Coop Builders - What would you have changed or done differently?

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Sounds like you are modifying it well, I've decided to enlarge my coop with just a roosting coop...keeping the original coop as a layer, brooder, feed storage area. Nesting boxes that can be accessed from outside, and an extended roof for a 'poarch' to keep snow away from the door.

 

[Mtn Laurel]

We have a barn that we use for the chickens. It's continually changing. I do agree with all your input though.

• Figure out how many chickens you want to keep in coop. Multiply by 3. That's how you figure out space (in my case, multiply by 50).
• It comes in handy to have a divider in your coop to separate injured or broody hens.
• Nesting boxes should have something slanted to prevent roosting (even if they are lower than the roosts!)
• Lots and lots of ventilation.
• Something that goes in front of door to keep shavings in.

That's all I got.

Here is my coop for reference..

They still roost on those darn makeshift nesting boxes. We plan on building a huge set of them eventually, but this is all we have for now. I have to kick a few off at lights out

Also, tiered perches work great. I have more roosts then needed, which is also a plus. There is less fighting that way.

Absolutely great set-up! I'm limited to 20 chickens so figure I should just build for the max because I'm sure I'll eventually get there. These birds are like potato chips, you can't have just one!

Agree with all your points, too, ESPECIALLY the one about having something in front of the door to keep shavings in. I finally figured that one out - as we were loading the shavings in the back and they were spilling out the front! LOL!

And YES on a way to divide chickens from each other. That's what made us realize we needed more space as I wanted to get a few more birds but was afraid to shove them together in such tight quarters. Figure I can use my tractor as a "quarantine" or baby chick area once our larger coop is done. I'm looking forward to a larger coop so that I can incorporate some of these suggestions!

 

[EggieRowe]

Actually I was thinking on building some kind of wooden boxes under the nests to hold supplies like feed. We get some pretty wild weather in winter up here in the Yukon and I just got the feed bin outside right now.

I second the internal storage! I didn't think to put any in mine and building some now will reduce floor space. Right now looking at getting a used pickle barrel off Craigslist and leaving it outside the door.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

A tilt out bin! Thought of it too, would make it to hold a full bag of feed, but anticipating corn prices caused me to buy a years supply which is now stored in the pantry, instead I am going to make an outside door and fill the feeder under the nestbox from outside, water too, then haul my wagon back to the house. Fortunately I can drive the 4 wheeler over too.

 

[silkiechicken]

Measure 3 times and have it verified by someone else. LOL

One corner of the siding on my coop is missing a triangle because I mirror imaged the wrong piece of wood. LOL And because it was structural siding... it's directional! LOL

 

[Mtn Laurel]

Quote:
Love your tractor and having the entire top open up is fantastic! Found out the hard way that we needed to modify the openings to ours as there were area's I couldn't reach.

 

[Mtn Laurel]

Have a plan to remove sick or injured birds.
My friend uses a small fishing net/pole and a large dog crate to quarantine them.

Excellent points and I agree with all of them. The one above is the one that really hit home for me because I found myself in that situation.

Had a hen take sick and was laying on her side in corner of tractor. My very tall husband had built tractor based on him using it but he wasn't at home. I couldn't reach the hen as my arms aren't as long as my husband's! Luckily, my also-tall son was home so I had to wake him to have him come help me. I did already have a dog crate and used it for the hen. The hen wasn't mobile so catching her wasn't a problem. We did get a fishing net afterwards "just in case".

BUILDERS: Please make sure that the smallest/shortest caretaker can reach all shelves, locks, hooks, and into every corner of coop in case they have to handle something when you're not there. We shorter chicken-lovers thank you!

 

[Mtn Laurel]

I second the internal storage! I didn't think to put any in mine and building some now will reduce floor space. Right now looking at getting a used pickle barrel off Craigslist and leaving it outside the door.

Yes, YES, on the internal storage! I need a place to keep a bale of straw both close and dry and was thinking of building a cabinet under the exterior nesting boxes that would be wide and deep enough for a bale of straw. That way it would be right there when I wanted to change out straw in the nesting boxes.

I was keeping my feed in a black locking garbage can outside the door. Then a hen died of what I think was botulism during that horrible 104+ degree heat wave. I noticed that the black feed can was sitting in direct sun and wondered if the heat had caused problems with the feed. Don't know but I'm keeping the feed inside my back porch now where it's out of direct sun and can't possibly get any moisture in it.

 

[Sallysec]

Sorry for your loss, thanks for sharing though, makes me think twice about leaving the food outside...I thought I only had to worry about animals getting in.

 

[threeacresfarm]

I am nearly finished building my first "chicksha" style mobile chicken coop (4'x5') for 6 chickens. In the process I have learned quite a bit. Here are my top five.

#1- Whatever you think it will cost, add 50% more. Things come up during the process that you will need/want to make things more convenient down the road.

#2- Whatever time you think it will take, add 100% more for the same reason listed above.

#3- Removable nest boxes. Mine is in the back of the coop and can be lifted slightly and slid out of the egg access door for easy cleaning. This larger access door can also be used for cleaning out the litter, etc.

#4- Attaching bicycle wheels to 2x4's is not as easy as it sounds. (can give you more details if your thinking about building a "chicksha.")

#5- Removable floor covered with linoleum. My floor also slides out of the egg access door and can be sprayed off, dried in the sun, and replaced with ease. I have 1/2" hardware cloth attached underneath the 2x4 floor studs so that the chickens can still use the coop while the floor is removed.

-Three Acres Farm