exsisting coop transformation- help**LOTS OF PICS**

[cluck-addict]

Windrider ... this is SO awsome! Just Lovely.,....

I grew up bonafied city girl.... In some way I still am... just a low maintence one.

I really like your design. I'll have to combine the best of both suggestions now

work starts in the spring... I'll be posting lots of photos... considering the spring chick order is 100+

Yipee!

 

[Bigdaddy101]

20X40 is huge. As far as the breeding pens, it is recomended that you go 4 sqf per bird. But equally as important is the chicken to rooster ratio I think. A rooster can only service about 8-10 birds a day, some breeds are less. I run 9:1 ratio. This makes for easy math. If you have a total of 10-11 birds the interior space should be roughly 6X8 per breeding pen. If they are completely free range then it is going to be hard to keep your breeding pens pure. If you do build a yard, then the recomendation is 10 sqf per bird. I make my yards 16X8. This gives plenty of room for 10 birds and lumber happen to come in 8' sticks. Wire fabric also comes in 4' highths so the conversion there is simple as well.

 

[Bigdaddy101]

just some thoughts. This allows for 7 breeding pens (or juvi pens) it also allows for the sliding barn door to still be used to move large objects in and out. It also allows for the rafter space to be used for storage. This was done on sketch up if you want the 3D version let me know..

 

[cluck-addict]

holy moly big daddy! Amazing.

I guess i was thinking of letting them run all together for the majority of the year and putting them in breeding pens for 2-4 weeks in the spring to get hatching eggs. Anyone ever done that?

 

[Bigdaddy101]

That would work to, but if you have an incubator why need breed year round? Granted, egg production changes occasionally in the "off season" but they should still lay. Also, they may get spooky if you move them and hold off on laying for a few days or a week. If they are in the same invironment all the time, they will just lay and lay.

 

[jenjscott]

Hey cluck, don't forget those hens have to be separated from the other roosters for 3 to 4 weeks before you can even start collecting eggs for purebred hatching.