Coop ideas?

[Nevaschickens]

We are going to get 4 Buff Orpington hens. So a small coop with nesting boxes (obviously) we have the brooder ready to go for when they arrive. Any ideas? We are up for buying and building. Any coop ideas will be helpful. We are new bees just ordered our chicks this afternoon they are coming in, in about a month. Cant wait!!!!!

 

[Queen Bee]

Check out the 'coop' section of the forum... Tons of pictures, plans and ideas--great information.. Enjoy your girls.

 

[johari]

Sift through all of these posts. I've changed my coop and run plans several times over after i learned things on here. There are some really great ideas here.

 

[newburt]

The first thing to get together is a brooder. You dont need a lot of space for 4 chicks so I would say almost anything would work. I go by 1/2 of a square foot per chick for the first 3-4 weeks. If you are going to build a stationary coop you need a 4x 10 run or anything that equals 40 square feet to meet the 10square feet per chicken requirements that most people say are necessary. The coop itself can go from simple to elaborate whatever you want and whatever you want to spend. the requirements are adequate ventilation, adequate space, adequate nesting options ( one nest box is plenty for 4 hens). You need about 12 square feet of coop space for 4 hens to meet the 3 square feet per chicken requirements that I read about. I have tractor coops which can possibly cut down on the square footage required because the coop moves every day and sanitation is not an issue and they get to graze fresh grass daily. this is my favorite option because of the health issues of the chickens. Grazing them on grass cuts down on the amount of exposure to the usual coop and run elements and parasites, but still doesnt guarantee that a chicken will be in perfect health . You will need roost poles, nest box, and good ventilation so the fumes dont build up in the summertime inside the coop. the access to the coop is also important. I know its not elaborate, but this is my simple 4x8 tractor coop. I love these coops and they are easy to maintain, but you have to keep them moving. GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!