Coop Math

[Chullicken]

With a shed that big, you'll appreciate standing headroom......whether for tools or chickens.

Everyone harps on ventilation...nobody harps enough about the misery of not having a walk in coop and run!

 

[bruceha2000]

@Chullicken

I think those 8x8 sheds have a single door right? Not sure how you split it in half such that he can wheel the lawn mower and snow blower in and you can still get to the chicken half. Would it be possible to add a second door on the other side for coop access?

I also ASSUME that a purchased 8x8 shed is some standard height but agree with @SueT, standing headroom would be mandatory for me.

Also consider where you plan to keep your chicken supplies. Food, bales of shavings, etc

I am not a big fan of ladder roosts. ALL the chickens will want to be as high as they can get. Either the lower rungs will not get used or if there isn't enough space on the highest roost, chickens lower in the pecking order will be forced to sleep low.

 

[Chullicken]

@Chullicken

I think those 8x8 sheds have a single door right? Not sure how you split it in half such that he can wheel the lawn mower and snow blower in and you can still get to the chicken half. Would it be possible to add a second door on the other side for coop access?

I also ASSUME that a purchased 8x8 shed is some standard height but agree with @SueT, standing headroom would be mandatory for me.

Also consider where you plan to keep your chicken supplies. Food, bales of shavings, etc

I am not a big fan of ladder roosts. ALL the chickens will want to be as high as they can get. Either the lower rungs will not get used or if there isn't enough space on the highest roost, chickens lower in the pecking order will be forced to sleep low.

Metal sheds freak me out! I was thinking more so of the wooden double door ones. Probably could do a split wall at the door seal.

 

[bruceha2000]

That would work.

 

[Creteloc]

It's actually a wooden shed that's 6 feet high at the wall and 8 feet high at the peak. It has 2 doors, so we'll split it down the middle at the 8 foot peak. That way, opening the left-hand side won't get a draft into the right-hand chicken coop. Luckily, it won't be opened a lot. During the winter, the snow blower will be in the garage and the lawnmower in the shed, and vice versa in the summer. It'll be more for long-term storage so the chickens won't constantly be bothered.

That means I'll be able to walk into both the coop and the 5ft x 10 ft run. Yay!

 

[Folly's place]

You will be storing the chicken feed and stuff on the other side, right? It's the storage side, and the half for the coop isn't storage. The lawnmower, etc, might not be happy long term covered in dust. Does he know that?
32 sq. ft. will just manage your current flock, with no additions. I'd want the whole shed, or a bigger one!
Mary

 

[Creteloc]

We currently house our chickens in two small resin sheds. Those will now have my chicken feed and supplies in them. The 'other' half will all be his stuff, and he knows it'll be covered in dust and smell like chickens. He seems to think that's ok. I have the oddest back yard. It's HUGE, but only one small 10x10ft area is flat. The rest is a rocky hillside covered in trees that goes down to a stream, so we have one spot for a shed/coop.

We have to share it. I know about chicken math, but I'm out of room to comfortably house chickens, so 7 is my limit. So sad.

 

[Creteloc]

@Chullicken

I am not a big fan of ladder roosts. ALL the chickens will want to be as high as they can get. Either the lower rungs will not get used or if there isn't enough space on the highest roost, chickens lower in the pecking order will be forced to sleep low.

If I were to ditch the ladder type roost, how high would you suggest a horizontal bar to be? I know each chicken needs 10" to roost on average, so 70" of bar space is what I'd need, but how high off the ground? I plan on clipping a wing because I want my chickens to enjoy some time in our back yard without flying off, so they won't be able to go too high. Their new home will be 4' high.

 

[aart]

Are you going to have a run?
A covered run, with solid roof and wind breaks added in winter?
Here's some tips on heights:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/coop-stack-up-how-high-should-stuff-be.73427/

 

[Creteloc]

Are you going to have a run?
A covered run, with solid roof and wind breaks added in winter?
Here's some tips on heights:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/coop-stack-up-how-high-should-stuff-be.73427/

Yes, they have a 5ft x 10ft x 6ft double-decker run that's covered and up against a solid wood fence. The 2nd layer is only on half of the run. It's still being built, so I don't have pictures. I only have 2 adult chickens atm. The other 5 are still only 2-weeks-old so I have time to build all this stuff.