First Coop Design & Build - added video of automatic door

[Stutz75]

How high can the nesting box be off the Ground.
My 3 Chickens will come down from box but will
not go back up.
HELP
Jerry ( [email protected] )

 

[PeterW]

Wow thanks for the replies...lots of good information to consider as I work on a new design.

Since I posted that first design I'm now leaning towards building a walk-in coop, probably 6ft x 8ft and spent most of yesterday evening browsing this site for ideas, building techniques etc. I'll post my new design when I'm done.

Peter

 

[darkmatter]

Quote:
No offense intended to this poster, but when someone is asking for advice on building a coop---shouldn't it be from experience and not conjecture? See my BYC page for pics of my Coop/Run---it has been functional for over 15 years with slight mods to correct original oversights-----for example---the rain gutter does not in those pics have leaf and debris guards to prevent stuff getting into the rain stock---it does now due to experience.

 

[sunflowerenvy]

Quote:
No offense intended to this poster, but when someone is asking for advice on building a coop---shouldn't it be from experience and not conjecture? See my BYC page for pics of my Coop/Run---it has been functional for over 15 years with slight mods to correct original oversights-----for example---the rain gutter does not in those pics have leaf and debris guards to prevent stuff getting into the rain stock---it does now due to experience.

yes i have experience in raising chicken and their coops this is my second round my first one was in florida we got a lot of rain and the rain came in to the coop area it was a dirt floor it was an old horse stall when it rain until we put some up gutters we did not need leaf or debris guards because that one was out in the open. then we have give up our babies.

but the one i have do not have rain gutters on it , but i will put one on it when we move [renting now] there is start to show wear on the ground with water lines. it depend on where u located the building n if you physical can clean it out with doing up on ladder when u need a guard on top of gutter

 

[speckledhen]

Welcome to BYC, Peter! You will get much help on your coop build here. One of the main things I see folks lacking in is ventilation and the ability to reach all areas of the coop for cleaning. It's awful trying to crawl into a small coop rather than walk in, especially with back problems! The design is cute. Just remember that even in winter, there must be ventilation up high to keep the moisture down. Frostbite is encouraged by a damp environment.

 

[ducks4you]

, Peter!
You need to put solid walls to the north and wind breaks to the west and to the east. I have been a horse-owner for over 25 years, and my livestock have an outside shelter. Almost ALL shelters face south, sometimes they face east. They never open to the north or west because most winter wind and weather comes from that direction. You didn't say WHERE you live?
Also, build with wood, because it breathes and has natural insulation properties. Hope this helps!

 

[PeterW]

Hi and thanks for the replies. Of course, I should have mentioned I live in county Galway, Ireland. Our bad weather almost always comes from the south/south-west. So our coop will face north with the west face sheltered by an adjoining shed. That shed has power to it so building the coop beside it gives the option to add power to the coop for lighting, heat lamp, automatic pop door etc.

My design is now a walk in, 6ft x 8ft floor, 6ft high at the rear, 7ft high at the front. 1ft roof overhang all round and vented through the soffits. 2 opening windows on the front wall and 2 on the east wall to catch the rising sun. 4ft long window on the rear wall which I may make into an opener for more ventilation. Rough sketch below.

My next question is what kind of floor to put down - OSB over timber joists or contrete slab? There are probably pros and cons to both, my main concern about concrete being that the cold will come up through it in winter.

Thanks for all the comments so far.
Peter

 

[CindyG]

Good looking design, much like mine, except mine is 24 ft long. I have OSB on 2x6 joists, 16" centers, makes for a nice sturdy floor, as long as you get the OSB going the right way. You can insulate with styrofoam on the underneath and use deep litter. I think concrete would be cold, and if you paint the wood floor or use lino, it will be easy to clean.

 

[PeterW]

An update on my progress:

I settled on a minor variation of the 8x6, walk-in design I posted above. I realised I'd have to go into the run to open & close the 2 small windows on the end wall so I swapped them with the large window on the back wall. I also spent a good while in Google Sketchup moving things around until I was happy with position of windows, doors etc and until it looked "right". Next I drew up the framework in Sketchup to use as a guide when it came to the actual building. Again I spent a lot of time in Sketchup figuring out the best way to constuct the frame as 4 separate walls, and how the roof would be supported etc.

The frame plan: 6' x 8' floor area. 7' high at the front, 6' high at the rear. Rafters for the roof (not drawn) will run front to back with a 1 foot overhang on all sides.

The floor: the site was cleared and concrete blocks bedded into concrete at the 4 corners. The 5x2 floor frame rests on the 4 corners. The red bricks are mainly there to prevent anything making a home underneath (mice, rats etc) but since they're also bedded in concrete they'll help to support the structure too.

The finished frame: (it was nearly dark by the time we finished). The finished frame probably runs about 95% to plan with some minor changes made as we went along.

The siding in progress: the outer walls are lapped 7x1s. Inside will be insulated and lined with plywood or possibly corrugated plastic. The siding is quick to install but takes alot of thought before each cut to ensure I'm making best use of the raw materials. Note in this photo I've forgotten about the pop door, which SHOULD be at the right hand end of the short wall.

More photos to follow as the build progresses.
Peter

 

[speckledhen]

Good start! My original coop was 8x8 and quite similar, see below. Later, we added an exterior type nestbox in the back and later still, added 12 ft onto one side (this hobby grows!). Then we moved the pens to the back rather than the front.