Coop design, construction options

[Rodrad]

Nesting boxes that are set outward from the coop along a wall, or nesting boxes that are high enough on the wall that chickens can comfortably go under them, will not take away from floor space.

The actual, more official 'minimum' is 5 square feet- me being at 3.5 is really pushing it. You can play with the rules a bit by changing around the breeds you get, if you have your food and water inside the coop or out, etc.

I thought that the nesting boxes should be on the floor level!?

 

[21hens-incharge]

I thought that the nesting boxes should be on the floor level!?

They can be but they don't have to be. Raised boxes need a board in front of them since hens tend to like to pause in front to select the nest they want.

In this set of nests my most used nests are the upper.

Adding.....
While chickens may be able to live in smaller than 4 square foot per bird in the coop it can and often does lead to behavior issues.
They won't complain about having a space with extra room but they certainly can get brutal if that space is to tight.

 

[CluckerFamily]

I thought that the nesting boxes should be on the floor level!?

I use an old ladder with 5 gallon pails as my nesting boxes, this way they are off the floor.

 

[Rodrad]

They can be but they don't have to be. Raised boxes need a board in front of them since hens tend to like to pause in front to select the nest they want.

In this set of nests my most used nests are the upper.

View attachment 2407214

Adding.....
While chickens may be able to live in smaller than 4 square foot per bird in the coop it can and often does lead to behavior issues.
They won't complain about having a space with extra room but they certainly can get brutal if that space is to tight.

Thank you, will have to think some more where to put my boxes. I understand the potential issue of having less than 4 ft2/chicken, but have to check some more with my several neighbors. I know one has about 2.6 ft2. I haven’t heard issues from him, he keeps his chickens in the coop only overnight. He doesn’t heat his coop and may be being small size the coop is warm enough in winter. For winter he has ventilation area of about 0.5 ft2/10 ft2 of floor space. Our winters can occasionally go to mid to low teens for a week few times in the winter.

BTW, what size is your winter ventilation area and what kind of weather you have in the winter?

 

[21hens-incharge]

Thank you, will have to think some more where to put my boxes. I understand the potential issue of having less than 4 ft2/chicken, but have to check some more with my several neighbors. I know one has about 2.6 ft2. I haven’t heard issues from him, he keeps his chickens in the coop only overnight. He doesn’t heat his coop and may be being small size the coop is warm enough in winter. For winter he has ventilation area of about 0.5 ft2/10 ft2 of floor space. Our winters can occasionally go to mid to low teens for a week few times in the winter.

BTW, what size is your winter ventilation area and what kind of weather you have in the winter?

I have open soffits on my coops. We get down to minus 16(ish) a few times a year with many nights at or below zero. We can run for weeks never getting above 20°.

In addition to open soffits I included as many windows as possible on my coops. I often open them in winter if we are above 30°. Right now we are at 22° and there are windows open.

So you can see my coops.

This one is 8'x14' and has 11 windows as well as open soffits. I have kept up to 24 chicken in this one.

This one is 6'x8' and has 3 windows as well as open soffits. Currently housing 8 chicks 9&10 weeks old.


This one is for just 3 bantams. The soffits are not open BUT you can see through the back vent. It is 1' by 4' and on the front right at the top is a small additional vent. The small rectangle under the big vent is another permanent vent.


Taken during construction. I keep 7 ducks in this one.
This is my duck house. It is 5'x8'. While the soffits are not open the bumps in the roof are. It also has 5 windows and 3 additional vents measuring 2 at 6" by 12" and one at 6" by 3'. Right now three windows are open on this coop.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Last november.......

 

[Rodrad]

I built something similar this summer, but I did make it 4’x10’ for ten chickens. I have some terrible winter weather though so I didn’t want them to be cramped.

With the pine boards, I would attach them one by one just in case you have to make alterations as you go. I also painted my coop inside and out. I’m not sure your roost bar plan won’t end up with pooped on chickens but there’s no harm in trying it. Roost bars are easy to remake in a different configuration.

Thank you for your input. I will paint my coop also inside and out. Do you see any negatives using “liquid nail“ on the edges of the board? Also, did you use screws and, if so, did you pre-drill board with special drill which makes conical indention for the head of the screw?

what did you use for the floor? How much winter ventilation you have (total ft2)?

 

[Rodrad]

I have open soffits on my coops. We get down to minus 16(ish) a few times a year with many nights at or below zero. We can run for weeks never getting above 20°.

In addition to open soffits I included as many windows as possible on my coops. I often open them in winter if we are above 30°. Right now we are at 22° and there are windows open.

So you can see my coops.
View attachment 2407258
This one is 8'x14' and has 11 windows as well as open soffits. I have kept up to 24 chicken in this one.

View attachment 2407260
This one is 6'x8' and has 3 windows as well as open soffits. Currently housing 8 chicks 9&10 weeks old.

View attachment 2407262
This one is for just 3 bantams. The soffits are not open BUT you can see through the back vent. It is 1' by 4' and on the front right at the top is a small additional vent. The small rectangle under the big vent is another permanent vent.

View attachment 2407264
Taken during construction. I keep 7 ducks in this one.
This is my duck house. It is 5'x8'. While the soffits are not open the bumps in the roof are. It also has 5 windows and 3 additional vents measuring 2 at 6" by 12" and one at 6" by 3'. Right now three windows are open on this coop.

Wow, a lot of chicken coops. Looks like a plenty of ventilation. Thank you for sharing.
Can you possibly give me more specific information, like ft2 of always open places in your coop per total ft2 of the floor?! Since in my area winters are in general mild (typically mid twenties but occasionally for a week at the time, several times over winter, it gats in mid to low teens) what amount Of ventilation you would recommend (in ft2 per 10 ft2 of the floor space)?

 

[black_cat]

Wow, a lot of chicken coops. Looks like a plenty of ventilation. Thank you for sharing.
Can you possibly give me more specific information, like ft2 of always open places in your coop per total ft2 of the floor?! Since in my area winters are in general mild (typically mid twenties but occasionally for a week at the time, several times over winter, it gats in mid to low teens) what amount Of ventilation you would recommend (in ft2 per 10 ft2 of the floor space)?

Generally the ventilation rule is 1 square foot of open ventilation per bird.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Wow, a lot of chicken coops. Looks like a plenty of ventilation. Thank you for sharing.
Can you possibly give me more specific information, like ft2 of always open places in your coop per total ft2 of the floor?! Since in my area winters are in general mild (typically mid twenties but occasionally for a week at the time, several times over winter, it gats in mid to low teens) what amount Of ventilation you would recommend (in ft2 per 10 ft2 of the floor space)?

Always open on the 8x14 (112 square foot of floor space) is 14 square feet of permanently open venting.
So....yes when I had 24 birds in there my venting was "inadequate" by the 1 square foot per bird recommendation. HOWEVER I have windows that are only closed if wind is blowing in them. That same wind actually increases air flow through the permanent venting so compensates for the closed windows.

The 6x8 has 8 square feet of permanently open vents (48 square foot of floor space). Housing a maximum of 8 birds the venting meets the 1square foot recommended amount.

My goal is not necessarily to provide 1 square foot per bird in all my coops but rather to have it strategically placed so air actually moves up and out carrying moisture with it.

I keep humidity gauges in my coops. My goal is to be within 5% of humidity outside the coop.

In decades of keeping birds I have only ever seen frostbite on one bird. A leghorn of course and that frostbite was very minor.