First Coop!!!

[HuginnsMuse]

Ok so the hobbit Hole got nixed... I think its because I've already begun the chicken math issue....
Partner: "Honey where did these ones with the feathers on their head come from?"
Me: "I've no idea, maybe it was one of the breads we got in the mix... they look like the black and white ones..."
Ya, I smuggled in five brabanter pullets someone local had for $5 a bird! I couldn't say no, and lucked out he's not that interested in anything but the food they can bring to the table!

ANYHOW....

My first coop so really need input on this! So some folks are always saying lots of ventilation for coops, well how much? About to put the walls up and figured first I'd ask opinions... The top spacing (Where the arrows are) What are your opinions on just putting chicken wire up? There is fifteen inches of overhang on either side and I could add a 'bib' of sorts to bring it down just to protect against rain/wind at a angle. Is it to much for New England weather on all four sides? Keep just the front and back? Or is four good and come cold weather just make temp covering for two sides? I also have one large window in the back and two small that will be put in and open during good weather. (You can see the frames)
Size wise (It's 16x20 with two 8x16 areas for my Hens and Meats. Outdoor runs, roosts, and nesting boxes added soon along with tunnel to fenced in backyard for free ranging my garden and because neighbor let's their pits rule the neighborhood and don't wanna risk it.) Big enough?
For Run's I'm thinking of extending out another 20 feet either way and then putting a dividor in the middle. Most of my meats are Roo's thus the 'wall' in the center to keep my breeding roo's from picking on my meats.

Opinions?

 

[JCBRB]

How many chickens will you have?

I have four in my backyard (Looks like you have a little more space!). We just converted an old shed into a coop. We cut a small 12" x 6" hole for a window and stapled some carpenters cloth onto it for a screen, then we made a large door out of 2x4s and stapled more carpenters cloth for that. We also have another hole about 1.5' x 1.5' as a doorway into their 8' x 4' run. This has turned out to be plenty of ventilation for four chickens, even in the super hot summer months.

Depending on how often you plan on leaving your chickens out to free range (we leave the door open all day and close it at night), the run can be bigger or smaller. One thing to keep in mind is that your run will very quickly get stamped down, pooped on, and all vegetation eaten. So it will quickly become boring (and possibly unhygienic) to your chickens if you plan on leaving them in there all the time.

Hope my two cents helps!

 

[PapaChaz]

you can't really have too much of the right kind of ventilation. I'd go with two sides always open and two sides that can be covered in winter. Make sure to put hardware cloth over the openings.

You want your ventilation above the chickens heads, and you're pretty much looks like that's it. Will let the moisture circulate out and fresh air in. You want that moisture out in the winter to keep it from settling back down on their heads or frost bite on the combs will happen.

It's hard to imagine just how much moisture gets put back into the air from exhaling while breathing, but it's a lot more than you would ever think!

 

[aart]

That is an odd looking roof, I can't quite figure it out...why are the rafters lying flat...can we see an outside pic?

Chicken wire will not keep predators out, better to use 1/2'" hardware cloth.

 

[HuginnsMuse]

I can in the morning but from the side it is a > basicly with a steady incline upwards the largest section toward the front of the coop with a bib to protect To much wind and then rain from being pushed into the coop. Then 2x4's that run across that and the middle support that hold up plywood. We are laying some type of Tar sheet down to keep rain out and heat in, then the corrugated metal so snow/rain falls off and into gutters. We have filters to catch debris and then that drains into a large 50 gallon tub that runs two outdoor water'ers for the birds. Well that's the plan and the supplies we have. Goal now is to get them in and no water or predators. Then the corrugated goes up, then the water system...

Someone else mentioned the hardware cloth, I've some laying around from the fence we put up for the dogs, I'll be adding that as well as the chicken wire to the windows and top vent areas.
I really like the ideas of making sheets that go up in the winter so will run with that!

 

[PapaChaz]

That is an odd looking roof, I can't quite figure it out...why are the rafters lying flat...can we see an outside pic?

Chicken wire will not keep predators out, better to use 1/2'" hardware cloth.

nice catch, I didn't even notice that.

And yeah, the rafters should be standing on edge, they're much stronger that way when it comes to holding up the weight. I'd be afraid with you being in the northeast, a good snowfall and that roof is going to collapse

 

[HuginnsMuse]

Oh my! Ok, definitely something that will be fixed when I go to add the metal roofing. I should be able to hold off until May/June and I can enlist some help in that department.