Chicken noob hoping for feedback on my coop design.

[DarthWombat]

I've been a long time lurker here on BYC and the time is finally right to start my own small flock. I'm planning on 5 or 6 chickens to start. I've done a lot of looking around the site, as well as evaluating commercially available coops, and I think I've put together a design that will have the features and space to keep my chickens happy, healthy, and safe. That said, I could really use some more experienced feedback before I start buying materials and building this thing. Here's a quick overview of the dimensions, features, and future expansion plans, as well as images of my poorly drawn designs to help get a better idea of what's going on. If there's anybody willing to take a look at this and help me refine my design, I would be very grateful.

DarthWombat's Coop (Suitably Punny Name to Come)

Coop Size: 6' Width, 8' Length
Run size: 8' Width, 15' Length; Covered
Style: Backward Lean-to

Features:
Fully Insulated with Sandwiched Foam Board Between Plywood
Corrugated Metal Roof
DLM Optimized with Epoxy Floors and Fold-down Litter Boards for Easy Cleaning
Extra Wide Access Doors in Rear for Deep Cleaning or Emergencies
Four Nest Boxes with Locking Top Down Access as well as Fold Down Exterior Wall for Cleaning
Four 6' Roosting Bars at Equal Height
Integrated Brooding/New Fowl Partition with Roost Bar and Individual Gate; easily opened to remaining coop when not in use.
Automatic Main Door to Run
Permanent Vents Under Roof Line
Three Windows for Additional Summer Ventilation
Electrical Capability with Lamps Inside and Out
Automatic 50 Gallon Rain Capture Watering System with Water Level Gauge and Integrated Heating in Winter
Automatic PVC Tube Feeders
Short Wire Mesh Grass/Clover Growing Boxes for Foraging and Nutrition
Tree Stumps, Sandbox, and Perches in Run

Planned Expansions:
Yard and Garden Surrounding Chicken Tunnels for Enrichment and Bug Control when Supervised Free-Range isn't an option.
Secondary Smaller Runs to Encourage Exploration and Foraging
Elderberry, Service Berry, and Herb Plantings Around Coop, Run, and Tunnels
Further Accent Lighting
Webcams and Wireless Temperature Monitoring

I didn't include integrated storage as this coop will be right next to our garden shed and I'd rather have the extra space for the chickens. Please let me know if I'm forgetting anything or could improve the design at all. Thanks so much in advance!

 

[saysfaa]

I see the downspout to your rain barrel has some length to it. You might consider shortening that length so you can raise the rain barrel. That will let you put a bucket (or piping) lower than the bottom of the barrel which will make it a lot easier to empty the barrel by gravity.

Your sketches are very well done. I don't see the ventilation under the eaves that is talked of in the description, though.

If you make the roof wider than the building on the sides also, it will help a lot with keeping the weather out of the coop and off the sides.

My research indicates insulation is not needed until sustained temps of -20F. This is different than briefly dipping that low. However, my area rarely gets below -10F, even briefly, so I don't know myself. I worried as much at -5F as people down south worried at 20F. And saw that people in colder areas than me were not worrying at -teens and colder. I think it isn't wise to just assume there is nothing more to it than insulation or not. Success requires things such as: enough ventilation, good ventilation (which is not the same thing), cold-adapted breeds are either essential or give margin for a less than completely ideal set up, keeping the chickens well-hydrated. However, I think all these things may be very nearly as important even if the coop is insulated - so almost no benefit to insulating (other than people feel better.)

The sandwich panels are probably better than almost any other insulation system if you do a good job of fitting them and finishing the edges around doors and such. It is a little less easy for pests to get a foothold inside the wall because the panels are easier to fit tighter together than sheets of plywood. The pests will get in there eventually - by chewing access holes if nothing else. The foam inside will not slow them down much, I've seen the tunnels rodents make in foam board.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I've been a long time lurker here on BYC and the time is finally right to start my own small flock. I'm planning on 5 or 6 chickens to start. I've done a lot of looking around the site, as well as evaluating commercially available coops, and I think I've put together a design that will have the features and space to keep my chickens happy, healthy, and safe. That said, I could really use some more experienced feedback before I start buying materials and building this thing. Here's a quick overview of the dimensions, features, and future expansion plans, as well as images of my poorly drawn designs to help get a better idea of what's going on. If there's anybody willing to take a look at this and help me refine my design, I would be very grateful.

