First Attempt at Coop Design

[spiffwilkie]

We procured a couple of doghouses that I'm going to try and repurpose into a coop. Below is my first attempt at how it might look. This is my first time trying to build one, so I wanted to get opinions on size, functionality, etc.
This will be for four chickens.
Thanks

 

[chicky_mommy]

That is a BEAUTIFUL coop, and would be properly sized to fit half a dozen LF birds.

 

[rgmcgi]

Looks good to me. You might want to build the frame into your sketchup model to make sure it all "fits together". Also, I would recommend you elevate the entire structure off the ground with a ramp for hen access. Rich

 

[meowteri2]

I see the nest box location and lower roof compared to were the roost is. Do you think there is enough room for them to jump to the roost.
Maybe you need to get rid of the lower roof to add to the inside dimension for them to jump up and just have the upper continue to the wall.

 

[spiffwilkie]

Quote:
I am going to put the frame into sketchup so I can get a better idea of exact dimensions and material cost. This was my first attempt at using the program, so I kept it pretty simple. I'm getting the hang of it now. As for the elevation, I'm planning on that as well. I'm going to support it with a few 3x3 fence posts cemented in the ground to give the chickens some shade and to prevent any possible flooding (A couple of times a year, when we get torrential rains, the backyard might get a couple of inches of water in it).

Quote:
I initially chose those dimensions due to the fact that I'm repurposing two doghouses for the coop. I do think that I might get rid of the lower roof on the right side, though, and move the roost over some. My plan on the right wall is to add food and water troughs at chicken level that will be fillable from outside the coop. I'll probably use 5 gallon buckets for reservoirs. The food will just be a bucket I can take the top off of and dump feed as needed, and the water will have a valve to fill from the bottom to make the trough a low-tech auto-fill waterer.

 

[rgmcgi]

Sounds like a plan! Sketchup is amazing... and free. hard to beat!

 

[farmer_lew]

Looks good! My suggestions have already been made by others. Post pics during and after construction!

~Farmer Lew

 

[mcf3kids]

Looks really cool - make sure to post pics when you start the work on this project - can't wait to see it! We just bought our supplies to start building our coop from scratch - very expensive so it is really great that you are going to be able to re-use some supplies! Good luck with your project!!

 

[elmo]

Don't forget to add suitable ventilation:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1642-VENTILATION

The other things to consider are building the access doors so that you can easily reach as much of the inside as possible (and definitely the area under the roost, which is where most of the poo will fall). Chickens don't like going inside a completely dark coop, so you might want to think about adding a window for light (or perhaps the open vents might be enough).

The roost placement is potentially problematic. Chickens can't fly straight up like a helicopter, and they actually seem to need more horizontal space when they're getting down off the roost than flying up (at least mine do). Clearance in that narrower area of the coop roof might be a little tight. It's hard to tell from the drawing. You may just have to try it and see. You could always move the roost lower down if that is a problem.

 

[melodynye]

We have a design on our site you're welcome to use www.melofarms.com