Chicago rooftop

[Tunaspam]

Hey looking into building a coop and raising hens on my fairly large rooftop in Chicago, it gets decent shade as well. I was looking at this Anna white design for 2-3 hens, would this work? What would I need to do to make it work on a rooftop and not a backyard? Any input appreciated thanks!

 

[cavemanrich]

Rooftop not ideal when things get COLD,,, and snow is deep. For you and chickens as well.
I would choose backyard,, even with that small prefab coop.


WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and

 

[rosemarythyme]

As far as putting it on a roof you'd need to consider the practicality of getting supplies such as bedding up and down (soiled, at that) from the roof regularly, plus the added weight and moisture such a setup would add to the roof's structure.

As far as this actual coop design the run is too narrow and overall too small for 3 birds, and 2 is not suggested as they're flock animals and if one dies you may find yourself scrambling to get another. Any dissent in a flock will be magnified by tighter confinement.

 

[Tunaspam]

As far as putting it on a roof you'd need to consider the practicality of getting supplies such as bedding up and down (soiled, at that) from the roof regularly, plus the added weight and moisture such a setup would add to the roof's structure.

As far as this actual coop design the run is too narrow and overall too small for 3 birds, and 2 is not suggested as they're flock animals and if one dies you may find yourself scrambling to get another. Any dissent in a flock will be magnified by tighter confinement.

Thanks for reply, it’s not an actual “roof” it’s like a balcony, structure and transport wouldn’t be an issue there.

As far as the coop goes, I have enough space to go slightly larger. Do you have any idea of any plans available?

 

[PrettyBirdRocky]

Photos of possible space would be nice to give a visual and help situate placement. Thanks. Good luck

 

[Tunaspam]

Photos of possible space would be nice to give a visual and help situate placement. Thanks. Good luck

Here’s one from the snow over the weekend, cleared it off now but it’s about 10ft by 20ft

 

[Tunaspam]

Here’s one from the snow over the weekend, cleared it off now but it’s about 10ft by 20ft

As you can see the couch is ready to go anyway lol so that would be removed, have a fire pit you can’t see but figured can move that further from coop

 

[PrettyBirdRocky]

Im sure you arent the only person to have a flock on an area like this.

so one thing to consider: flying. Them flying and predators. Think catio but for hens. Hardware cloth covered wood frame giant cage. That space of the coop may be okay for them to sleep(provided adequate ventilation) in but they'll need more leg room to wonder and be chickens.

As for what the hens would need-- either a dirt bath area and/or deep litter for them to scratch in. Mulch? Wood chips? (((Maybe bottom sides of the "catio" be like 2x6s tall to keep in the substrate?)))

Then you'd need to think wind blocks for winter- I use sheets of OSB cheaper plywood and tarps. Zipties are your friend.

Granted this is all from my experience and speculation. You'll need to consider weight of what it can handle verses the size of your birds. 3 smaller breeds and bantams *should* be ok. But then again, until you try You'll never know. And even a good plan needs backups.

Best of luck snd hopefully more people chime in.

 

[Sefirothe]

Is there a balcony/deck directly below? I’d worry about waste dripping or being kicked out to the area below.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Thanks for reply, it’s not an actual “roof” it’s like a balcony, structure and transport wouldn’t be an issue there.

As far as the coop goes, I have enough space to go slightly larger. Do you have any idea of any plans available?

If we can sort out some terminology: it helps if you call the mostly wooden structure in the picture the coop. The screened part is the run. They sleep and lay eggs in the coop; they play and hang out in the run.

The smallest square footage recommended for the coop is 4 sq ft/ chicken. From the drawing, you MAY have 12 sq ft, which fits that math, but it's not going to be enough in your situation, especially when it's going to be hard to get away from one another when cabin fever hits.

Since you aren't going to be able to yard range (roof range?) on a rooftop, they are going to need a huge amount of run space. The typical amount recommended is 10 sq ft per bird, but again, in such a confined space with absolutely no option to be let out, 15 or 20 sq ft/chicken is more like it. Presumably, you're going to want some human space up there where you can enjoy the skyline in the evening, and trust me, you won't want to be sitting in chicken poop in the run. If you have 10x20 as mentioned above, will 40 sq ft (5x8) be a big enough spot for a few chairs and small table?

You may want to rethink this. At a minimum, consider 3 bantams instead of standard-sized chickens. Eggs will be smaller, but they're just as tasty, and the sizes might be more manageable.