Coop design from barngeek

[booth2010]

Has anyone built the coop from at the link below?

http://www.barngeek.com/free-chicken-coop-plans.html

I was looking at building it to house 8 chickens but as I read more on this site and look back at the plans idk if I still want to go with it. The nesting boxes aren't elevated and I cant picture any good spots to place roosting bars. Putting roosting bars above the boxes would place the hens at the ventilation window height and idk if that would be a good idea or not. Are roosting bars a must have in the coop? They will only be in it at night and will be able to wander an 1800sqft section of the yard during the day.
I'm trying to keep my budget for the coop build under $250 (the budget my wife gave me ) and this is the only plan so far that I have found that I can do so. I'm going to be using leftover sheet metal from my garage reroof for the walls and roof but I only have 8 panels left and this coop fit the bill to use all 8.

Thanks for any advice.

Ryan

 

[chickengirl778]

Roosting bars are really nice for the chickens. If you don't have them they will sleep (and therefore poop) in the nesting boxes. If the window can close and has a hardware cloth screen roosts in front of the window shouldn't be a problem.

 

[booth2010]

Roosting bars are really nice for the chickens. If you don't have them they will sleep (and therefore poop) in the nesting boxes. If the window can close and has a hardware cloth screen roosts in front of the window shouldn't be a problem.

I will have more ventilation on the front and back of the coop so I guess if I close the side windows at night it would work. I mean I live in Florida so its not really ever cold so I don't even know if a draft at night while they roost would be a problem anyways. The coop and all openings will be predator proof, or as much as I can make it anyways, so leaving the windows open at night might not be bad either. IDK this is my first time keeping chickens so I may be overthinking things.

 

[chickengirl778]

Yeah if you're in Florida some ventilation is definitely a must! In front of a window is probably ok.

 

[rosemarythyme]

The nesting boxes aren't elevated and I cant picture any good spots to place roosting bars. Putting roosting bars above the boxes would place the hens at the ventilation window height and idk if that would be a good idea or not. Are roosting bars a must have in the coop?

Roost bars aren't a MUST have but chickens like them and it keeps them from sleeping in other places. Plus they're nearly "free" if you have some decently straight branches and a few nails and scrap wood.

Also nest boxes don't have to be elevated, mine are about 3" off the floor and the hens just walk in.

So to nitpick this design... I'd definitely add more ventilation for starters, even if you can't add additional windows there's roof vents, under eave vents, and maybe even doing the door in mesh would help add more airflow which is important in a hotter climate.

Also sizewise this 4x6 coop is not going to happily hold 10-12 as they claim. Recommended space is 4 sq ft per chicken minimum so this is a 6 chicken coop unless you expand it a little (4x8?). And the double banks of nest boxes are unnecessary. For your 8 chickens 3 nest boxes is plenty. So do a 4x8 version with 3 nest boxes on one side, roosts towards the other side, and that solves most of the issues.

Last note, I know you're working with a budget but also take into considering how hard or easy this might be to clean. A coop you can stand up in is so much easier to clean out, a design like this, you're going to have to bend over, lean in, and poke around with a rake in the corners to get bedding out. That may or may not be an issue for you, but it's something to think about.

 

[booth2010]

So to nitpick this design... I'd definitely add more ventilation for starters, even if you can't add additional windows there's roof vents, under eave vents, and maybe even doing the door in mesh would help add more airflow which is important in a hotter climate.--- I am putting a metal roof without plywood so it will be able to vent from the top, but I was thinking about doing maybe the top 1/3 of the door screen and also the tops of the walls at the front and back open with screens to add ventilation. With the windows, the roof that isn't sealed and the door I am hoping it will be enough ventilation. I also saw a $70 solar attic fan that's only made for like 500sqft that I could add to draw air out to create flow.

Also sizewise this 4x6 coop is not going to happily hold 10-12 as they claim. Recommended space is 4 sq ft per chicken minimum so this is a 6 chicken coop unless you expand it a little (4x8?). And the double banks of nest boxes are unnecessary. For your 8 chickens 3 nest boxes is plenty. So do a 4x8 version with 3 nest boxes on one side, roosts towards the other side, and that solves most of the issues.---- I was also thinking this. I was thinking of making it 5x6 which would be 2sqft short of the 4sqft each but if I change the direction of it I could probably get away with making it 4x8 and still keeping it hidden behind my garage.

Last note, I know you're working with a budget but also take into considering how hard or easy this might be to clean. A coop you can stand up in is so much easier to clean out, a design like this, you're going to have to bend over, lean in, and poke around with a rake in the corners to get bedding out. That may or may not be an issue for you, but it's something to think about.--- I thought of this too, I am 6' so cleaning this would be a little difficult. I am still looking for other designs to build, but if I get too large or too fancy the County will probably force me to pull a permit. I think with this design I could get away with calling it a "playhouse" and they wouldn't make me pull a permit.

Thanks for the input!

 

[aart]

still keeping it hidden behind my garage.

Why do you need to hide it?

 

[JDN]

Your in Florida. A three sided shelter is all you need. I would look for "lean to" plans off the back of the garage. Or sink 4-6 fenceposts, and attach siding to three sides and the roof, and welded wire on the front. Put the roosts halfway back so nothing could reach in if it wanted to.

You are overthinking things. I know I did, I way overthought housing them when I should have looked bigger picture at the run, I'd have saved a lot of time and $$$.

 

[booth2010]

Why do you need to hide it?

I don't want to have to pull a permit to build it . Living in Florida just about every structure needs a permit due to winds from hurricanes. Really the only structures that don't need permits are those small plastic Rubbermaid storage buildings that are like 2'x4', playhouses for kids, and swing sets / jungle gyms.

 

[booth2010]

Your in Florida. A three sided shelter is all you need. I would look for "lean to" plans off the back of the garage. Or sink 4-6 fenceposts, and attach siding to three sides and the roof, and welded wire on the front. Put the roosts halfway back so nothing could reach in if it wanted to.

You are overthinking things. I know I did, I way overthought housing them when I should have looked bigger picture at the run, I'd have saved a lot of time and $$$.

Believe it or not I have scrapped this whole plan and created my own design last night basically doing what you described. I am going to put 3 4x4s at 8' high in the front spread 4ft apart to make it 8' wide and 3 4x4s at 6' high in the back spaced the same. I will easily be able to walk in an do anything I need, I am 6' flat so even standing against the back wall I would only need to lean my head down a bit. Then I will add a "lean-to" that is 7'x9' (3 of my metal roof sheets cover this dimension is why its sized like that) so that there is some overhang as the coop dimensions will be 4x8. The rear wall will be fully closed and the nesting boxes will go on it and the left wall will be fully closed and there will be 2 4' roost bars to the left of the coop. The front, door, and right side will be welded wire with 2"x4" openings. The coop will now be 32sqft allowing 4sqft per chicken.

My "run" is going to be the whole corner behind my garage which is about 1800sqft with a 5' fence going around the perimeter. I shouldn't need to cover it but if I do I will section off a smaller area to cover.