Critique our Coop!

[TheGnomesMom]

My husband and I are building our first coop for our first chickens and so far, we're kind of winging it. Everything seems to be coming together nicely, but since it's our first coop - I would love to make sure we aren't making any huge mistakes. Electricity, water, cable, and internet aren't an option for our girls but if you think there is something else we are missing, let us know!

We are replacing some of our old fence panels and using them to make our coop. We still need to add a wall, another door, and some of the hardware cloth. I still am not sure where we're going to put roosts and the nesting boxes either since we've really just been winging it!

It's a multi level coop, and these are the interior floors (we still need to cut an access hole for the top floor). Should we caulk the gaps and then prime & paint?

The coops final destination in our yard (we needed to move it before it got too heavy for me to help my husband move it).



We weren't going to do anything on the bottom but apparently the word got out that we have chickens and we found our first snake in the backyard this week. It was HUGE so we figured that the hardware cloth would be a good insurance policy for our babies. We covered the overlaps so their little toes don't get stuck or hurt. There will be one smaller door that opens to the coop (the top two floors) and then a people size door to the right in the run. I would like to be able to access the eggs from the door on the left (so I can't put the nesting boxes on the back).



The left side of the coop is done! We were going for A LOT of ventilation because it gets really hot here in the summer.



The door for the enclosed hen house.

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We currently have 7 chickens, I think our ultimate goal is 6 (at least two of ours are shaping up to be roosters, maybe four). The run area is 5ft x 3ft and the enclosed hen house is 3 levels that are 30" x 3ft. Anyway, would love some tips and observations if you've got the time!

 

[warmseth]

I would suggest that at 15 square foot of run area you are on the small side for 6 chickens (figuring about 4 square feet per bird). And the hen house too is on the small side. Your yard looks huge. Go BIG!

 

[TheGnomesMom]

I would suggest that at 15 square foot of run area you are on the small side for 6 chickens (figuring about 4 square feet per bird). And the hen house too is on the small side. Your yard looks huge. Go BIG!

Oh, they are only going to be in this at night. Their "run" will be our entire fenced 1/3 of an acre yard. We will probably add another run off the front of the coop in case they need to be penned for some reason, and that will be a minimum of 10'X60'.

I was wondering about the hen house but it's almost 27sf...

 

[TheGnomesMom]

Anyone? I'm now starting to seriously stress about th floors, I don't want mites and buggies so would love advice on how to avoid that. Also the walls are fence pickets so there are very small gaps, should we cover those or caulk them (we're in North TX so it doesnt get much colder than 30ish at the coldest)? I have updated pictures since we got a lot done today, will post soon.

 

[chfite]

I would not try to caulk all the seams between the lumber in the floors. It might be better overall to get some linoleum to cover that.

With a reasonable roof, the gaps in the walls should not be a problem. Consider it built-in ventilation.

Hope this helps.

Chris

 

[furbabymum]

I like that it blends in with the fence. lol

 

[Nsampsel]

I wouldn't worry about caulking everything, but maybe consider a tarp that can drop down over part of the ventilation areas in winter. That's a lot of ventilation for 30F. Also, even if you aren't doing this in summer, add some extra straw or hay for winter bedding for them to snuggle down into if they so choose. This probably isn't necessary in summer unless that is your regular bedding material of choice.

The run is pretty small for that many chickens, but they can free-range in the yard as you said, plus you already have a back-up plan for additional run space.

The only thing I would note is that you will want to put 1 or 2 roost bars on each level of your coop. That way your chickens have room to spread out in the heat or snuggle together in the cold as they so choose.

I couldn't figure a way to attach my roosts to the inside of my coop with the way mine were constructed either, so I made free-standing roosts that I could take out for cleaning (I have a 2 story coop too), or move from 1 level to another if I needed to keep some birds out of 1 area in the case of a broody. I don't have a hole between my 2 levels is the only real difference I see here. I basically have 2 stacked coops, each with their own access door, person door, roosts & nest boxes. 1 sits at ground level & the chicks just hop in, the other has a ramp going up to it.

 

[KimKimWilliamso]

Have you considered any type of roofing/cover for the closed in run, in case they want to be out during a wamr rain fall? Looks neat, would love to see the finished product.

 

[TheGnomesMom]

I wouldn't worry about caulking everything, but maybe consider a tarp that can drop down over part of the ventilation areas in winter. That's a lot of ventilation for 30F. Also, even if you aren't doing this in summer, add some extra straw or hay for winter bedding for them to snuggle down into if they so choose. This probably isn't necessary in summer unless that is your regular bedding material of choice.

The run is pretty small for that many chickens, but they can free-range in the yard as you said, plus you already have a back-up plan for additional run space.

The only thing I would note is that you will want to put 1 or 2 roost bars on each level of your coop. That way your chickens have room to spread out in the heat or snuggle together in the cold as they so choose.

I couldn't figure a way to attach my roosts to the inside of my coop with the way mine were constructed either, so I made free-standing roosts that I could take out for cleaning (I have a 2 story coop too), or move from 1 level to another if I needed to keep some birds out of 1 area in the case of a broody. I don't have a hole between my 2 levels is the only real difference I see here. I basically have 2 stacked coops, each with their own access door, person door, roosts & nest boxes. 1 sits at ground level & the chicks just hop in, the other has a ramp going up to it.

Oh freestanding roosts are BRILLIANT! I think we'll do that. We've made lots of progress, will try to get some more pictures up tonight.

 

[TheGnomesMom]

I would not try to caulk all the seams between the lumber in the floors. It might be better overall to get some linoleum to cover that.

With a reasonable roof, the gaps in the walls should not be a problem. Consider it built-in ventilation.

Hope this helps.

Chris

Totally helps. I was thinking that with the ventilation but I wasn't quite sure