Going to take the plunge

[owler]

I have been wanting to do this for years. After going over this board for all the right information many times over and after about 25 different coop designs, I think I have finally gotten it right. Any corrections would be greatly appreciated.

I am going to build a 8 x 12 coop. The run will be a chicken moat around my 40 x 45 garden.

My criteria is that I will have easy external access to the nest box and dropping boards because I will most likely be dressed for work weekday mornings when I take care of the maintenance. I need a small area for storage. And the biggest advice I have gotten on the boards is that there needs to plenty of ventilation.

Here are the images I came up with:

South West corner

The two floor level openings on the right are for summer time ventilation. These will be closed up in cold weather. The soffits will be screened with hardware cloth and open all the time.

I had to make a concession and have two chicken doors. One for access to the North leg of the Chicken Moat and one to the East leg.

South West framing

Northeast corner

I did not draw in the people door, the cleanout door or the "dropping drawer" door.

Northeast frame

Top View

Chicken Moat

The yellow is the new coop. Red is an existing shed. Dark green is the Chicken Moat http://www.motherearthnews.com/Sustainable-Farming/1988-05-01/Garden-Pest-Control.aspx . Light green is the garden and brown is the double access doors to the garden.

I do not really have room to move the coop back 8 feet so that the front of the coop is on the outer wall of the moat. That's why I need two chicken doors.


If you have any suggestions I would really appreciate the advice. I hope to start building on Labor Day weekend.

 

[Chicken Chat]

Looks like you have put a lot of thought into it, your plans look really nice!

Good idea to add storage into the plans.
Having two chicken doors isn't so bad-I put two in on my last coop as well. Good luck

 

[Layla1223]

I love the moat idea!

Good Job

 

[theoldchick]

Such attention to detail! You must be an engineer or architect! Can't wait to see what you build!

 

[SilkieTime]

In my first coop I put nest boxs mounted to the wall. I would like to change that to ones that I could take down if a hen went broody. Other hens with add eggs to her nest and make a mess out of the hatch and chicks will fall out of the nest. There is know room to put food and water in the nest boxs for the chicks. People with out roosters and broody hens don't have this problem.

 

[chuckzoo]

I like it - what program are you drawing in?

 

[lynxs1981]

Very interesting idea. Set up so the chickens can roam the garden area, out of season of course? Keep us posted. If it turns out well, I might try something similar.

 

[owler]

Thank you for all the nice comments. I will keep the broody hen problem in mind. However, my zoning only allows 12 foul in my yard and that's how many I plan to raise. Ok, maybe 12 hens and a rooster. I am counting on the fact that no one is going to check. So for now I can say that I would not let any hens sit on any eggs. I don't know how long that will last though.

The plans are done in google sketchup. It's free.

I did plan on having the chickens wander the garden in the off season. Should be an additional weed and pest control. I am really looking foward to all the great compost they will give me.

 

[teach1rusl]

Where is your house in relation to the shed and the coop??? Is it down nearer the garden entry??? The layout looks great.

Can't wait to see it's progression...

 

[owler]

The house is about 150 ft in front of the garden gates. I would have liked to have put the coop closer, but any other position around the garden would have interfered with the sun for the garden. And my compost bins will be right behing the coop. Just pull out the drawers, scrape and dump the droppings in. I also have electricy and water back there. At least in the warmer months I have water. Cold months I will be carrying the water from the house.