Building a new coop and want to get it right. A few questions

[Ackchickens]

I totally screwed up. We closed on our new house in January and knew I wanted chickens. We have half an acre and we are allowed to have them in our neighborhood. I went to a website, and bought a pre-made coop and 6 chicks the same day, very little research. As I ordered so late in March for chicks to arrive in early April, there were only a few breeds left. I ordered 6 babies but only 5 were in the box. No big deal. I wanted girls for eggs and that could handle a rough winter. I have 1 RIR, 2 leghorns, and 2 orpingtons. The coop I ordered is a joke. They are in a cardboard box in the basement now, with a red light. I wish I had researched more and done the heating pad thing, but oh well. They are thriving and a complete joy to the whole family. We put up a 10x10 chain link fence today and put the crappy coop in it. We live in an area with no ground threat (foxes/raccoons/etc) only from above and we are going to net the top of the run. They still have 4 weeks in the house before they go out, are planning on using the small coop while they grow up and building a new coop over the course of the next few months. I found a plan on this site we are going to copy. Its 8x4. Since my purchases I have been doing A LOT of research and I know chicken math is going to come into play. How many more can I have in a coop that size? Ideally I'd like to get 5 more next spring. I love the thread about poop boards and sweet pdz. I'd like to use a mixture of that and sand for the whole coop and skip on shavings completely. So... I don't want a huge coop, as I'm thinking covering the floor in that is going to get costly. Also I was wondering about straw for nesting boxes. Does it have to be straw? We have a ton of ornamental grass in our yard and we just cut it all back. So we have bags and bags of this long "straw like" dried dead grass. I was wondering if I could use that in the nesting boxes instead ? Along the lines of the breeds I chose. In reading the thread about poop boards, some people were saying 36" above the floor could be too much for such big birds. I'd like it that high, for cleaning purposes, and the availability to free up extra space on the floor, as I'm sure they are going to be spending a lot of time in there during the winter. But I don't want them to get hurt coming down or having a problem getting up. We got an additional set of chain link fence we are going to attach to the run asap. So, they'll have a lot of outdoor space. In the same thread about poop boards, the woman said her chickens favorite place to lay was in a covered cat little box. Can I just get 3 of those? Or should I build traditional nesting boxes as well. (I just love the idea of how easy they'll be to clean.) That's it for now, I'm sure there will be more, but I'd appreciate any input!! Thanks!!

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! When you have chickens, predators come from everywhere! Plan on dogs, raccoons, opossums, weasels, skunks,; the list is long and in some areas includes bears, coyotes, and cougars. Just to let you know.

Build bigger and sturdier than you think you will ever need! Hawks in the daytime, owls at night. Maybe eagles? I have four to five sq. ft. per bird, including bantams, and it can be tight in winter when there's snow. You will be much happier, and so will your birds, with a walk-in coop. Think shed modified for lots of ventilation. Some of my birds roost eight ft. up in the rafters. Mary

 

[Ackchickens]

Welcome!  When you have chickens, predators come from everywhere!  Plan on dogs, raccoons, opossums, weasels, skunks,;  the list is long and  in some areas includes bears, coyotes, and cougars.  Just to let you know.   Build bigger and sturdier than you think you will ever need! Hawks in the daytime, owls at night.  Maybe eagles?  I have four to five sq. ft. per bird, including bantams, and it can be tight in winter when there's snow.  You will be much happier, and so will your birds, with a walk-in coop.  Think shed modified for lots of ventilation.  Some of my birds roost eight ft. up in the rafters.  Mary

Thanks for the info. Literally no other predators besides dogs, I know we are lucky. There are hawks and owls but eagles are rare. And like I said we will net the top. Our coop and run is hidden from the street in a back corner of the yard so I don't think they'll be easily visible. We are planning exactly that, a walk in coop that looks like a shed. I will send a message to the woman who posted the coop we are going to copy about details. But still wondering about straw/nesting boxes etc
Thanks again !

 

[Folly's place]

I use baled pine shavings as bedding, and add hay or straw on top in the nest boxes. Mary