Coop design

[cobra2411]

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This is my chicken scratch drawing of my coop design. Pun intended...

After many failed starts I'm getting 6 day old pullets in May, so I have a little time to tweak this design but I'm pretty happy overall.

Overall dimensions are 4'x6' for a nominal sq-ft interior space. The drawing is not to scale but close enough to get the idea. I'm going to have an enclosed 6'x8' run that will be approximately 6' high. Add to that the 4'x6' space under the coop and I'm at 72 sq-ft for outside space.

I want to do deep litter but I also wanted to have space under the coop for shelter from the rain and sun. I think this is a good compromise that can still be cleaned effectively. I'm planning for the roof to hinge on the front and the back panel to drop down so the edge is about 32-34" above the ground. The bottom section of the rear wall will be approximately 12" high on the inside. The only opening below this point will be the cleanout door on the left side. The coop will sit 18" off the ground for chickens to be able to go under it. I may put some lattice to provide even more shielding from the weather.

The roost isn't shown in the drawings but will be built like a ladder with 2 roost, one high, one low. Each roost will be approximately 42" long and be centered in the coop. The bottom will hook into the permanent wall and the top will rest on the front wall. It will be removable to aid cleaning.

The nesting box for 2 will be on the right side along with the chicken door to the run area. The nesting box will have access from outside to retrieve eggs. On the drawing it's shown as top access, I may add doors and make the top fixed as I'm worried about water leaking in on the chickens while they nest. On the left side there will be a large access door for accessing the food and water and will be hinged to open sideways, as well as a small trap door previously mentioned. For ventalation there will be three windows that are top hinged and vents at the top of the front and back walls. The windows size, shape and location are estimated in the drawings. The left side window will be located in the access door. All the windows will have hardware cloth inside and locks on the outside. The will hinge at the top and I'll use prop rods to keep them open.

The coop will be built with 2x3's mostly using T11 on the exterior. The posts will be 4x4 PT and will sit in concrete deck blocks. The run will be built separately and will attach to the coop to make moving easier but this isn't a true tractor design. I'll probably use vinyl flooring on the bottom of the coop to make cleaning easier. Also not shown in the drawing but will likely be added is trim. I'm thinking about red for the color with white 1-by trim.

Basically I just wanted to share my design and get some feedback on what you all think. Am I missing anything?

David