Does Anyone Have A Coop Like This?

[Fur-N-Fowl]

I'm going to get my coop ordered tomorrow, it's being made to what I'd like. However, due to my circumstances there is only a specific type I can get.

The type i'm getting is going to be similar to this that I found online:

However, it will be different...now that's confusing!

Starting from the left, mine will have 3 nest boxes in a row able to fit two chickens in each. In the same place as in the image. They will have a liftable roof for egg collecting and they will have ventilation in them.

Would you guys suggest adding small holes as ventilation or vents? Of course I don't want them getting to cold because we can get quite harsh winters in my area. I'm just not sure which ventilation would be best as they will be locked in them at night.

Although I am classing them as nest boxes, my hens will never nest in them. I will always be removing the eggs and incubating them myself. They will be for them to sleep in.

Moving along, to the right of the boxes there will be a run! The side the boxes are joined to will be solid, the back wall will be solid and the roof will be solid. The whole front of the coop will be mesh.

Then, moving right again, there will be a little indoor section for me to store some items and have two show cages set up for when I am preparing my birds for show. The chickens generally won't be in this part but it will have a small window. There will be a door on the outside of it for me to get in and then in between the indoor area and meshed run, there will be another door. So I can get into get my chickens of course.

As for sizes I don't know exactly but I believe their run will be roughly around 7-8ft by 6ft. Their nest boxes will be additional space. There will only ever be 6 chickens at most in there.

Does anyone else here use nest boxes as a place to lock your chickens at night?

I've done it with our free range birds and they seem fine in their little huts at night. We just drilled vent holes in for those ones.

Or does anyone on here have a coop like this? I've rarely seen them on here but the person that's making mine had made quite a few like this for others.

My chickens will also be let out to free range so they won't be in there 24/7.​

 

[aart]

Great!
Post a pic of the actual coop when you get it home.

 

[DellaMyDarling]

The trouble with having chickens sleep and lay in the same area:

Chickens have a natural instinct to roost, not nest to sleep. Not to say they won't sleep in a nest, of course.

Chickens poop ALL night. Mmm, poop covered birds. Have a fun egg hunt there too.

It sounds like it's too small. Someone else will have a better idea, but I'm thinking they'll be cramped and cranky leading to pecking and plucking, or health issues.

I'm not sold on the idea that one could adequately ventilate such a style of nest boxes for chickens to sleep in together overnight. Hot nights will make for heat exhausted birds, cold nights will become too moist and cause frostbite.

Perhaps I misread, so let's see others interpretation.

 

[Fur-N-Fowl]

The trouble with having chickens sleep and lay in the same area:

Chickens have a natural instinct to roost, not nest to sleep. Not to say they won't sleep in a nest, of course.

Chickens poop ALL night. Mmm, poop covered birds. Have a fun egg hunt there too.

It sounds like it's too small. Someone else will have a better idea, but I'm thinking they'll be cramped and cranky leading to pecking and plucking, or health issues.

I'm not sold on the idea that one could adequately ventilate such a style of nest boxes for chickens to sleep in together overnight. Hot nights will make for heat exhausted birds, cold nights will become too moist and cause frostbite.

Perhaps I misread, so let's see others interpretation.

Luckily my chickens huts are rarely filled with poop on a morning and their eggs are always squeaky clean. My Chickens don't lay during the night anyways they always lay between 12pm and 5pm.

The only poultry I own that make an absolute mess during the night are our ducks. They do lay during the night and seem to poop all night too.

We've never used roosts for our chickens but they all happily go in and nest down during the night and snuggle into each other. I did try roosts for my Silkies but they never saw they were there due to them not being able to see anyways.

Of course like I say they will be let out of their enclosure everyday to free range it's not as if they're crammed in the nest boxes all day. That'd be cruel.

Luckily my Silkies are very small Bantams.

I just thought a coop and run like this for my Silkies would be a bit better than keeping them in rabbit hutches all year round.​

 

[Fur-N-Fowl]

I forgot to add in my original post that during the warmer summer months, my hens would have access to the run 100% of the time that they are in there.

However, the Cockerel would have to be locked in the dark bed due to our neighbors not liking his noise at 3am...

Luckily their coop will be in a already fenced off area and we don't have predators that could manage to get in the coop.

To make the coop much bigger will be difficult as unfortunately we live in woodland. It's a protected area and we can't go willynilly chopping down trees. We'd get a fine if we done that. The size has to be reasonable to fit in the space we have.

I only have 3 Silkie pullets and 1 Silkie Cockerel (all Bantam). I'm blessed at the fact he doesn't over breed them, he's pretty slow at times. I've never had any squabbles between my Silkies even when housed in hutches.

I am hoping to keep at least one female chick from them which would mean there is 5 in the coop. Potentially keeping 6 but I'm not sure. 6 would be my absolute limit!

During the day they will always be let out of the coop entirely. We let all our chickens out at 7am and put them to bed whenever it gets dark which is around 10pm now.

During the time they are out they have way more than half an acre to free range in.

The idea of this coop is to help me in breeding and showing my Silkies.

They are currently being housed separated from my other breeds in rabbit hutches over night which is less than ideal. Don't get me wrong they are in perfect health and they need to be in a hutch before a show anyways but I rather them be in something more suited long term.

Sadly it's either I get this larger coop made or have to continue putting them in the hutches at night. Or alternatively, I have to buy one of those naff pre-made coops which will likely fall apart when my goats jump on it.

Ugh...goats

I could potentially get rid of a ft of space in the indoor storage area and add that extra ft of space onto their run. However, I'm not sure about sizes. I'm really bad with meters and feet etc.

The person that's making me my coop makes them all the time so when I say I am keeping 6 Bantams in it, he'll know what size to make it.​

 

[Aunt Angus]

Oh - you have silkies! Having them sleep in the boxes makes more sense. I would still worry a great deal about ventilation, depending on where you live. You can always m aske changes later. As a wise chicken keeper once suggested, observe and adjust!

 

[Fur-N-Fowl]

Great!
Post a pic of the actual coop when you get it home.

Indeed I will!

I know it's not the best coop out there by any means but I'm thinking it'll be substantial for what it's being used for ​

 

[Fur-N-Fowl]

That looks nice and portable. Good for a few silkies!

I'm hoping it can be lifted every so often. It seems like the most portable idea that's suited to our needs! ​

 

[Fur-N-Fowl]

I went to order my coop today and let's just say there has been a slight change of plan. For the better too!

I'm not spilling the beans too much but it's quite a common design I'm getting.

It's said to be ready in 2 weeks so once completed, I will be sure to show you all!

As for the bottom of it, I originally wanted it to be able to be lifted. However, we've been able to get our hands on some flag stones so it won't need moving anymore. It will be set on those flag stones and covered in the dust extracted horse stable bedding we already use for our chickens. At least it won't get muddy then and far easier to sweep clean!

 

[Fur-N-Fowl]

Back here again!

So...the coop is finished!

All I've got to do is put some stain wood protector on the outside and get some chain to hang up their drinker and feeder.

I'm super happy with it and I'd say the chickens like it too but well, they haven't got a clue what's happening anyways. Silkies are pretty oblivious to what's going on

My gold Silkie Fizz absolutely loves the nest boxes and she claimed them first. I think she'll be my first to actually go broody. I'll probably never let her sit them though anyways.

My Silkies have never used a ramp before but mealworms worked a treat in teaching them to use it.

Pictures aren't the best but they're better than nothing I guess!