Coop Design Project

[Mattypatty]

I am in high school, and i had this idea of designing chicken coops and selling the plans online. I want to target a specific niche but I don’t know what niche.

I feel something like this would be fun and be helpful to college applications.

 

[saysfaa]

I've seen several people looking for plans for Prince T Woods open air coops. His books were published in the 1920's so well past copyright issues. Also, they would benefit from some updating - such as using standard lumber sizes and materials.

There are several very old threads on this forum that do quite a bit of the updating to get you started. There is still room for more to be done - different sizes, materials lists, modifications for warm climates. Maybe different materials - metal studs, maybe, or timber framing.

 

[Ted Brown]

@saysfaa suggestion has great merit IMHO (I built the 10' by 16' KD version and am a BIG fan of the design).

https://gnipsel.com/files/chickens/mfaph.pdf (kudos to @jthornton for providing this!!)

I can attest the book contains all information needed to build a 10' x 16' version but his build technique does not reflect modern framing standards and has an emphasis on being cheap and easy to construct.

I have seen build threads of three sizes (6' x 10', 8' x 12' and 10' x 16'). Only the last size is detailed, the others are mentioned in passing in other sections of the book

As suggested, detailed plans with materials lists would benefit those who choose to DIY a coop.

Regarding college applications. If you were to use AI to parse the book for details, do the detail diagrams &instructions and compile the building lists I suspect that it would be more valuable than "simply" doing your own plans for online sales.

Best of luck!

 

[aart]

I am in high school, and i had this idea of designing chicken coops and selling the plans online. I want to target a specific niche but I don’t know what niche.

I feel something like this would be fun and be helpful to college applications.

Do you have any experience keeping chickens?
Your 'niche' might be to design yet another inadequate coop and someone will buy it.

 

[Mattypatty]

Do you have any experience keeping chickens?
Your 'niche' might be to design yet another inadequate coop and someone will buy it.

Yes ive kept chickens for a couple of years and i really enjoy it.

 

[Penpal]

If you read enough threads on this board you will find the worst sin is probably not enough ventilation. Another problem is when the roosts are at different levels, or too close to a wall. You also want it to be easy together the eggs out of the nest from the outside.

 

[aart]

Yes ive kept chickens for a couple of years and i really enjoy it.

Excellent!
So show us your coop, provide dimensions and pics inside and out, and tell us what you like and what you don't.
Some preliminary sketches of the coop plan you want to develop would be good too.