C0-0p Coop, for 50 hens

[dustynbob]

We are in a farm share and I will be ordering a coop built for us. We have 48 acres to run the hens on, and kit needs to be on skids. I do not think we need fence, but we do have electric fence if predators become a problem. I looked at all the plans here; but does anyone have a plan for a building to house 50 hens? WE just will have roost and laying boxes in the coop, the birds will be watered and feed outside the coop.
Floor or no floor?
we are thing 4 feet by 16 feet. 6 feet for boxes and 20 feet for two 2x4 roosts?
thanks

 

[RWD]

Where are you located?

 

[dustynbob]

Northern CA by Mt Shasta

 

[CrazyTalk]

4x16 sounds like a maintenance nightmare to me. It's big enough that you need to be able to get into it, but narrow enough that it's going to be awkward moving around inside of. Your dimensions are a bit garbled, so it's possible I'm misinterpreting them. (its also too small)

It'll also be really tough to maneuver if you're trying to tow it around on skids, being that long and narrow. .

I like to keep coops in multiples of 4 (sheet goods are 4x8), so I think around the square footage you're looking for, I'd think something like 12x16 would do 50 birds fine, and give you some headroom if you want to go up a little. You could probably get away with 12x12 fine as long as you don't run into chicken math. You want to keep it from getting out of balance if you're planning on towing it around.

 

[dustynbob]

I just wanted the birds in the coop at night and to lay eggs, no feed and water so would not that be big enough? I thought the 4 square feet per bird for when they are locked up.
the length 16 feet will be 6 feet for nest boxes and 10 feet for roosts at night.
4 feet wide so it will be narrow, but no feed or water inside?

I see the towing problem/ would 8 by 16 work? it would be on skids, no floor.

 

[RWD]

Build 2- 8x16 and put an elevated house on the end of each one. Put 25 birds in each and and build it 6' tall. Move each house to fresh ground every other day, and the hens get free range benefits, and are always protected from predators. Use this 6x14 pic as an idea.

 

[SunkenRoadFarms]

Have you considered building on a old hay wagon platform? A lot of pastured poultry raisers around me use them and they're pretty impressive. Very easy to move around and pretty easy to find. I think your plan is too narrow with not enough roost space. Large fowl will have trouble getting up and down, not to mention there will be times when the weather will probably force them inside.