Building A Coop

[DogAndCat36]

Use graph paper, so your design is to scale.

Ok, got a bunch. Will work on it, thanks!

 

[DogAndCat36]

... I think that I left my graphing notebook at school...

 

[rosemarythyme]

... I think that I left my graphing notebook at school...

You have a printer available? You could make a grid and print it out, might even be able to find a grid pattern online that could be tessellated and printed.

 

[DogAndCat36]

You have a printer available? You could make a grid and print it out, might even be able to find a grid pattern online that could be tessellated and printed.

I got a printer, but I do not have a laptop that allows printing. I am using a school laptop, it does not allow non-school printers access. I'll try to look for some graph paper.

 

[DogAndCat36]

I found some graphing paper!

 

[DogAndCat36]

Time for the interior!
Got a picture online, should the chicken perch look like this?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Time for the interior!
Got a picture online, should the chicken perch look like this?

The answer is: maybe. A ladder set up works for some. Others have their roosts all at one height. Some people use poop boards, some don't.

The important thing is the chickens need to be able to safely land from the roosts (so if top bar is 4' up, they'll need about 4' in front of the bar to land) and to space them far enough apart to keep birds from pecking each other or pooping on each other. 12" minimum, but 14" or more is even better if you have space for it. Also you'll need roughly 1 linear ft per bird so plan roost space accordingly.

 

[DogAndCat36]

The answer is: maybe. A ladder set up works for some. Others have their roosts all at one height. Some people use poop boards, some don't.

The important thing is the chickens need to be able to safely land from the roosts (so if top bar is 4' up, they'll need about 4' in front of the bar to land) and to space them far enough apart to keep birds from pecking each other or pooping on each other. 12" minimum, but 14" or more is even better if you have space for it. Also you'll need roughly 1 linear ft per bird so plan roost space accordingly.

So, the coop's inside is about 100 sq feet, that means that I will add a big perch, I want them to live the true good life! I am making the coop fittable for 25 chickens, so that means the linear ft per bird roost can stretch on the left side of the coop three times and reach 30 feet in length. Is this okay? So the first roost will be a foot off the ground and the second would be 6 inches up and 6 inches back from the first roost and the third roost would also be 6 inches up and 6 inches back from the second roost? Sorry If I am getting this wrong. Also how thick and wide should the roost be?

 

[rosemarythyme]

3 roosts would be ideal in your set up (or possibly 2 1/2, nothing says bars have to go across the entire width).

Also keep in mind you want roosts to be above the nest box height. So if you have your nests on floor, then the first roost could be just 1' off the ground. But if your nest boxes are at 3' up, then the roosts need to be higher than that, to encourage birds to not sleep in nest boxes. My roosts (I do ladder style) are about 20" and 40" up and my nests are a few inches off the floor.

For spacing, I think the recommended minimum is 12" apart on the diagonal...? Can't remember for sure.

Roosts ideally should be around 2-4" inches wide, depending on what you're using. If something round, 2" diameter. If flat, then a 2x3 or 2x4 is fine, sand off any sharp edges.

 

[DogAndCat36]

Does it look ok? I plan to add sheeting in front of the nesting boxes for extra privacy.