City Chicken Wrangler
In the Brooder
- Jun 29, 2017
- 1
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Ok, this is gonna be a long post. Thanks in advance for any input!
Long story short - I've been working on farms for the past few years and I really enjoyed having chickens. I'm moving into Atlanta soon, so I will likely have no yard though. My basic idea is to make a coop that doubles as a coffee table. I know that there are a couple of concerns that I'd like to address starting out. I'd really like to hear what you guys think!
#1 Animal Welfare: Shouldn't Chickens be Outside?
I know that chickens indoors can be a hot button topic for a lot of people. With that being said, I want to say that I agree in most scenarios. In an ideal world, I believe that chickens should have plenty of access to the outdoors. I would also say that the same is true for dogs, cats, and even humans! Yet all of these animals can live happy lives in a city if properly cared for. And in my case, a large yard to play and forage in is not an option. However, I've designed my coop to create the best environment that I can provide. It would certainly be better than the industry standard at the very least.
#2 Smell: Enough Said!
This is obviously the next biggest concern for indoor chickens. In my experience though, a sprinkle of fresh bedding once or twice a day is adequate. My coop will allow for a tray in the bottom that acts like a deep bedding build up that only needs to be cleaned out once a week. I'm thinking that as long as the C:N ratio of the bedding and manure is right, the smell won't be an issue.
Basic Design:
I don't have the final dimensions nailed down, but I think the footprint will be about 2.5 feet wide, and 4.5 feet long. This should be enough space to have two nest boxes, a dust bath area, a food/water/grit dispenser, small storage, and a run for 2-3 chickens. Each end will have a door to access the eggs and any storage. The main body is rails to allow plenty of light and ventilation. One of the long sides will also have a pull down door to clean out the bedding.
Please let me know what you guys think! I'd love to hear any constructive criticism.
Long story short - I've been working on farms for the past few years and I really enjoyed having chickens. I'm moving into Atlanta soon, so I will likely have no yard though. My basic idea is to make a coop that doubles as a coffee table. I know that there are a couple of concerns that I'd like to address starting out. I'd really like to hear what you guys think!
#1 Animal Welfare: Shouldn't Chickens be Outside?
I know that chickens indoors can be a hot button topic for a lot of people. With that being said, I want to say that I agree in most scenarios. In an ideal world, I believe that chickens should have plenty of access to the outdoors. I would also say that the same is true for dogs, cats, and even humans! Yet all of these animals can live happy lives in a city if properly cared for. And in my case, a large yard to play and forage in is not an option. However, I've designed my coop to create the best environment that I can provide. It would certainly be better than the industry standard at the very least.
#2 Smell: Enough Said!
This is obviously the next biggest concern for indoor chickens. In my experience though, a sprinkle of fresh bedding once or twice a day is adequate. My coop will allow for a tray in the bottom that acts like a deep bedding build up that only needs to be cleaned out once a week. I'm thinking that as long as the C:N ratio of the bedding and manure is right, the smell won't be an issue.
Basic Design:
I don't have the final dimensions nailed down, but I think the footprint will be about 2.5 feet wide, and 4.5 feet long. This should be enough space to have two nest boxes, a dust bath area, a food/water/grit dispenser, small storage, and a run for 2-3 chickens. Each end will have a door to access the eggs and any storage. The main body is rails to allow plenty of light and ventilation. One of the long sides will also have a pull down door to clean out the bedding.
Please let me know what you guys think! I'd love to hear any constructive criticism.
