Coop Plans/Ideas/Advice!

[hokankai]

So we'll be building a coop while our chicks are brooding these next few weeks, and I wanted to know how many chickens it would fit and if you guys had any advice for us! We are major chicken newbies, even though I've read BOTH Storey's GUide to Chickens and Raising Chickens for Dummies and been cruising around my forums asking for advice, haha. Anyway, our coop is based off of the Garden Coop plans, but modified to add onto the run as well as more than double the size of the hen house (from 3x6x3 to 6x6x4). Any advice is welcome, but here are my rough designs. We buy our materials this week, so time to get to work!

yes the run is completely covered with wire mesh, the roof is more of a rain/weather guard

We are aiming for 6-9 layers, but I'm afraid of losing some since it's my first time brooding so we're wondering if aiming around 9 chicks is okay?

Thanks

 

[CoyoteMagic]

you can have 9 max but depending on where you live. If you are in a cold area where they will be staying in the coops more in the winter, I would only go with 6

 

[hokankai]

Hmm, at what temperature during winter do they need to spend more time in the coop? We are in the Pacific Northwest and it rarely gets below the 30s at the lowest during a bad winter.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

lots of freezing weather, heavy snow. My chickens don't come out if there is even a dusting

 

[Tigerjane]

This is pretty much the exact same design that I plan on using! What program did you use to draw this up? I have 5 weeks to get a coop & run built - so PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE keep sharing how it goes with building for you! I have no idea what I'm doing, but trying to fumble my way along, so I can use all the help I can get

 

[hokankai]

This is pretty much the exact same design that I plan on using! What program did you use to draw this up? I have 5 weeks to get a coop & run built - so PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE keep sharing how it goes with building for you! I have no idea what I'm doing, but trying to fumble my way along, so I can use all the help I can get smile

LOL trust me I have NO idea what I'm doing either, haha. I started off with plans/building instructions for the Garden Coop from here: http://www.thegardencoop.com/ but decided it wasn't as big as I thought as I studied more about chickens, so I modified it by adding a 3x6 section onto the run and the henhouse, as well as making the henhouse taller and the run underneath it shorter. We have about 7 weeks and hopefully will be starting it this week by getting supplies. I'll definitely keep a little "coop log" haha

Also, I just used Mac Paintbrush to do the diagrams. They aren't exact scale...but you get the basic idea

 

[Tigerjane]

Has having the plans been helpful? I'm torn if I should buy plans or just wing it. I'm such an amateur that I don't even know if I could follow specific plans - might get too complicated, lol. I've been drawing these horrible sketches, and trying to explain what they mean to my husband, who also has no construction experience. We know we need 2x4's, screws w/ washers, 1/2in hardware cloth, plywood, tar paper, shingles, exterior paint, and plastic bins as nest boxes. Maybe some stick-on linoleum for the floor of the coop, and we're planning on using construction sand for the run, since I'm super picky retentive about cleanliness and smells and plan on scooping everyday - yippee

We're also going to check out the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store to see if they have anything we can use. I'd love to have nice touches like moldings and beadboard and siding. Looking forward to more pictures as you post them!

 

[hokankai]

We haven't started yet, but the plans are VERY clear and has a ton of pictures for help. I actually love these coop plans because they make expanding and modifying very easy. I'm actually considering expanding it MORE and making the whole henhouse 6x6x6 just for ease of cleaning. I'd also make the run another section bigger. Gosh I think I'm doing more work constructing a concrete plan than anything else

 

[Gypsi]

Plans might have come in handy when I was building mine, but since I sized it according to the scrap wood in the garage, or whether or not I would have to cut the wood to size, I have an awful lot of 8 ft lengths in mine, by virtue of the length wood is sold in. Run height is 6 ft except for the roofed area, pics on my page..

Given a choice, if I had money for plans, or money for a guy to help me, I'd spend on the guy for helping. It was a lot of work, tore my carpal tunnel syndrome up, with just my grandkids helping.

On the other hand, I only spent a total, including birds and food, of about $300. Still haven't decided whether to do paint, siding or shingles on the side walls of the hen house, am considering it, but it will depend on what materials are available when I am ready, and I will hit Craigslist, Freecycle and the Habitat for Humanity resale shop. With rain scarce in summer, and a roofed area that went up at the beginning out of some old tin I had around, I was able to do mine in stages. I am about ready to paint all the bare wood, finally, now that I think it is all in a final position. But it will be raining this week, and I think I'm going to splurge on a paint sprayer in August so I can do my house's framing too. Should be fine until then.

Good luck with your projects!