Coop design idea

[Spicy]

This is the design I'm thinking of. I want about 6 hens, which I think so be an easy number to start with. I'm also going to be planning a run for them too. The back will be where they can rost (sp) and than they'll have the laying box in the further back. They'll have a fenced in area to hang when their not in the run. I'm thinking of venting on the sides for ventilation. The side will open for cleaning. The lid for the nesting box will open from the top for egg picking and cleaning. The bottom will be fenced too to stray off predators from digging in or the chickens from digging out.

I'm new at this so slowly learning. And yes I know I need beams across the middle for more support.

 

[iwiw60]

This is the design I'm thinking of. I want about 6 hens, which I think so be an easy number to start with. I'm also going to be planning a run for them too. The back will be where they can rost (sp) and than they'll have the laying box in the further back. They'll have a fenced in area to hang when their not in the run. I'm thinking of venting on the sides for ventilation. The side will open for cleaning. The lid for the nesting box will open from the top for egg picking and cleaning. The bottom will be fenced too to stray off predators from digging in or the chickens from digging out.

I'm new at this so slowly learning. And yes I know I need beams across the middle for more support.

A-frame style coops end up being very cramped for adult hens. Remember that hens require a minimum of 2-4 sq.ft. in the coop, and 4-8 sq.ft. in their run. So if you have 6 hens they will need at least 24 sq.ft. not only for health reasons but for less squabbling. See, with an A-frame style you are cutting off roominess the entire top half. Plus by the time you get roost bar(s), nesting boxes, feeders and waterers in there...well, you get the picture!

What size are you planning on? Specify how much will be devoted to coop and how much will be devoted to run. I'm unsure from your post. Will this A-frame be raised off the ground?

 

[Spicy]

This is just an idea for right now of what I thinking about making. The A frame will be on the ground. the run will be squared off and large. I can always go another route if need be. I'm still doing thinking and drawings. I can turn the whole A gram into just the coop and add on. I'm still looking through pictures and such for ideas.

 

[Indoroowet]

This is the design I'm thinking of. I want about 6 hens, which I think so be an easy number to start with. I'm also going to be planning a run for them too. The back will be where they can rost (sp) and than they'll have the laying box in the further back. They'll have a fenced in area to hang when their not in the run. I'm thinking of venting on the sides for ventilation. The side will open for cleaning. The lid for the nesting box will open from the top for egg picking and cleaning. The bottom will be fenced too to stray off predators from digging in or the chickens from digging out.

I'm new at this so slowly learning. And yes I know I need beams across the middle for more support.

Triangular design is the easiest to create, my opinion ...
But ...
Go by the minimum requirements, per hen, for space and ventilation.
Each hen needs a minimum amount of space to roam around in,
on the bottom of the coop.
Then they need a perch to sleep on that sits higher than the top of the door,
so it is not drafty where they sleep.
The perch length has to be at least 2 feet per hen in length if only one perch available.
Make sure there is a flat part on top of the perch a bit bigger than the foot print of the hens.
So, 2 x 4 or 1 x 4 is OK (the *4* on top).
At least 1 square foot per hen for ventilation opening.
The ventilation openings should NOT be at *hen head height* but higher, again not to create a draft !
Nesting boxes, at least one for every 3 hens (so I am told).
They need to be lower than the perches, less they will sleep and poop in it.
(personal experience, solved by automatic door on nesting box).

So,
the height of the coop should be ,
two hen heights, plus two hen heights for the sleeping on perches area.
The space where they sleep should be at least 2 feet in any direction to give them the space they need.
Go from this to create the minimum triangular size.

I also have a two hen height space underneath coop where their food and water is.
The base of the coop is thus also their shade area during the day.

For a run, again go for the minimum running space they need per hen.
Since you end up with a base width of something for your triangular design, just add more triangular area to the coop that is on ground level and rather long to give them some running space.
Mine is 6 foot wide and about 25 feet long now.

Somewhere if you read my posts, you can find some cross sections of what my coop is like, but it is not to scale.
I have built it for 4 hens, now only have 3, but plan to add 3 more next year, so I can just lengthen their sleeping area.
Just double up on what I have now.

The main door from the sleeping area, to the run, does have an automatic door, controlled by a *fully automatic car antenna*.
Very simple circuitry to control it. NO fancy solid state stuff, which many do not understand anyway.

The prevailing wind is against the nesting box area (on the other side of the run)
I can add plastic sheets on three sides to stop cold winds from blowing into the feeding area in winter.

All of the above compiled from suggestions provided by other posters, and slow but sure incorporated into my coop built. !

I can post sketches (not to scale) of what I have.
Just ask.

 

[Spicy]

Thanks, I've decided on a play house like design so its mistaken as a play house, personal reasons. But I will definitely take all into consideration. I have it more drawn out. It's a 4x4 floor. I'm slowly working on since it won't 've finished till spring and I have surgery next month. So I'm not in a hurry. I'll post a pic in another topic are of the sketches.

 

[LanceTN]

I suggest designing one like mine, just smaller.

The front wall is 4ft tall and the back wall is 3ft tall. This gives a few cost saving benefits. First, you can get two wall studs out of one 8ft 2x4. Second, you don't need to actually build roof trusses.

All the square footage inside is usable by the chickens, it's not a complete pain for me to get inside of and it was easy to build.