Dividing coop space?

[fullhouse]

We are really cheating and having a shed built and using it as the new coop. Dh is NOT handy and I can't jugle power tools and 5 kids at the same time

My question, should I divide the shed (8x10, 9 feet high) somehow so when I open the door the chickens are behind chicken wire? I want them to have plenty of space and be safe.

 

[thechickenchick]

I don't think you would need to. Ours is about that size. We will have a total of 20 birds. How many birds do you plan on putting in there?

 

[fullhouse]

Quote:
About 18 depending on how my chicks turn out. We have 6 hens and several chicks brooding downstairs. I think my "straight run special" is quite a few girls actually. We can always use more eggs

 

[Chirpy]

Don't feel bad at all about having your coop built. Be happy that you can! There's no such thing as cheating if you're getting chickens out of it.

We divided our hen house into two separate areas: A people side where we can walk in and open the nest boxes to get the eggs without the chickens being able to get onto that side.
And the other side is, of course, for the chickens. There is a door into the chicken side that just has chicken wire on it (not predator proof but it's inside the hen house so that is predator proof) so that I can get in to fill their feeder and waterer and clean.

The biggest two reasons we chose to have a divided coop is 1) so that we could get our eggs from inside, thus not having to stand outside in freezing, bitter, cold, snowy or raining weather and 2) so that if the kids accidentally (and they have) leave open the nest boxes the chickens can only get onto the secure people side and not outside where my dogs could get them.

It is a personal decision on which way to build your coop. Others will give you their reasons for building the way they did. You need to decide what works best for you and do it!

Here a some pictures of mine - just to give you ideas.
The first picture is looking into the 'people' door into the coop. The door into the chicken side is immediately in on the right - it isn't there yet in this picture.

This is with the top nest box door shut...

This is with the top nest box door open...

Have lots of fun...

 

[rhetoric]

Hmmmmmmmmmm.
That's a good idea. I was thinking about an outside nesting door but I didn't like the idea of it mussing up the sweet lines on my yet to be built coop. And winter in Rochester isn't what you might call "mild" so collecting eggs out of the wind is very appealing. I was already planning a 4x4 corner of my 8x12coop for feed and such, so this just might be the ticket. Indoor egg collection, but not in the coop. Hmmmmmmmmmm.

byc rules

 

[thechickenchick]

Boy! That is a geat idea! Ok so I guess the answer is you don't have to seperate, but.... I wonder if hubby would do a remodel!! Just kidding!!(Thats in case he reads this!!)

 

[fullhouse]

I love the idea of walking in for eggs! Thank you!

I really wanted to build my own bigger coop. Maybe I can build the next bigger coop, lol!

 

[chickiemom9]

Hi, I am very new to this chicken raising thing and I have soo many questions . Let' s make the first question easy. I live in central Arkansas, it is not to cold at night here, and I am the proud mom of 4 Orpington and 5 Americana 2 week old chicks. I bought a Chick-N-Hutch and thought that it would be plenty big enough for the girls, but at 2 weeks they are already crowded and flying all over it. They love to use the roosting pole already and sit on top of the water jar. The lady at the feed store assured me that they would have plenty of room to stay in it for 5 or 6 weeks but I don't think so. My question is the little coop is in the big shed/coop that they will live in so in another week can I just throw shavings all over the floor, hang the light that is on them now and pen off a bigger corner for them and let them grow? The coop is insulated and sealed outside in all the cracks and holes. It does have one 6 foot section in the ceiling with fiberglass roof panels that let alot of light in and keeps it warm for them. It is very secure and predator proof. I plan on getting a bigger water and feed holder for them and sit them up on 2x4s off the shavings to keep them a little cleaner. So do you think it would be okay to give them a little freedom aand room to grow? Thanks for taking time to read this and give a new mom some help with her babies.

 

[patandchickens]

An additional advantage of an internal divider, aside from preventing escapes, is that it gives you a convenient poo-free area to store supplies (feed, extra bedding, cleaning utensils, and all the whatnots that you would otherwise have to run back to the garage for every time you needed them -- grit, oyster shell, rags, simple first aid supplies, a fire extinguisher if you have electric run to the coop, etc).

If it were me and the coop had ample floor room for the chickens, I would probably go ahead and do the divider, making as small a storage area/entryway/egg collection area as seemed like it would be comfortable. If you have the coop door open outwards, and the interior door open in towards the chickens (the sill elevated 12-18" above the floor so's not to get jammed in bedding - the only disadvantage is it prevents putting a wheelbarrow thru), the area can actually be fairly small.

BUT, I would build it in so that the interior 'wall' (chicken wire) was very easy to remove in case I sprouted more chickens in the future and wanted that coop space back

JMO,

Pat

 

[Chirpy]

chickiemom9 - I believe your chicks are plenty old enough to let them have more space. It's actually healthier for them to have more space ... they are far less likely to start feather picking on each other.

As long as they still have a warm area (and it sounds like you've got it all under control) then let em at it!