Coop plan ideas

[jsdeslidingh]

Hey all! I've been reading day in and out absorbing all the info I can. I've seen so many awesome coops! Right now my 6 EEs have a tiny, simple, bare bones hand me down coop. I am evidently addicted to chickens cuz they are all I can think about and I have about fretted myself to death over the eggs into bator(total different story.
Ok, so,my husband works out of town and I work at our local high school in special ed...I have few carpentry skills and cannot rely on my hubby to lend his skills to my new coop desire. So, I purchased one of those pre fab storage building/barns which will become the "chicken house" for all things chicken! (Lol,see, I'm chicken crazy!)
I want to divide the coop into 3 sections...on the left, a coop for my EEs and on the right an identical coop for Marans(granted they hatch). Each coop will be 6x10. With a 4x10 section in the center for brooding, feed storage and chicken necessities.
First question, will this be a big enough area? Floor to ceiling height is 8'.
Second, interior design ideas? Preferably with pics(to show my dad, who will be carpenter for this undertaking).
And how about any and all dos and donts as far as what works, or doesn't, some absolute must haves, and of course the don't dares.
I've already decided that the DLM will be the easiest and best route for me, I'm putting vinyl flooring on top of the wood floor to prevent any degradation of the wood, and I also am gonna copy(hopefully without upsetting) the pics in another thread about the Sweet PDZ tray under the roosts....other than than, I'm not sure where to start.

 

[jonalisa]

Hey there, I am just starting out too, but have been researching for about 8 months. Here are some pointers I've collected:

* Read up on ventilation. You will need more than you think. There is benefit in placement. Know about this and work it into your design. It will affect other things like roost placement.
* Roosts should be higher than the nests to prevent the ladies from sleeping (and thus pooping) in the nest boxes.
* Roughly 1 nest box per 3 chickens, although most chickens don't get this memo and pig pile in the same one.
* If using the DLM, make sure you make the poop door and nest boxes high enough so they aren't below the litter.
* Ventilation is a top priority, but make sure there isn't a direct draft on the roost.
* A slanted roof/board (vs a level one) over the nests will prevent the ladies from perching/pooping there.
* Remember that any type of level area- shelves or ledges- will be perched on and thus pooped on.
* You may want to place nests under, instead of facing, any windows to give them a nice dark area in which to lay. That said, consider having the nests' back side face, and be accessible from, the middle section, so you can collect eggs without entering either coop.
* If painting the inside, do so with mites in mind and try to get most of the cracks and crevices.
* One rule of thumb for chicken space is 4 sq ft/bird in the coop.
* Make sure you have a big enough door for cleaning out the coop. Or carrying in a dog crate, for example.
* If you have windows that open, be sure to cover them with hardware cloth to keep predators out.
* 2x4s as roosts with the long side up and edges sanded will allow chickens a comfortable perch and they can sit on their feet to keep them warm in cold weather.

Well, that's off the top of my head. Good luck and post pictures!