wait to see pics of the little buggers in that nice run. How many do you have and how old are they?

Many do not know this twist to an old adage:
What came first, the chicken or the egg?
The coop!

 

[STxChickenman]

lol....in my case the chickens came second (right after the cage but before the coop). Yeah...I can always make adjustments to change the circulation as needed. You are absolutely right though, I need to figure out how to make changes in ventilation an easy process. I have 12 Bresse chickens, (6 that are 6 months old and 6 that are about 2 months old). I am receiving more chickens around March 5th....some more Bresse chicks and some Heritage Rhode Island Red chicks. I'm already getting 3-4 eggs per day from the four of the hens. I can't wait to move them into the coop.

 

[aart]

I have 12 Bresse chickens, (6 that are 6 months old and 6 that are about 2 months old).

Are these bird in your house?!

 

[STxChickenman]

Are these bird in your house?!

They're in cages in my garage.

 

[STxChickenman]

I was able to get the roosts built for the chickens today. I also got the waterer and feeder near completion....so I'll post those pictures later. But here are pics of the roosts. I used 2 x 4's for each roost and I routered the corners off of the 2x4's where the chickens will roost...it's better for their feet. I cut the boards on each side that hold up each roosting board with 45 degree angle notches that hold the boards up. It worked out very well. Pics of the roost board fit into the notches is shown first and the entire roost are is last

 

[STxChickenman]

I forgot to mention....the nice thing about notching the side boards and setting the roost boards in the notched side boards is that it makes it easy to just lift them out of the side boards so that you can shovel their waste every now and then. I might end up getting a rubber mat to place underneath so that I can just pull it out every now and then for a good cleaning....but just removing the boards and shoveling with a very large shovel sounds easy also.

 

[STxChickenman]

I finished the roosts, waterer and feeder this morning so I finally reached that point where I could move the chickens into their new coop. They love it and rewarded me with two eggs within an hour of being in there.

 

[aart]

Great!!! Did they lay in the nests?
I bet they are hapPY to be out of those cages!!

 

[STxChickenman]

Actually I just put out some patches of hay for now until I get the laying boxes built which I should complete either today or tomorrow (I hope). The eggs that they laid were on the ground.

Right after I put them in their new home they commenced scratching the ground, flying around and all of them took good sand baths. They are definitely Happy Chickens!