Coop advice?

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rosemarythyme said:
Of the ones you listed the OverEZ Large would be the best fit for 6 birds. It does need more ventilation added but the basic design and size is good enough.

Assuming you don't want to build something yourself, but are willing to make modifications, cheaper options would be used sheds, playhouses, etc.
Click to expand...

I'd probably go for that option (a shed or playhouse) if I got a second coop (probably will end up doing that anyway if I want more chickens!)

If I wanted to add more ventilation to the Over EZ, what would I have to do?
 
I've read that other people take more elaborate steps. but my main concern was ventilation without drafts in the winter. So, I opened one of the windows all the way and attached a sheet of plastic (okay, it was the cut-out side of a gallon milk carton) over the open section so that air could come into the coop to reduce the indoor moisture, but it would not blow directly on chickens.

Everyone survived a really frigid winter, so that's what I plan to do again this year. Construction abilities are NOT one of my stronger skill sets.
 
Also, I forgot the one real modification I made to my OverEZ. I added hardware cloth over the window screens to make it more resistant to predators. The previous owners had screwed on what looked like wire refrigerator shelves over the windows, but I was afraid a mink (which has gotten to some of my birds) might slip through that. They can squeeze through very small spaces.

But, the OverEZ withstood last summer's derecho. Half an old oak tree fell on it, and the only damage was some bent roofing. I was impressed.
 
Callender Girl said:
Also, I forgot the one real modification I made to my OverEZ. I added hardware cloth over the window screens to make it more resistant to predators. The previous owners had screwed on what looked like wire refrigerator shelves over the windows, but I was afraid a mink (which has gotten to some of my birds) might slip through that. They can squeeze through very small spaces.

But, the OverEZ withstood last summer's derecho. Half an old oak tree fell on it, and the only damage was some bent roofing. I was impressed.
Click to expand...

Oh wow, it definitely sounds sturdy!
Yes on the HC on the windows, for sure. I was definitely planning on doing that!
 
Welcome to BYC! Good for you doing your research before you get your flock. Here's some basic information from an article I'm in the process of writing:

The Usual Guidelines

For each adult, standard-sized hen you need:
  • 4 square feet in the coop,
  • 10 square feet in the run,
  • 1 linear foot of roost,
  • 1/4 of a nest box,
  • And 1 square foot of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation, preferably located over the birds' heads when they're sitting on the roost.
Some More Numbers

Height can't compensate for lack of floor space because chickens don't stack for storage, but there are some useful things to consider about height.

First, the base of the coop needs to be deep enough to hold a reasonable amount of bedding. "Reasonable" is a flexible term , but 4-8 inches is a good starting figure. If you're scooping poop daily you only need enough depth to hold sufficient sand/Sweet PDZ/etc, to keep the poops from sticking to the floor. If you're doing Deep Bedding or Deep Litter and want to clean only a couple times a year you might want room for a foot or more of bedding.

Second, the nest boxes, which are usually 12-16" cubes, need to be above the maximum top level of bedding to keep the clean nest lining from being contaminated by the soiled bedding or you will get poopy eggs.

Third, the roost needs to be above the nest boxes so that the chickens will sleep on the roost instead of in the boxes.

Fourth, the ventilation is best placed above the chickens' heads when they're sitting on the roost -- 8-12" depending on the size of the hen and her comb type.

So, the minimum height to get things stacked up correctly is between 3 and 4 feet high, depending on the slope of the roof and exactly how the ventilation is arranged. Additionally, chickens aren't helicopters so they usually fly up and down to their roosts about about a 45-degree angle. That means that the roost should be at least as far from the wall at the end of their landing zone as it is high.

Additionally, many people like to have small coops raised up both so that the chickens can use the area underneath them and so that they can clean more easily, sticking a wheelbarrow or garden cart under the access door and pushing the bedding out instead of forking it up from ground level. 16-18" is probably the minimum to allow full-sized hens to walk around with a little bedding underneath to absorb the poop while much over 24" will become challenging to clean except for the tallest of chicken-keepers.

A useful article on heights: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/coop-stack-up-how-high-stuff-works-well.73427/

A useful article explaining why these are guidelines, rather than rules: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/how-much-room-do-chickens-need.66180/


Chickentea said:
Yikes! Glad I asked first. What are the dimensions needed for six?
Click to expand...

