Florida Coop build advice please

[CVMAKitten]

Six or seven foot tall walls, with the remaining space as hardware cloth for ventilation, is a very popular solution. The general rule of thumb is one square foot of ventilation for each full size bird. I don't know what that's based on, it is simply quoted a lot. By putting the ventilation way up there, and ensuring you have good roof overhang, you make certain there is plenty of air flow without putting a breeze on your poor birds. It also helps mitigate radiant heat off the roof in our summers.
Hope it all works out better than you dreamed, and that the chicken math doesn't bite you too badly.

I keep hearing about "chicken math". What is that exactly?

 

[ChookRanger]

Have you read this article?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/top-10-chicken-predators.75824/
As long as you can keep them out , you should be fine. btw Chicken math is what happens when you keep getting more chickens until you can't count how many you have.

 

[CVMAKitten]

@CVMAKitten not sure who that question was directed to, but no, i would not describe my coop that way - i have a 2 layer coop in a fenced but not covered run behind my barn, the whole thing set in a goat pasture (no goats yet, sadly), w/i electric fencing.

Was raining until about 10 minutes ago, so the inspection window on the coop door is closed in this picture
View attachment 2328442

It was for Patty. The pictures showed a small coop setup inside another building that had sand floors, so I thought she had a smaller coop inside her large one.
That's an AWESOME looking setup!!
The hubby wont let me have goats. Luckily one of our neighbors down the road has two little pygmy goats that are stinking cute and I get to see them almost every time I drive by. I wanted ducks too because I hear their eggs are fantastic, but do not want the hassle of the pond and muddy chickens and what not.

 

[CVMAKitten]

Have you read this article?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/top-10-chicken-predators.75824/
As long as you can keep them out , you should be fine. btw Chicken math is what happens when you keep getting more chickens until you can't count how many you have.

My chicken math so far has just been CRD taking a bunch of my girls from me. I am trying to stay around the safe number of 4 ft per chicken in the coop. I have bought one set of chicks from TSC due to ALL of my buff orpingtons just kicking the bucket. I got them from a local poultry farm when they hatched. I have the girls on Tylosin, and just ordered Doxy-ty last night since reading about the dual antibiotic treatments. Hopefully I get that in the next three days. These swollen eyes are making me feel terrible for my little ones. No one is sneezing anymore (THANK GOD) but one had her eyes crust shut three weeks ago, and then another just last week, and now I'm treating six chicks with Terramycin for swollen crusty eye. I'm hopeful the Tylosin will work, but we are on day three of treatment, and I see no improvement in the eyes with the exception of the first one that had it. She has rightfully been named Squints, and is now eating like a champ. She still needs to catch up to her sisters, but at least we are on the right path. I just hope that these girls all recover and make it because I really am a huge softie when I lose a pet.
I do plan on culling these guys when they are older, but that will be a deliberate act, not just waking up and finding a cold lifeless body. That makes it worse for me.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

We're pulling for you and your chicks!

 

[CVMAKitten]

Thank you! I get most of my advice from vet journals and here since you all have been in the game longer than I have

 

[PattyRchickymomma]

You have a coop in a coop?

Lol yup