Coop and Run Build for 50 Chickens

[Dlmillion]

I have been thinking and planning a large coop to house my current and future chickens and just started building it. I thought i'd start a thread in hopes that others can learn from my mistakes and to give opportunity for anybody to make suggestions. Please, feel free to speak your mind!

So overall, my goals with this coop and run are to
- house and secure 50+ chickens/roosters/broilers
- Utilize some otherwise wasted space over some in-ground boulders in the garden
- keep predators and potential disease-carriers from coming into contact with flock
- have enough food and water available to chickens to last at least a week in my absence
- have the option to divide into two sections for more flexibility with flock management and breeding
- look nice as it will be right next to driveway and house area

Some things i already know that i'm incorporating are
- Coop elevated 2' over boulder
- two 50-gallon water tanks with PVC/nipple watering system
- Large windows on south side to allow maximum light and warmth in during winter
- plenty of ventilation
- 1/2" hardware cloth floor to allow droppings to fall through to ground
- total of 10 nesting boxes
- still figuring out how to set up a large feed reservoir that can provide a continual supply to chickens as well as stay clean and protected

As i have already started, i have some progress pictures but first i'd like to draw up some pictures of the framing and general plans just to help with visualization purposes. I think the whole build will take me some time as it is quite large and, as i come up with more ideas, seems to continually be getting more complicated.

I'll try my best to get good progress pictures but i tend to "get in the zone" and forget so i apologize ahead of time.

Here we go!!

 

[KoopOnTruckin]

Looks like you got all of the points covered, very interested in seeing the pics to see how you deal with the rocks/boulders. Just curious why so many nesting boxes? Of the 50 chickens you plan to have, how many are you going to keep as true layers? I have 2 nesting boxes for my 16 layers, and I find that most of the time they lay all in the same box. Are you planning on having some of them raise clutches at the same time?

Also, how many roosters do you plan to have? I noticed in your spreadsheet that all of your current chicks are females, will the roos be a separate purchase? Do any of your pullets look like they may be cockerels? And last question, where did you purchase your chicks?

 

[Dlmillion]

Alrighty, I've got some sketches to help with visualizing more or less how the coop will turn out!
(The pictures are splotchy due to the fact that the inside of the lens on my phone is covered with dust, I apologize)

Here is a simple sketch of how the layout will be with the coop and run



Framing for the front and back walls



Framing for both of the side walls


Idea for trusses and the framing for the elevated floor

These are all the sketches i have at this point. I will most likely sketch out my ideas for a water system and feeding system.
I'm thinking i'd like to put in some automatic pop doors but haven't decided as of yet. The main reason for that would be to have a fully automated coop that can take care of the chickens for a week or more at a time.

 

[Dlmillion]

Looks like you got all of the points covered, very interested in seeing the pics to see how you deal with the rocks/boulders. Just curious why so many nesting boxes? Of the 50 chickens you plan to have, how many are you going to keep as true layers? I have 2 nesting boxes for my 16 layers, and I find that most of the time they lay all in the same box. Are you planning on having some of them raise clutches at the same time?

Also, how many roosters do you plan to have? I noticed in your spreadsheet that all of your current chicks are females, will the roos be a separate purchase? Do any of your pullets look like they may be cockerels? And last question, where did you purchase your chicks?

My main reason for having all the nesting boxes is i really want to have the option of making them trap boxes for the sake of keeping track of the laying consistency of the layers and who each egg came from with the breeders. I'm figuring that it would be safest to have more than need to add some after the fact. I haven't quite decided how many layers i'll have at a time but i like to have the option of having all 50 be layers if need be.

I'll probably have 5-6 roosters at a time and yes, they will be a separate purchase. So far, i don't think any of the pullets look like cockerels but i suppose I will just have to keep waiting and watching!

I got my chicks from www.efowl.com as they were offering free shipping at the time. Pretty happy witht he whole ordering and shipping experience etc.

(I am planning on building another coop in the future specifically for breeding purposes. It'll most likely border a different side of the garden and have 5 or 6 separate coop and run sections to keep separate breeding groups. Alas, that is a future project!)

 

[Dlmillion]

As aforementioned, I have already started the build but it's still just begun. Here are some picture of the progress so far!

 

[MeepBeep]

Some input on food and water...

I have roughly 100 birds in my coop, I have a 55 gallon barrel with 9 nipples that actually services them all just fine, rarely if ever a line to get water... They consume between 5 and 10 gallons a day of water on average depending on temp, so it will last 4-5 days sometimes an entire week if not refilled, but I have a float valve in the barrel so I can keep it hooked to a hose and let it auto top off at will, so it can go unattended indefinitely when hooked up to a hose...

This is my feeder, again it services about 100 birds, but I honestly could probably use a 2nd as they do sometimes fight over a place in line... This holds 150 pounds of food and will last 3-4 days for my 100ish birds, but they do also get a lot of 'treats' so consumption rates can vary depending on the weekly amount of treats or supplements... For example this week, I filled a kiddie swimming pool in the coop with about 32 gallons (full 32 gallon garbage can) of spent grains, so this drastically cut down on this weeks feed as they have had the spent grains to nipple on as well...

 

[Dmontgomery]

Looks like you are going to be quite busy for a while. Big project. I have a large coop but mine has a dirt floor. Yours will have a wire mesh floor? How do you manage the poop that falls through the wire on large coops? Do you hose it out or rake it up?

 

[Kiki]

As aforementioned, I have already started the build but it's still just begun. Here are some picture of the progress so far!

Everything looks awesome to me so far!

I am just curious...I should say first I know absolutely NOTHING about framing.
My question:
What do you have the wood going different ways/directions on the floor?
Why not just lay them all the same way from one side to the other?

(oh gosh I hope that makes sense)

 

[waddles99]

Some input on food and water...

I have roughly 100 birds in my coop, I have a 55 gallon barrel with 9 nipples that actually services them all just fine, rarely if ever a line to get water... They consume between 5 and 10 gallons a day of water on average depending on temp, so it will last 4-5 days sometimes an entire week if not refilled, but I have a float valve in the barrel so I can keep it hooked to a hose and let it auto top off at will, so it can go unattended indefinitely when hooked up to a hose...

Do you ever have any problems with algae or any type of buildup with this waterer? It looks like it would be hard to clean.

 

[Kiki]

Do you ever have any problems with algae or any type of buildup with this waterer? It looks like it would be hard to clean.

Would putting some ACV in the water help keep it clean?