Contractors start tomorrow morning!!

[HopeSprings]

So they start on my shoop (shed-coop) tomorrow! My 17 chicks arrived on May 22, so almost 4 weeks old now.
The door into the coop will be in the shed, so the only direct access to the coop from the outside will be the pop door. I have a 100’ roll of hardware cloth to enclose the roofed run. The nesting boxes will be in the shed with lift lids to collect eggs without going in the coop. Two poop boards under the roosts — is 3’ off the ground too high? I’m planning on a ramp for access. On the back wall there will be a 19x27” push-out window; thinking it should be set low in the wall to bring in fresh, cool air as warm air exits the other windows and eave vents. Here’s the plan:

Any suggestions?

 

[trumpeting_angel]

Don’t forget the HW cloth apron on the ground along the sides of the run. What are the overall dimensions?

Looks good to me! Good windows.

 

[Folly's place]

Dimensions? seventeen to twenty birds? So seventy or more sq. ft. in the coop? Bigger!
Mary

 

[Folly's place]

I'll bet that you enlarge your actual coop space, into the open shed area. Maybe?
Mary

 

[Folly's place]

How easy will coop and run cleanout be? Will a cart fit, or at least a good wheelbarrow? I'd want direct access if possible.
Mary

 

[HopeSprings]

The building depth is 11' and the coop is 6' wide. I'm planning on keeping 11 chickens, maybe fewer if more turn out to be males. There will be a 3' wide door between the coop and the shed and might put a trap door in the outside wall at floor level to make clean out even easier.
The run will be 12' long and covered as the coop roof will extend over. The hardware cloth will extend into a 2' apron all around. A 3' wide door will open out for access to the run and to allow the girls to free-range.

 

[HopeSprings]

Oh, and with the poop boards set at 3' in height, I'm going to have the windows on the run wall set as high as possible to keep cooler air off the roosting chickens.
I'll hardware cloth the soffits for ventilation and prop the windows open as the seasons allow. (The windows are old wood sashes that will be hinged at the top.)

 

[Folly's place]

Sounds good! I had hinged windows and liked them a lot, until they rotted out. Do keep them painted to save the wood as long as possible, like I didn't. They will likely be open all year, a good thing.
Mary

 

[Alaskan]

Two poop boards under the roosts — is 3’ off the ground too high?

three feet is a great height.

You don't need a ramp, but I would put maybe a stump up against that back wall with the 19" window. Even the fat ladies I have can hop 1.5 feet. So one stump on that back wall and the fat girls can hop to the top of the stump, then hop to the poop shelves.

Oh, and with the poop boards set at 3' in height, I'm going to have the windows on the run wall set as high as possible to keep cooler air off the roosting chickens.

Since your run is roofed.. I would be tempted to make most of the wall against the run windows or wire.

Then just make a 2 foot tall strip that goes from poop shelf to above perched chicken heads able to be closed in winter.

But in if you have hot temps in the summer time, a bit of breeze on the perches can be GOOD.

 

[jreardon1918]

three feet is a great height.

You don't need a ramp, but I would put maybe a stump up against that back wall with the 19" window. Even the fat ladies I have can hop 1.5 feet. So one stump on that back wall and the fat girls can hop to the top of the stump, then hop to the poop shelves.



Since your run is roofed.. I would be tempted to make most of the wall against the run windows or wire.

Then just make a 2 foot tall strip that goes from poop shelf to above perched chicken heads able to be closed in winter.

But in if you have hot temps in the summer time, a bit of breeze on the perches can be GOOD.

Our coop is a raised 4x8. The poop boards are 30" offthe floor. I have a 16" stump in the coop. Our brama hops onto the stump then hops up to the roost. They all just hop down. There is 4" of pine shavings to soften the impact.

Note: edited to elimimate fat fingered mobile phone typing.