garden coop and roosts

[sooju]

Hello to this knowledgeable group of chicken keepers!

I've been lurking and learning for a few weeks but this is my first post. My first 8 chicks are arriving in June (SO excited!) and I'm planning to [have my husband] build a garden coop (thegardencoop.com) in the next few weeks. Before having fully researched the space requirements of standard chickens, I ordered the max number (8) that the garden coop design recommends. I now realize that I am pushing it for space so I'd like to make some changes and need feedback:

-I'm moving the pop door to the side wall instead of the floor to increase floor space in the hen house. Does it need to be able to close or can it just stay open all the time (like it would have if it had been a hole in the floor)? It will lead to an enclosed run so I think the only reason to close it would be weather-related.

-Does anyone have a recommendation for making sure I have enough roost space for 8 standard chickens of assorted breeds? I know I need minimum of 5' and preferably more like 8' of total roost. The hen house is 3'x5' so I'm having trouble coming up with a roost configuration that is 18" from the wall and long enough for all my girls.

We're really excited to enter into this new hobby and I'm sure I have a million more questions but I'll start with these.

Thanks for your help!

Julie

 

[ranchhand]

Hi Julie,

.

Your space is going to be a bit tight, but liveable. You will definitely need more roost space.

As far as closing the door, security against predators is the main reason. I have had preds get into my very secure run and try to open the coop. Better safe than sorry!

 

[CityChook]

I get so frustrated when these coop designers exaggerate how much space their coop holds. True, you can put 8 chickens in there, and they might be fine, but it certainly opens up the possibility of social problems and more difficult poo management.

Size: Goodness, your space is going to be tight. Usually recommended is 4 sq/ft per bird. More if you live where it gets really cold and snows as some chickens don't like to go outside when the weather is bad. You can get away with less if you have a good sized run (10 sq/ft per bird - Minimum). A 3x5 coop would give you almost enough space for 4 chickens as long as your nest is at least 14 inches off the floor and you put food/water in the run. Not the perfect situation, especially if it gets cold.

Door: I'd recommend shutting and locking the door every night, whether you put it in the floor or the wall. The baddies like to come out at night and you want your chooks safe while they sleep. However, there are plenty of folks who leave their pop door open all night. I'm not that brave and my run is extremely secure. Also, doors in the wall (vs. in the floor) will be easier to keep the shavings INSIDE the coop instead of spilling out and filling up your run. Cut your door 6-9 inches above the floor line.

Roost: I've seen it recommended to give 12 inches per chicken for roost space. My personal experience is that they don't need that much room - more like 9 inches or so each. Mine like to cuddle up tight, even when it's warm outside. Even still, with a 3x5 coop, it's going to be tight. Also, you probably don't need the roost to be 18 inches off the wall -- mine is 15 inches away and *most* of the poo misses the wall.

Hope this helps - welcome!

edited for spelling.

 

[isitnaptime]

I looked at these plans and thought the dimesions of the house were 4 x 6. This would be 24 sq feet of floor space if the pop door is on the wall and the nest box is 14 from the floor. This is adequate for about 5-6 chickens, correct? The run is 6x10 so this also allows for 10 sq feet of outdoor space per chicken if you have 6.

 

[sooju]

I think the only way this coop is big enough for 8 is if they're bantams. Should I reduce my order to 6 or leave it at 8 figuring that one or two may turn out to be roosters, or not survive to adulthood?

 

[elmo]

Quote:
Nope. It's not a problem. You haven't built your coop yet! Just make your coop bigger, and you're all set. For 8 chickens, build the enclosed part of your coop at 32 square feet, and for your run, build it 80 square feet. Problem solved! Even if you end up with fewer chickens, more room will be better for them, anyway.

And you may find chickens are really addictive. We started out with five chicks last spring, and we let three hens go broody this spring and hatch us out (gulp) 14 chicks. Now I'm planning a bigger coop and run!