Coop Build Advice

[Cluckerzfamilyfarm]

I dont recommend the run be concrete. Even if you put hay down or what not. They will scratch right down to the concrete, have no dust to bath in, and is hard on the legs. (Like standing all day at work on concrete floors.. I understand space is limited. That's just my personal opinion

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't believe in those space rules. If you follow the link in my signature below you will see why. That 4 and 10 is not a bad starting point for someone in suburbia but for some people it is overkill. For others it is not enough. In your climate and with your plans for a future integration I would not want to over-crowd them. There is more to space requirements than what is the maximum number of chickens can I put in this space without them eating each other. The more packed they are the more the poop builds up which has to be managed and the less flexibility you have to deal with issues. It's not all about the chickens, your comfort and convenience are important too.

You are pretty adamant about that specific 8x8 area. That is fine, you have set your limits and know what you are working with. Some people have problems with chicken math, some don't. If your maximum is 6, build for that to start with.

To me the most important thing is location. The area needs to stay dry. If it is in an area where water collects you are going to have issues. If it does not stay wet you are way ahead of the game. Some people have coops or runs on concrete and love them. I would not let that stop me. As far as digging predators, what you need to do depends on what that area looks like. If it is on concrete and you attach the bottom of your run where nothing can get through a gap what are you worried about? of course I can't see it and don't know how you plan to build it.

I don't know how much snow or ice you will get in winter in New Jersey but I'd expect you to have some pretty strong cold winds. Chickens don't like strong cold winds. They don't much like snow either, especially the first time or two they see it. You might consider putting windbreaks around the run in winter so they can use more of it.

You need to be able to access every part of your coop. That's for cleaning, to retrieve an egg or uncooperative chicken, or maintenance and repair. Plan carefully for access. With what I envision for you I'd want it high enough that I could position a wheelbarrow where I could rake stuff into it. That might mean access from outside.

A lot of standard building materials come in 4' or 8' dimensions. If you plan around those dimensions you can normally reduce cutting and waste. A 6' dimension isn't all that bad though. The cut-offs are often handy for nests or other things.

For you I'd envision a 4x6 or 4x8 elevated coop, you an make either work. I prefer the 4x8 as that gives you more room to position roosts where they will not be pooping in the food and water, but by hanging two nests outside you can make either work. I'd want the run tall enough that you can walk inside. For me I'd insist on that. You might need to build something later for integration, but that can be temporary.

I also really like a walk-in coop but for some of us it's not always practical. Still, I could envision a 4x8 walk-in with the run built so predator proof you never have to close the pop door.

You have a lot of options, good luck! And yes, planning ahead is great. And welcome to the forum, glad you joined.

 

[Judoon_Platoon]

I don't believe in those space rules. If you follow the link in my signature below you will see why. That 4 and 10 is not a bad starting point for someone in suburbia but for some people it is overkill. For others it is not enough. In your climate and with your plans for a future integration I would not want to over-crowd them. There is more to space requirements than what is the maximum number of chickens can I put in this space without them eating each other. The more packed they are the more the poop builds up which has to be managed and the less flexibility you have to deal with issues. It's not all about the chickens, your comfort and convenience are important too.

You are pretty adamant about that specific 8x8 area. That is fine, you have set your limits and know what you are working with. Some people have problems with chicken math, some don't. If your maximum is 6, build for that to start with.

To me the most important thing is location. The area needs to stay dry. If it is in an area where water collects you are going to have issues. If it does not stay wet you are way ahead of the game. Some people have coops or runs on concrete and love them. I would not let that stop me. As far as digging predators, what you need to do depends on what that area looks like. If it is on concrete and you attach the bottom of your run where nothing can get through a gap what are you worried about? of course I can't see it and don't know how you plan to build it.

I don't know how much snow or ice you will get in winter in New Jersey but I'd expect you to have some pretty strong cold winds. Chickens don't like strong cold winds. They don't much like snow either, especially the first time or two they see it. You might consider putting windbreaks around the run in winter so they can use more of it.

You need to be able to access every part of your coop. That's for cleaning, to retrieve an egg or uncooperative chicken, or maintenance and repair. Plan carefully for access. With what I envision for you I'd want it high enough that I could position a wheelbarrow where I could rake stuff into it. That might mean access from outside.

A lot of standard building materials come in 4' or 8' dimensions. If you plan around those dimensions you can normally reduce cutting and waste. A 6' dimension isn't all that bad though. The cut-offs are often handy for nests or other things.

For you I'd envision a 4x6 or 4x8 elevated coop, you an make either work. I prefer the 4x8 as that gives you more room to position roosts where they will not be pooping in the food and water, but by hanging two nests outside you can make either work. I'd want the run tall enough that you can walk inside. For me I'd insist on that. You might need to build something later for integration, but that can be temporary.

I also really like a walk-in coop but for some of us it's not always practical. Still, I could envision a 4x8 walk-in with the run built so predator proof you never have to close the pop door.

You have a lot of options, good luck! And yes, planning ahead is great. And welcome to the forum, glad you joined.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I will be taking up most of the pavers and just using the remaining to build the foundation. The actual part the chickens are in will be dirt. I am also leaning towards the 4x8 elevated coop just to make the build easier. I plan on making it as predator proof as possible so I can leave the pop door open at all times.

The coop will be in a shaded place In between a shed and tree right next to my fence. Hopefully that will help reduce wind. The whole coop/run will have a roof to prevent snow/rain. We just regraded and seeded my entire yard so drainage is excellent.

 

[BY Bob]

Some quick thoughts I have learned over the years. I am in PA so we have a similar climate to you.

