Building first coop, would like advice

[CaliVanus]

Hi. I'm building my first chicken coop. I have a basic design in mind but I would like some advice on the set-up.

The coop design has two sections together one is 6'x10' and the other is 6'x8' so one side is 16'long. I want to build a 10'x14' run attached to it.

How many chickens would I be able to keep in here, should I change anything? Thanks for the help.

 

[Thomas423]

Pics??

 

[LittleMamaBigPapa]

I would start by visiting as MANY member pages as you can, and the Coop Building pages. Read their comments on how many birds they have in the coops they have built. We just built this one for three hens:

I have heard 2-3 sf feet per bird. And not every hen needs a nest box because they tend to share. BEST WISHES TO YOU

 

[CaliVanus]

I laid this out in paint, sorry about the quality

 

[New adventure]

That's a good size coop. If you allow 2 square feet per bird, thats 54 birds; at 4 sq.ft. it'd be 27 birds. There are lots of options - I agree that you should look at the coop pages. I got so many great ideas, especially on ventilation and flooring. I managed to add most things I liked to my coop - and still kept my basic ideas intact.

Have lots of fun!

 

[#1California Chick]

Welcome to BYC!!

Where do you live?? For standard hens, the rule of thumb is 4 sq feet of coop per bird and 10 sq ft of run. So your coop would accomodate 27 birds, but your run would only hold 14.

If you live in an area with bad winter weather, you may need more coop space. If you free range most of the time, you will need less run space.

Cindy

 

[CaliVanus]

I live in North Carolina, tiny rural town next to Winston-Salem. Winter doesn't get to cold here, it doesn't snow very often anyway. I was planning on keeping 25 or so chickens? How much bigger should I make the run? Would extending it to 12'x26', minus a 2'x2' section in one corner work? Does anyone have any ideas on using solar power for the coop? We also have well water, would this be bad for the chickens? Is there anything I should add to it? I can extend the back wall of the coop by a foot or so as well if that would help.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
That sounds reasonable. I wouldn't go lower, but that should keep them pretty happy.

Does anyone have any ideas on using solar power for the coop?

You can buy solar powered shed lights that can be useful for when you want to work out there after dark.

Nobody on BYC has ever been able to turn up an affordable way of putting a battery-powered light (and solar lights *are* battery-powered, the sun is just what charges the battery) on a timer for use as an egg-laying aid; but if you want to extend daylength during winter you may be able to buy a really cheapie solar driveway/path light and arrange that it gets only enough light to charge it for several hours' worth of power, so that you get your desired day extension before it poops out.

You're not going to be able to run a heatlamp or heated waterer off anything solar unless you go to a BIG system, at which point running real electric to the coop would be cheaper anyhow. (You really don't need those things in Winston-Salem, though

)

We also have well water, would this be bad for the chickens?

If it's safe and healthy for you to drink, it's safe and healthy for the chickens too

Good luck, have fun,

Pat​

 

[#1California Chick]

A run 12 x 26 would be big enough for 30 chickens!

If you can drink the well water so can your chickens.

Good Luck!
cindy