Quote:
1 - Get a scrap of linoleum/vinyl flooring to cover the floor with, turning the edges up the walls a bit...it will make cleaning up easier and also help keep moisture away from the floor (plywood). Optionally you could caulk the cracks in the floor, floor/wall junctions and then paint with a couple of coats of good, outdoor paint. Roof can be either tin/metal, asphalt/plywood, or plastic. You may want to insulate it for warmth and coolness.
2 - I'm confused about the "put the 4x4s in the cinderblock holes".
Using treated 4x4s for the "legs" you can simply place the legs on/into the ground. If you dig a bit of a hole to place the 4x4s in then throw a little gravel down in the bottom of the hole to help with drainage. If you intend to place the legs in a hole then remember to allow for that much extra in length of the legs.
3 - About your size (I understand your bird limit, but you've also mention "no more than 5 chickens"
), a 4x8 coop seems to be a very good size in consideration of using materials...sheets goods come in 4x8 sizes, 8' is a common lumber size, etc.,. You might want to try this experiment. Lay out an area 4x4 on the ground, floor, whatever. Then, if your planning on having anything like a feeder, waterer, heat-lamp, ramp, grit/oyster shell feeder, etc., inside the coop then place it where it will be in the 4' square area. If you *don't* use a dropping board (poop board, whatever) under the roost then you need to mark this area off as "used". You can see how quickly the available floor area decreases.
4 - 10 square feet per large fowl chicken is what is normally recommended for run requirements. Some folks get away with less, many allow more than that. It is always better to have more, than not enough. I don't think I would worry about dividing up your run area...I believe the area is too small for it to make a difference. If you divide the 25 sq ft up the chickens will probably be crowded.
5 - You speak of your run being 4' tall.... How how off of the ground is the coop going to be? Too close to the ground and rain splatter can encourage rot and rats can set up housekeeping beneath in the small area.
6 - 12"x12" pop door...probably big enough. Not a biggie, but you might want to smooth any edges to keep from roughing up the chickens feathers as they pass through it.
7-8 - 12"x12" next boxes might be ok...kinda like the pop door, it depends on the breed of chicken...12"x14" would give a little more turning room for the hens. Be sure to use some flashing at the hinge area of the nest boxes...this area is notorious for leaking rain water, but with some good flashing/silicone they work well.
9 - 2x4 with the broad side up with corners rounded off sounds great. Besides probably being more comfortable to the hens feet, the rounded corners help to combat "bumblefoot" which is caused many times by chickens walking on rough surfaces (sharp rocks, bare concrete, etc.) and causing small injuries to their feet (very simply put). Thus, you might want to eyeball the rest of the coop/run and beware of anything that my injure their feet. 18" off the floor for the roost should be fine (as long as it is higher than the next boxes)...how much headroom will they have when they're on it?...they need a bit of distance from the roof for heating/cooling purposes...don't want their heads right at the roof/ceiling.
From what you've written I'm envisioning a coop that is 4'x4' in area and a run that is 5'x5' in area and 4' tall (covered). The coop would really need to be at least 36" tall for the roost to be at 18" and for the chickens to have some headroom. If you're going to use a heat lamp inside then it will need some clearance, too. Cutting plywood to 36" inches seems like a waste to me...using the full 48" dimension of the plywood for the coop height gives good headroom for the chickens and equipment and allows for ventilation to pass overhead, keeping the chickens out of a draft. The extra headroom will also come in handy when your cleaning, feeding, and doing other maintenance. It appears that you are intending the coop to be outside of the run area, but why not build it up on legs, say 18"-20" high or so and leave the space beneath the coop open on the side with the pop door....it would be a simple matter to fence in the other three sides below the coop and that would give you another 16' of run area underneath.
Just some thoughts, best wishes,
Ed
1 - Get a scrap of linoleum/vinyl flooring to cover the floor with, turning the edges up the walls a bit...it will make cleaning up easier and also help keep moisture away from the floor (plywood). Optionally you could caulk the cracks in the floor, floor/wall junctions and then paint with a couple of coats of good, outdoor paint. Roof can be either tin/metal, asphalt/plywood, or plastic. You may want to insulate it for warmth and coolness.
2 - I'm confused about the "put the 4x4s in the cinderblock holes".
3 - About your size (I understand your bird limit, but you've also mention "no more than 5 chickens"
4 - 10 square feet per large fowl chicken is what is normally recommended for run requirements. Some folks get away with less, many allow more than that. It is always better to have more, than not enough. I don't think I would worry about dividing up your run area...I believe the area is too small for it to make a difference. If you divide the 25 sq ft up the chickens will probably be crowded.
5 - You speak of your run being 4' tall.... How how off of the ground is the coop going to be? Too close to the ground and rain splatter can encourage rot and rats can set up housekeeping beneath in the small area.
6 - 12"x12" pop door...probably big enough. Not a biggie, but you might want to smooth any edges to keep from roughing up the chickens feathers as they pass through it.
7-8 - 12"x12" next boxes might be ok...kinda like the pop door, it depends on the breed of chicken...12"x14" would give a little more turning room for the hens. Be sure to use some flashing at the hinge area of the nest boxes...this area is notorious for leaking rain water, but with some good flashing/silicone they work well.
9 - 2x4 with the broad side up with corners rounded off sounds great. Besides probably being more comfortable to the hens feet, the rounded corners help to combat "bumblefoot" which is caused many times by chickens walking on rough surfaces (sharp rocks, bare concrete, etc.) and causing small injuries to their feet (very simply put). Thus, you might want to eyeball the rest of the coop/run and beware of anything that my injure their feet. 18" off the floor for the roost should be fine (as long as it is higher than the next boxes)...how much headroom will they have when they're on it?...they need a bit of distance from the roof for heating/cooling purposes...don't want their heads right at the roof/ceiling.
From what you've written I'm envisioning a coop that is 4'x4' in area and a run that is 5'x5' in area and 4' tall (covered). The coop would really need to be at least 36" tall for the roost to be at 18" and for the chickens to have some headroom. If you're going to use a heat lamp inside then it will need some clearance, too. Cutting plywood to 36" inches seems like a waste to me...using the full 48" dimension of the plywood for the coop height gives good headroom for the chickens and equipment and allows for ventilation to pass overhead, keeping the chickens out of a draft. The extra headroom will also come in handy when your cleaning, feeding, and doing other maintenance. It appears that you are intending the coop to be outside of the run area, but why not build it up on legs, say 18"-20" high or so and leave the space beneath the coop open on the side with the pop door....it would be a simple matter to fence in the other three sides below the coop and that would give you another 16' of run area underneath.
Just some thoughts, best wishes,
Ed
Last edited:
