Coop building help please

[pkforever]

I'm looking into building a small sized coop big enough for 3 chickens, with a run attached to it. But I am having a very hard time finding plans of any sort. So I have no idea like how big it should be or how big the nesting boxes should or anything like that. I have a raccoon problem so I'll need it to be raccoon proof as well. Any suggestions?

 

[Celtic Hill]

I LOVE this book! It has all kind of great plans!!! Chicken Coops: 45 Plans For Housing Your Flock It has plans from small 2 hens to 200 hens!

 

[write2caroline]

I have two Catawabe coops - A- Frames and so far they have been great. First the chickens sleep uptop and at night the ladder comes up. If a predator gets inside the tracker on the bottom - they are okay uptop and pretty secure. The nest boxes are on the two ends up top. I bought the plans and built them myself. I keep 3 chickens in each and I have 6 chickens.

I built a third for 5 bantams. I move them around the yard - It is a great design.

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[/img] I added extra side panels that are removable because of the occasional neighbors dog that comes around. I take them off on hot days when I am home. - there is good air flow and the chickens are very comfortable.

Caroline

 

[Intheswamp]

Quote:
I may be thinking of the wrong book, but doesn't that book mostly have line-drawing "illustrations" rather than actual plans?

Ed

 

[Intheswamp]

Quote:
I really like using the standard size sheet goods. Would a 4'x8' coop be too big for you? This would give you room for food and water to be inside the coop so that it could be well secured and the chickens will have plenty of room in case they have to stay inside for an extended period of time (weather, whatever). For three birds you could get away with a coop half that size, but...

How big of a run are you considering?

Best wishes,
Ed

 

[pkforever]

I'm not sure how big of a run I would need... I was thinking around the size of a 4x8 maybe a bit smaller but not by much. It's all new to me building a coop. The last chickens I had I didn't have very long and lived in a rabbit hutch type thing my dad built which worked perfectly for their size and what I needed it for until the raccoons got one of them. So this time I want to be extra prepared.

 

[Celtic Hill]

Quote:
I may be thinking of the wrong book, but doesn't that book mostly have line-drawing "illustrations" rather than actual plans?

Ed

Yes, but i thought they were pretty easy to read and understand,

 

[CityChook]

You probably aren't going to find plans for something on the small side anyways. Just gleen details from the photos what you like/can accomplish. Go to that member's BYC page and see if there are any step by step photographs. Most coops seem to follow a basic form and then options can be how you roof it, how the doors look, the siding you use.... those are the easy things.

Have you checked the coop page on this site? So many nice ideas there.

Some members might be willing to help you put together a materials list based on experience building their own coop. But basically, they're all squares/triangles.

PS - a rabbit hutch works fine as long as it's strong enough and the proper wire is used. This will be the same regardless of the design you choose.

Good luck!

 

[pkforever]

I still am not sure how big to make the nesting boxes...

 

[fiddleblue]

I second the suggestion on the Chicken Coops book by Pangman. Page 40 of that book has a great little coop ("LIttle Red Henhouse") for 3 hens, and shows more detail/plans than the other coops. Also Poulet Chalet on pg 47 and The Cat House next, show 3-4 hen size houses. If you can't figure out how to build it from the drawings/plans, see if you can get help from a neighbor who has a few building skills.