DarthWombat's Coop (Suitably Punny Name to Come)

Coop Size: 6' Width, 8' Length
Run size: 8' Width, 15' Length; Covered
Style: Backward Lean-to

Features:
Fully Insulated with Sandwiched Foam Board Between Plywood
Corrugated Metal Roof
DLM Optimized with Epoxy Floors and Fold-down Litter Boards for Easy Cleaning
Extra Wide Access Doors in Rear for Deep Cleaning or Emergencies
Four Nest Boxes with Locking Top Down Access as well as Fold Down Exterior Wall for Cleaning
Four 6' Roosting Bars at Equal Height
Integrated Brooding/New Fowl Partition with Roost Bar and Individual Gate; easily opened to remaining coop when not in use.
Automatic Main Door to Run
Permanent Vents Under Roof Line
Three Windows for Additional Summer Ventilation
Electrical Capability with Lamps Inside and Out
Automatic 50 Gallon Rain Capture Watering System with Water Level Gauge and Integrated Heating in Winter
Automatic PVC Tube Feeders
Short Wire Mesh Grass/Clover Growing Boxes for Foraging and Nutrition
Tree Stumps, Sandbox, and Perches in Run

Planned Expansions:
Yard and Garden Surrounding Chicken Tunnels for Enrichment and Bug Control when Supervised Free-Range isn't an option.
Secondary Smaller Runs to Encourage Exploration and Foraging
Elderberry, Service Berry, and Herb Plantings Around Coop, Run, and Tunnels
Further Accent Lighting
Webcams and Wireless Temperature Monitoring

I didn't include integrated storage as this coop will be right next to our garden shed and I'd rather have the extra space for the chickens. Please let me know if I'm forgetting anything or could improve the design at all. Thanks so much in advance!View attachment 3041570View attachment 3041571
View attachment 3041566View attachment 3041567
View attachment 3041570View attachment 3041571

1) WHERE ARE YOU???? Your climate determines your optimum coop design.

2)
Coop Size: 6' Width, 8' Length
Run size: 8' Width, 15' Length; Covered
Style: Backward Lean-to
All these are suitable for the number of birds being considered in most every climate

Features:
Fully Insulated with Sandwiched Foam Board Between Plywood
Insulation is needed in almost NO climates. Hollow wall designs create spaces for rodents and insects to hide. Neother should be invited guests.

Corrugated Metal Roof
If reasonably supported, this is a great choice fo virtually all designs.

DLM Optimized with Epoxy Floors and Fold-down Litter Boards for Easy Cleaning
Deep Litter Method works best with actual soil contact - beneficial microbes in the ground assisst decomposition, while ground contact aids stable moisture levels - not too wet, not too dry.

Extra Wide Access Doors in Rear for Deep Cleaning or Emergencies
YES

Four Nest Boxes with Locking Top Down Access as well as Fold Down Exterior Wall for Cleaning
More than you need, but no harm done. Thumb rule is 1 box per 4-5 hens, plus 1.
Four 6' Roosting Bars at Equal Height
More than you need, but no harm done. Only concern would be interference with you ability to clean the coop periodically.

Integrated Brooding/New Fowl Partition with Roost Bar and Individual Gate; easily opened to remaining coop when not in use.
YES - can't use it for quarantine, but better than having no option whatsoever.

Automatic Main Door to Run
YES

Permanent Vents Under Roof Line
YES

Three Windows for Additional Summer Ventilation
YES

Electrical Capability with Lamps Inside and Out
YES. Its a convenience, but unnecessary. Keep in mind that dust and dander is a potential fire hazard to all electircal equipment.

Automatic 50 Gallon Rain Capture Watering System with Water Level Gauge and Integrated Heating in Winter
YES

Automatic PVC Tube Feeders
Maybe, depending upon feed choice. Works well with pellets. Poorly with crumble (unless in VERY dry environments), almost not at all with wet mash or fermented feed.

Short Wire Mesh Grass/Clover Growing Boxes for Foraging and Nutrition
Tree Stumps, Sandbox, and Perches in Run
These take effort to maintain, chickens will destroy most green growing things in time - but they can bring enjoyment for you, and enrichment/entertainment for your birds.


Planned Expansions:
Yard and Garden Surrounding Chicken Tunnels for Enrichment and Bug Control when Supervised Free-Range isn't an option.
Secondary Smaller Runs to Encourage Exploration and Foraging
Elderberry, Service Berry, and Herb Plantings Around Coop, Run, and Tunnels
Further Accent Lighting
Webcams and Wireless Temperature Monitoring

 

[rosemarythyme]

I'd scrap the idea of DLM inside the coop since 1) it's not in direct ground contact and 2) composting requires moisture, which is the opposite of what you want inside the coop. I'd either go for deep bedding, and then whatever gets cleaned out can get added to your compost pile, or if you prefer less poop inside the coop you can do poop boards and clean those off, saving the poop for your compost.

 

[mowin]

My area often has -15, and sometimes -20 nights. I have no insulation or heat in my coops. A well ventilated and draft free coop is is what you're looking for. Permanent ventilation above the birds heads while on roost is critical.

 

[NatJ]

DLM Optimized with Epoxy Floors and Fold-down Litter Boards for Easy Cleaning

I am always mixing up "deep litter method" and "deep bedding," so I'm not sure which one you mean. Some people distinguish that one is dry and just sits there for the hens to scratch through, and the other is moist enough to be actively composting. Active composting works better out in the run, while keeping it dry works better inside the coop.

Letting the litter or bedding pile up deeply between cleanings should be fine. That sounds like a good plan for containing it until you are ready to remove it.

