Coop design

[Fresh Eggs]

Hello,


After looking around, I have the coop plans:


It will be 7 feet wide by 8 feet long. The highest point of the roof is five feet, the lowest point will be four. 2 by 4's will be lining the outside bottom of the coop to keep it off the ground. Any thoughts welcome...

 

[tackyrama]

Sounds good but basic. What if any floor do you intend. Many predators can easily dig under and into your coop. Be sure to have good ventilation for keeping it dry. Chickens can stand the cold but not cold & humidity. Check our my site: https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=14471-coop-layout
Might give you some ideas. Good luck!

 

[ozark hen]

welcome

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Sounds fine in general

Have you thought about how you will apply plywood or other 4x8'-sheet material to the coop and its roof, as you may find yourself wanting to alter the dimensions a little to make things come out more neatly and save yourself a LOT of labor and wasted material.

Also, I'm not clear on your foundation and floor - is this going to be a wood or dirt floor? If wood, it will need to be raised a foot off the ground otherwise you will have rot and dampness problems (yes, even with pressure-treated lumber and plywood) as well as a rodent haven underneath there. If dirt floored, consider a stronger foundation than 2x4's, both for predatorproofing and to ensure the long-term structural integrity of the coop.

Have fun,

Pat

 

[waynesgarden]

My small coop has openings that let me reach almost any part while standing outside. I seldom have to go inside, even to clean, which is good because I'm unable to stand up in it.

Your coop is three feet deeper than mine and I wonder if you will regret having such a low ceiling.

Wayne

 

[Fresh Eggs]

Oh,


Sorry, the floor will be plywood that will be stained, then linolium will be placed on top of it for easy cleaning...

 

[Renee]

Hi Fresh Eggs,
Mine is five feet tall at the door and I whack my head on it every time I go in.
I think you may want to go to six feet tall unless you are very short.
Six feet tall is nice because you can cut 2x4x12's in half.
Why 8x7? Is the seven foot depth so that you can have six inches of roof overhang from an 8 foot piece of plywood?

 

[Fresh Eggs]

Lol, I did not consider that I am 6'1!!! I was aiming for a coop that has a slightly narrower width, and a bigger length, hence 7x8. I saw a very cool uk coop on the web that was designed like that. Six feet high on the peak, 5 on the bottom sounds good.



Fresh Eggs

 

[cmom]

I'm sure you have given it plenty of thought. I currently have two coops and am in the planning stages for a third and much larger coop. I don't know how many birds you plan on but make the coop as big as you can. I made my covered run 4 ft high. When I make the new run It will be 6 ft high.