6 hens
  • 24 square feet in the coop. 4'x6' is the only really practical build for this given the common dimensions of lumber. If you can't walk into it, put the access door in the middle of the long side to make sure you can reach all areas of the coop.
  • 6 feet of roost
  • 60 square feet in the run. 6'x10' or 8'x8'.
  • 6 square feet of ventilation.
  • 2 nest boxes, to give the hens a choice
Where, in general, are you located? Climate matters, especially when building chicken housing.
 
3KillerBs said:
Welcome to BYC! Good for you doing your research before you get your flock. Here's some basic information from an article I'm in the process of writing:

The Usual Guidelines

For each adult, standard-sized hen you need:
  • 4 square feet in the coop,
  • 10 square feet in the run,
  • 1 linear foot of roost,
  • 1/4 of a nest box,
  • And 1 square foot of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation, preferably located over the birds' heads when they're sitting on the roost.
Some More Numbers

Height can't compensate for lack of floor space because chickens don't stack for storage, but there are some useful things to consider about height.

First, the base of the coop needs to be deep enough to hold a reasonable amount of bedding. "Reasonable" is a flexible term , but 4-8 inches is a good starting figure. If you're scooping poop daily you only need enough depth to hold sufficient sand/Sweet PDZ/etc, to keep the poops from sticking to the floor. If you're doing Deep Bedding or Deep Litter and want to clean only a couple times a year you might want room for a foot or more of bedding.

Second, the nest boxes, which are usually 12-16" cubes, need to be above the maximum top level of bedding to keep the clean nest lining from being contaminated by the soiled bedding or you will get poopy eggs.

Third, the roost needs to be above the nest boxes so that the chickens will sleep on the roost instead of in the boxes.

Fourth, the ventilation is best placed above the chickens' heads when they're sitting on the roost -- 8-12" depending on the size of the hen and her comb type.

So, the minimum height to get things stacked up correctly is between 3 and 4 feet high, depending on the slope of the roof and exactly how the ventilation is arranged. Additionally, chickens aren't helicopters so they usually fly up and down to their roosts about about a 45-degree angle. That means that the roost should be at least as far from the wall at the end of their landing zone as it is high.

Additionally, many people like to have small coops raised up both so that the chickens can use the area underneath them and so that they can clean more easily, sticking a wheelbarrow or garden cart under the access door and pushing the bedding out instead of forking it up from ground level. 16-18" is probably the minimum to allow full-sized hens to walk around with a little bedding underneath to absorb the poop while much over 24" will become challenging to clean except for the tallest of chicken-keepers.

A useful article on heights: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/coop-stack-up-how-high-stuff-works-well.73427/

A useful article explaining why these are guidelines, rather than rules: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/how-much-room-do-chickens-need.66180/




6 hens
  • 24 square feet in the coop. 4'x6' is the only really practical build for this given the common dimensions of lumber. If you can't walk into it, put the access door in the middle of the long side to make sure you can reach all areas of the coop.
  • 6 feet of roost
  • 60 square feet in the run. 6'x10' or 8'x8'.
  • 6 square feet of ventilation.
  • 2 nest boxes, to give the hens a choice
Where, in general, are you located? Climate matters, especially when building chicken housing.
Click to expand...
Wow! Thanks for all this info. Bookmarking so I can refer back to it.

I'm on the East Coast (USA), so our climate varies a bit. Its not too extreme either way, but some winters have been colder than others. Last winter wasn't too bad, but still, I'm prepared.
 
Chickentea said:
I'm on the East Coast (USA), so our climate varies a bit. Its not too extreme either way, but some winters have been colder than others. Last winter wasn't too bad, but still, I'm prepared.
Click to expand...
That covers a lot of different climates.

Her's how to add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!
1627208857213.png
 
Chickentea said:
Wow! Thanks for all this info. Bookmarking so I can refer back to it.

I'm on the East Coast (USA), so our climate varies a bit. Its not too extreme either way, but some winters have been colder than others. Last winter wasn't too bad, but still, I'm prepared.
Click to expand...

You're welcome.

I'm in NC and used to live in MA, which is a lot of difference, so if you would narrow it down to a state that would be helpful.

For example, here in NC I'm in the perfect area to be building an Open Air coop -- which is a roofed run with a 3-sided shelter at one end.

If I'd had chickens when I was in MA I'd still have needed that minimum of a square foot of ventilation per bird but I'd be more concerned about preventing frostbite in the winter and making sure my structure could handle snow load than keeping them from dying from the heat in the summer and making sure my roof won't be ripped off by a hurricane. :)

Snow load and storm winds are two of the things that make those prefab coops that are shipped flat for you to assemble problematic -- they tend to be structurally flimsy (as well as too small and ill-ventilated).
 

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