Be aware that hinges or anything that folds down might have trouble working if they get bits of dust, bedding, droppings, etc in them. You might have to shovel the litter aside and use a broom to get them clean enough to move (maybe not, but maybe).

 

[MadGardener]

Be aware that hinges or anything that folds down might have trouble working if they get bits of dust, bedding, droppings, etc in them. You might have to shovel the litter aside and use a broom to get them clean enough to move (maybe not, but maybe).

Totally this. Raised doors or removable sills will help, at least 6".

I used to save rainwater for my garden. It was often skunky and after the central NC season "The Pollening" very gunky. I recommend considering easy disassembly for cleaning.

 

[DarthWombat]

I am always mixing up "deep litter method" and "deep bedding," so I'm not sure which one you mean. Some people distinguish that one is dry and just sits there for the hens to scratch through, and the other is moist enough to be actively composting. Active composting works better out in the run, while keeping it dry works better inside the coop.

Letting the litter or bedding pile up deeply between cleanings should be fine. That sounds like a good plan for containing it until you are ready to remove it.

Be aware that hinges or anything that folds down might have trouble working if they get bits of dust, bedding, droppings, etc in them. You might have to shovel the litter aside and use a broom to get them clean enough to move (maybe not, but maybe).

Thank you! I think, given the feedback I'm getting here, I'll switch to the deep bedding method. Composting in the coop would be nice, but I have a large composting area as is, so an occasional wheelbarrow trip or two is no big deal.

The hinge warning is much appreciated! Hadn't thought about them getting gummed up.

 

[DarthWombat]

I see the downspout to your rain barrel has some length to it. You might consider shortening that length so you can raise the rain barrel. That will let you put a bucket (or piping) lower than the bottom of the barrel which will make it a lot easier to empty the barrel by gravity.

Your sketches are very well done. I don't see the ventilation under the eaves that is talked of in the description, though.

If you make the roof wider than the building on the sides also, it will help a lot with keeping the weather out of the coop and off the sides.

My research indicates insulation is not needed until sustained temps of -20F. This is different than briefly dipping that low. However, my area rarely gets below -10F, even briefly, so I don't know myself. I worried as much at -5F as people down south worried at 20F. And saw that people in colder areas than me were not worrying at -teens and colder. I think it isn't wise to just assume there is nothing more to it than insulation or not. Success requires things such as: enough ventilation, good ventilation (which is not the same thing), cold-adapted breeds are either essential or give margin for a less than completely ideal set up, keeping the chickens well-hydrated. However, I think all these things may be very nearly as important even if the coop is insulated - so almost no benefit to insulating (other than people feel better.)

The sandwich panels are probably better than almost any other insulation system if you do a good job of fitting them and finishing the edges around doors and such. It is a little less easy for pests to get a foothold inside the wall because the panels are easier to fit tighter together than sheets of plywood. The pests will get in there eventually - by chewing access holes if nothing else. The foam inside will not slow them down much, I've seen the tunnels rodents make in foam board.

Thanks for the detailed response! Given this and other feedback, I'll skip the insulation. That's just fine as it takes less work and costs less as well.

 

[629864]

Stormcrow has (as always) great feedback here. I just wanted to add a few thoughts to that list:

Four 6' Roosting Bars at Equal Height
More than you need, but no harm done. Only concern would be interference with you ability to clean the coop periodically.

Your description says 4 roosting bars, but the drawing shows three. The bar closest to the wall looks too close: should be a foot out to avoid birds pooping down the wall and a foot spacing between bars. Even with 3 bars, you'd be left with only a 2-foot wide walkway. I would nix one bar. For the number of chickens you plan on getting, two 6' bars are MORE than enough.

Integrated Brooding/New Fowl Partition with Roost Bar and Individual Gate; easily opened to remaining coop when not in use.
YES - can't use it for quarantine, but better than having no option whatsoever.

This area looks to be about 1'x5' in your drawing. That's a bit narrow. Could you make it 2 feet wide, leaving your roosting bars 5' long? That would give you 10 feet of roosting space with the 2 bars I suggested. That's still plenty of room for your birds to roost and gives more elbow room all around.

Automatic PVC Tube Feeders
Maybe, depending upon feed choice. Works well with pellets. Poorly with crumble (unless in VERY dry environments), almost not at all with wet mash or fermented feed.

Cache Valley gets its fair share of rain/snow. Those tube feeders will only work if they are under cover and protected from ANY AND ALL precipitation. Otherwise you'll find yourself cleaning mucky wet slop out of those feeders. If you plan on putting the tube feeder under a wide awning type of cover, that would probably work. I'm in the Ozarks and we get a lot of rain here too. I got a large old table at a flea market, put it in my run, and placed my feeders on a brick platform under the table. Except for the rare sideways rain, the table completely protects the feeders from getting wet. You also don't want to make the mistake I made when I first started: putting feeders inside your coop. That just invites unwanted critters into the coop.