coop design help

[karagenknight]

Hey everyone im very new here and im looking for some advice on my
coop before i go much further. this will be a home for 5 standard
chickens. I am building a mobile triangle coop off of this design -
http://www.ranch-coop.com/large-chicken-coop-B.html . My base is 4 ft
by 8 ft by 4ft tall. i plan to leave the sides completely open filled
with 1/2 in hardware cloth and line the bottom with one or 2 layers of
chicken wire to stop any digging. In the colder months I will block
off most of the sides with clear plastic roof panels to reduce drafts
while letting light in leaving a foot of the top open for ventilation.
The plan is to give them 2 nest boxes (not sure where to put them
since i read they needed "raised off the ground a few inches but lower
then the lowest roost") and several roosts (large tree limbs from my
yard) leaving the bottom open to the grass/ chicken wire. I will be
letting the chickens range when i am home and they and their coop will
be inside a chain link fence.

I live in northeastern ohio and it gets pretty cold here so i would
like to know if you think this design will allow the chickens enought
space when they dont want to venture into the yard and if i am
providing adiquate amenities for them? Do they need a floor or shelves
to rest on or will they be alright with roosting polls? if the bottom
is "open" will they need bedding? oh and i know they will need a dust
box to bathe in. Sorry for the crazy post just want to be sure my
chicks are happy from day one. Here's where I'm at I get my day old chicks in 2 weeks so excited!

 

[thomasboyle]

Looks like you are off to a good start. You might want to consider having some solid walls for the chickens. They often like a quiet, peaceful area to rest and sleep, and a coop that is completely open may make them feel too exposed. I would add triangle shaped walls at the peak of the coop, and have the roosting bar(s) located there so they can sleep in peace.

Since you live in a northern climate with snow in winter, you may want to provide more indoor space than you have planned. You could expand the coop easily by raising it up 18". Make the bottom 18" open air (fenced in with hardware wire), and then put a floor on the bottom of the current coop and enclose it. A ramp would let the chickens go from the ground level to the coop level. You will also need space to hang a feeder and waterer, and you could hang them from the floor, so when the chickens are on the ground level, they have access to food and water.

Keep posting pictures, and good luck!

 

[cbtask123]

This is a great start!

Here, you can find tips and tricks to help you build a really great chicken coop.

 

[11mini]

Seems kind of small for 5 birds - I have 3 in a 3x10 run (30sq ft) yours is only 4x8 (32sq ft). They might be too crowded.

 

[karagenknight]

so I took everyones advise and raised the coop. I will be adding the floor and walls as soon as I can get the hardware cloth installed. The bottom section is already covered in chicken wire to keep out and diggers.
In the mean time I Got My Chicks

I have two golden buffs, a buff brahma, a bared rock and 2 mystery chicks!

Heres one of my mystery babies
And heres the other one not sure what the grey one is. I'm hoping its a blue orpington

 

[JordanWalker]

I just found this thread and I know that it's a bit too late, but I am still excited to see your coop design. So how was your experience in raising your chickens?