DIY Coop and Run -- Design Feedback

[dvsmith]

I'm about to start construction on a coop and run in our suburban backyard in the Piedmont of North Carolina.

We have 13 standard-size laying birds (well, week-old chicks) that will need a home soon. I've drawn on designs like the The Palace Coop and Carolina Coops to build in dual purpose windows, access doors, and a clean-out door. It will use a shed style roof for ease of construction and will sit on a foundation of buried cinder blocks.

Design inspirations:

• https://steamykitchen.com/20640-the-palace-chicken-coop.html
• https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/carolina-coop-inspired-build.1586320/
• https://heatherbullard.typepad.com/heather_bullard_collectio/2010/03/our-chicken-coop.html (we may build a cabinet under the nesting box)
• https://www.reddit.com/r/BackYardChickens/comments/i103px/designed_and_built_a_coop_based_off_of_the
• https://www.reddit.com/r/BackYardChickens/comments/1agsefw/show_me_your_best_chicken_coops
• https://www.reddit.com/r/BackYardChickens/comments/1agsefw/comment/kom1qy3
• https://www.reddit.com/r/BackYardChickens/comments/w8l1sg/chicken_coop_build

The coop will be 6'x8' with a 8'x20' run and 7 (or 6) nesting boxes. (We have friends who raise chickens -- one farmer with a 40-hen tractor, a musician with 4 buffs in a flat-pack commercial coop, and a teacher with a lot of hens in a large coop and run that she's built over the years. We've consulted them on coop size). We plan to use the deep litter method and 1/2" hardware cloth on all openings, including the soffit blocks.

I have (amateur) construction experience and am leaning on that. Am I over-building the structure? (We do get hurricanes from time to time)

Please have at it with feedback and suggestions.

Designed in sketchup, I've left the siding off for clarity.

White = framing lumber (2"x4" and 2"x6") | Wood texture = Pressure treated lumber (4"x4" and 2"x4") | Yellow = 2"x2"

 

[wrathsfarm]

Your pushing the limit on square footage at 6 x 8= 48 sqft. 13 birds @ 4 sq is 52 sqft. No room for chicken math.
8x8 would set you closer and easier to work with standard lumber lengths.

Just a thought...

 

[rosemarythyme]

You want at least one (if not more) of the run panels under the coop to be either a door or removable, as there's no practical way to access the entire underside from the run side only. Expect sick or scared birds to crawl under there, eggs to be accidentally laid there, etc. so make it as easy as possible to access.

 

[dvsmith]

I've revised the design to expand the coop to 8x8', raise the run door and nesting boxes to 12" off the floor in order to better suit the deep litter method, make the run into 6' modules, and revise the front door design.

 

[dvsmith]

You want at least one (if not more) of the run panels under the coop to be either a door or removable, as there's no practical way to access the entire underside from the run side only. Expect sick or scared birds to crawl under there, eggs to be accidentally laid there, etc. so make it as easy as possible to access.

I'll probably make the two deepest corners into doors on the north- and south-facing sides (the coop is oriented east-west lengthwise)

 

[dvsmith]

Second revision. (I redesigned the nesting box hutch and the front doors)

 

[Penpal]

I would want the door to the nests to be in the front, vertical. This makes it easier to clean out the nests, and you won't have the door in the way. You have it so you have to use one hand to hold the lid open.

I would also have overhangs of two feet to better shade the run and coop windows during sunshine, and better keep rain out.

 

[dvsmith]

Thanks for the feedback!

The nesting box door is a vertical drop front (I just didn't model the non-opening roof of the box).

The cleanout and access doors are a Carolina Coop style arrangement on the north side of the coop, with a drop door on the south side of the coop, to be able to push/wash bedding out.

I will evaluate the roof overhangs once I have the walls up -- the current design is mostly a matter of code compliance and not wanting too much surface area for hurricane force winds to grab a hold of.

The windows will all be polycarbonate/plexi exteriors that hinge open at the top for hardware cloth backed ventilation.

The coop will be situated between two landscaping sheds, under a couple of mature oak and maple trees for shade and rain protection.

 

[dvsmith]

Site prep, day one

 

[dvsmith]

Trenching out, the foundation is going slowly, due to more pressing needs at home, some warm weather, and other excavators on site.

Most of the materials for the coop arrived yesterday. I had been hoping to use some reclaimed or repurposed lumber, but at least in my area it seems unavailable. Including delivery and tax, this is about $1200 worth of lumber. roofing and hardware cloth will arrive later in the week.