Design Help 10' by 10' foot print.

[cmechilln]

first thank for taking the time to look at my topic.

Second im new to the wonderful world of Chickens. We had one show at the backdoor. Over the past few day watching my 3 yo son laugh at the chickens antics made me realize i have a new hobby.

I have an area that is roughly 10' by 10' feet. Id love to keep 4 - 6 chickens in it. Here is a photo of what im working with. The space has water run to it.

Yes it needs some cleaning up as the old owner of the house was elderly and the area not maintained.

Here is the right side.

left side

Back wall

looking out

I live in San Bernardino CA

The average temps are

100f average in Aug-Sept with a record high of 115f.

40f average in Dec- Jan with a record low of 20f


I dont have a major amount of predarors but we do have a few Hawks, some skunks, a possom or two and cats.


Im looking to utilize the current cinderblock wall as the back of the coop.

Any ideas would be wonderful.

Thanks again.

 

[cmechilln]

Could i Mount the nesting box and root area directly to the cinder block wall in the back?

 

[wava1vaughn]

Hi from Ga. You could do well with what you have in the summer months you could install a fan and misting system inexpensively and you winters don't get cold enough to be a problem.

 

[cmechilln]

Hi wava1vaughn From what ive seen on here so far i could do well in my space. I just dont know where to begin. Hoping maybe i could get a point in the right direction. I currently have a budget of about $300 - $400.

Also thanks for the pointers on heat. I could do both a fan and mist system as electric and water are both near by.

 

[teach1rusl]

It's a nice footprint. I'm not sure what you're looking for though. Will that be the run area with a housing built in??? Are you looking at an open air type design? That would still need a roof - protection from rain/storms...and of course shade for summer.
You will need a secure area for them at night. That might involve closing them into a housing at night. Or if your run is covered w/small mesh wire, that would most likely work as well.
I'm presuming you're not asking if the cinderblock area will work as is???...

ETA - oh...and does that area hold water when it rains???

 

[cmechilln]

Hi teach1rusl,

I would like to build a COOP for them. I am just at a loss as what would be required for my climate. I thought i could fully enclose the roof with tin and mesh wire. Do you think open air fully enclosed is best for my warm climate?

To be honest i feel overwhelmed with all conflicting info i have been getting. The feed store owner said they could take care of themselves and didnt need a coop. Some say that i need to fully enclose at all times.

I will likely be removing the current wood fence as some of it has termites and is falling apart.

It doesnt hold water. It is on a slight slope. so it drains well.

 

[teach1rusl]

The feed store guy is nuts, or perhaps there was a misunderstanding...lol. Chickens should never be left to their own devices if you want them alive for more than a few weeks. Even your basic farm chickens have a barn or shed to go into for protection from the elements and nighttime predators.

You can free range (not use a run/pen). Many do. But even if you freerange during the day, they need a place to be safe from predators at night. Your location sounds okay for an open air type coop (has a roof and - due to a bit of below freezing weather in winter - maybe 2-3 sides). If you could get at least two sides of block evened up, that would help a lot in getting you started. The back wall being the highest, I'd opt for that one and whichever side wall works best for your weather (breezes for summer, hopefully not the same as winter winds). Wire in the rest (even with those two walls) - roof it (can be wire for protection, and tarp over that for element coverage)???? Set-ups like yours make me wish I was there in person to really see what's there to work with...

 

[stretchc1]

Hi,

I agree with teach1rusl: use the back wall as a starting point for a coop that can be secured at night. The coop itself doesn't need to be big or fancy--it might not even need to be totally enclosed (see some of the Southern coops that are more like sheds enclosed in good strong wire mesh)--it just needs a place where they can get up off the ground at night (roost) with a nestbox or two. Look up ventilation on this forum--patandchickens has an amazing info sheet on the importance of good ventilation in the coop. You could even adapt one of the chicken tractor plans for the actual enclosure. As for the run--the rest of the 10x10' space, I would suggest enclosing it in some sturdy wire mesh to keep predators out when you are away from home during the day.

Beyond that, I say focus on shade, shade, shade. I have found that here in Connecticut, my 5 hens can take care of themselves in our long, tough winter (because I followed patandchickens's advice about ventilation in my unheated coop), but I worry about them a lot in the heat of the summer. If you can manage to cover the whole run area with tin or something to make shade, I think you and the chickens will be happier.

It's probably not a bad thing that the wooden fence has to go. If your three year old is enjoying the chickens that much, you might want a fence that you all can see the chickens through without having to actually "join" them inside the enclosure.

Keep us posted on your decisions and progress!

 

[cmechilln]

Great info here. Im going to get to doing some research. I know i have to do alot of this on my own because you're not here to hold my hand. I like the idea of adapting the tractor to my space.

She will be fine in her dog carrier until i figure things out.

 

[Carols Clucks]

I am going to guess the feed store owner meant that the chickens do not need a fully enclosed 4 sided coop.

Heat and ventilation will be bigger issues. You could probably do a 3 sided coop that is more open. I would put the nest boxes where they will be easy to reach from the outside of the coop. I would also raise the "house" part so the chickens can have the shade under it. With the cool cinder block and the shade from the coop, they should like it there on hot days.

Hardware cloth is better protection from raccoon and neighborhood dogs than chicken wire. You might want to use that to make the exterior of your enclosure. I would make it tall enough you can easily walk around in there too.

Good luck and happy hammering