1 Overbuild: get as much use out of the space you can
2 Easy Access: it's not enough to be able reach a space, and you must be able to get anywhere the birds may end up, but it needs to be simple
3 Hang Things: plan for where you will keep food an water and hang them up. You can then easily control their heights and keep the girls from scratching stuff into them.
4 Hardware cloth only: chicken wire neither keeps predators out nor chickens in.
5 Recess or Over Hang coop doors: did not do this on my coop. Regret it everytime it rains.

My girls spend a huge amount of time in the portion of the run that is under the coop. I am a big fan of that type of space as they seem to love it. So how do you get access to it easily? Removable coop floor. I can simply pull the floor up in the coop and take it out. Here is as picture of my coop. Both ends open completely. When I need to clean the coop I just grab a push broom and push it out the other side. Simple. I have also included a photo of the left side opened and Patsy sitting on her roost.

I am sure I know more than I put in here. I am happy to answer any questions you may have.

 

[Judoon_Platoon]

Some quick thoughts I have learned over the years. I am in PA so we have a similar climate to you.

1 Overbuild: get as much use out of the space you can
2 Easy Access: it's not enough to be able reach a space, and you must be able to get anywhere the birds may end up, but it needs to be simple
3 Hang Things: plan for where you will keep food an water and hang them up. You can then easily control their heights and keep the girls from scratching stuff into them.
4 Hardware cloth only: chicken wire neither keeps predators out nor chickens in.
5 Recess or Over Hang coop doors: did not do this on my coop. Regret it everytime it rains.

My girls spend a huge amount of time in the portion of the run that is under the coop. I am a big fan of that type of space as they seem to love it. So how do you get access to it easily? Removable coop floor. I can simply pull the floor up in the coop and take it out. Here is as picture of my coop. Both ends open completely. When I need to clean the coop I just grab a push broom and push it out the other side. Simple. I have also included a photo of the left side opened and Patsy sitting on her roost.

I am sure I know more than I put in here. I am happy to answer any questions you may have.

View attachment 1550227 View attachment 1550228

The removable coop floor is a great idea!

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Firstly welcome to BYC from a fellow New Jersey person.

If you plan on having a covered run attached to your henhouse then you don’t need to follow the 4 sq ft per bird rule as your birds will only be laying and sleeping in the henhouse.
Whether you decide to make your run walk in or not you definitely will want to have a 1-2 foot slope so that snow will not accumulate on the roof.
Build your run as large as you can now. It’s much easier to add birds when they have plenty of room than to have to scramble and expand your run size.
For ease of construction I make my run panels in 4, 6, & 8 foot lengths depending on the run.
A raised henhouse at waist height with large doors for ease of cleaning and if you need to pull birds off the roost is very convient. Nest boxes that jut out from the henhouse are ideal to collect eggs without having to go into the run.
Good luck!
You can send me a personal message if you have any more questions. Who knows maybe we’re nearby and can meet.

 

[BY Bob]

Thanks. I would also consider an automated door. We love ours. Most animals that will attack your run and try to break in will do so at night. With an automated door, the girls are locked up tight at night even when it is cold or rainy you don't want to go out and close the pop door or heaven forbid, you forget to close it.

They are not cheap though. Mine cost as much as the lumber and wire for the coop. You can see it here on their sun porch.

One other thing to remember, do not point your coop door to the northwest, from whence the winter winds come. I did that and I have to enclose the porch in the winter to keep the wind from howling through their house.

 

[Jackandjillslittlecoop]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/eastern-shore-classic-coop.73500/

Check out the coop I built. It's roughly the same size you are looking for. It could be modified to fit you concrete pad. I'd be happy to answer any questions. Having a poured slab should make your built that much easier.

 

[jolenesdad]

Welcome! Any chance extending that run a couple feet off the foundation? That way at least you’ll have some dirt...

Also.... 18 month olds? Your wife may soon be wanting as many chickens as you can get your hands on. They entertain my toddler for HOURS.

 

[feathermaid]

I think you have some really great ideas going on!! And so many people have already given you such excellent advice already, so you may already have enough info, but I thought I'd chime in anyway...

I know your wife says 6 now... buuuuut.... once she names all the birds -and loves being entertained by them -and sees how much the kiddos love them (maybe 4-H in the future?) -and enjoys those fresh eggs -and wants a more colorful egg basket-and misses having little fluffy peepers around -and realizes they are rather therapeutic -and maybe loses one to something unexpected -and so on... you may "accidentally" end up with more than planned. It's called chicken math. You can avoid it... probably.

Just curious as to what is your end goal? To have chickens as a homesteading (eggs and/or meat) venture? Or to keep them as pets for their entire lives? Keep in mind that egg production will dwindle or stop for the winter after year 2, and will probably slow to "not much at all" after a few years. You may want to consider flock rotation if you want chickens for other reasons than just pets.

I completely understand about space limitations, I live in the burbs too, and had to build my coop accordingly. Mine is 3x6 and I would highly recommend going 4x8 if you have the opportunity! Though I really do love my poop tray under the roosts as it leaves the entire coop floor available as living space, it's super easy to keep clean and underneath also doubles as a temporary brooder for new babies. This is part of what it looks like during the integration stage.

Also, if you plan to build your run completely secure and covered, you can keep food and water there too. I use 3' tall gravity feeders to save space.

My coop is raised only 19" and I wish it was at least a foot higher for easier access, but I can still manage. My chickens love to spend time under there too like @BY Bob says!

You can take a look at my whole building process and other coop features if you'd like:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-mod-coop.74256/
Have fun finalizing those plans over the winter!!