Building my breeding pens... Questions & Opinions, please!

[tgrlily]

I managed to convince my DH that I need the "barn" more than he does!! Yay!! It's a 20 by 20 shed with a wood floor, painted barn red. We'll be insulating the whole building, putting in a dropped ceiling and adding windows & proper ventilation. We've already decided to do covered outside runs, using smoked palruf for the roofing. DH has been building up the soil around the barn so the runs will be nice & dry.

We're starting with "Phase 1" which will be breeding pens in half the barn with a hall going down the center. It'll eventually have breeding pens & runs on both sideswith a 4 foot hall down the center. I can't decide if I want to do five 4x8 pens or four 5x8 pens on each side. I can't believe I'm stuck on what seems to be such a small detail. I also can't decide what the best size for the outside runs would be. If we go with five pens per side, I was thinking three 7x8 runs off the back & 8x8 runs off each side. DH says this is overkill & wants to do four 5x8 pens inside with 5x8 runs outside.

We currently have an 8x10 coop, which can be split up for breeding. We're also converting a 7x7.5 shed into the silkie shack.... we'll be splitting that to keep the colors separate.

I'd appreciate any opinions or suggestions! Thanks!!

 

[Scott]

Wow. Sounds like one heck of a chicken complex. You should have plenty of room with that size chicken house. Wish I had one that size. I like the idea of 5x8 inside and 5x8 outside. I like symmetry and it seems like that would be practical. I have two pens... one is 8x10 and the other is 4x8. The smaller one is used as a brooding/rearing pen when needed. Otherwise it is left open to the main flock.

 

[Junkmanme]

My opinion is that you make as many pens, inside, as you can.

You can make the outside runs in such as manner that you could easily "divide" them should you require separate runs in the future.

In other words, subdivide it as much as possible. When you need to separate chickens, for one reason or another, You'll be glad you did it that way.

-Junkmanme-

 

[ninny]

Quote:
I agree i with post!! You will save money as well.

 

[tgrlily]

Quote:
I agree i with post!! You will save money as well.

My only concern about that is overcrowding. We get a ridiculous amount of snow here, so they may be stuck inside from time to time.

 

[tgrlily]

Here's a pic of the barn:

Here's the existing coop with the barn & little shed behind that.
The shed will be moved between the other 2 with runs coming off each side.