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Having to build a NEW Coop for my chickens. Want ideas and designs.

Discussion in 'Coop & Run - Design, Construction, & Maintenance' started by cluckcluckluke, Dec 11, 2012.

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  1. Dec 11, 2012 #1
    cluckcluckluke

    cluckcluckluke Overrun With Chickens

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    I'm in the middle of completely moving my original coop about 100m away from were it used to be and instead of just moving the existing sheds: Were going to make a NEW one [​IMG]yiiippie. So i need some inspiration on a new design eg: slanted roofs, ramps out for the girls, trap doors for easy cleaning, and open mesh sides or windows for ventilation. I'm going to be using the deep litter method and my coop is going to be up off the ground for water flow. Please include pictures if possible.
     
    Last edited: Dec 11, 2012
  3. Dec 11, 2012 #2
    Judy

    Judy Moderator Staff Member

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    By far my favorite design is a simple shed, at least 8x8 and walk-in, with a roof that slants only one direction. This makes it very easy to ventilate it well by leaving an area open between the roof and top of the wall on the high side. If you are in a snow area, you can slant it enough for the snow to drop off. If it is a hot climate, you can leave it open all the way around the tops of the walls, which is what I did in this warm climate, though we also made parts of 2 walls out of hardware cloth for breeze.

    I love having enough space for a garbage can for feed and a shelf or cabinet for supplies. We also have about a 5x5 "coop in the coop" with chicken wire walls for injured birds, a broody, new chicks, etc., but this is in an 11x17 coop. I also don't care for external nest boxes. They can cause leakage and security problems, but mostly, I want to check on the birds anyway. Besides, someone sometimes lays an egg in a corner instead of the nest. I've had chickens in this coop for 3 or 4 years and wouldn't change a thing. I've had other coops over the years. They were all big enough to walk into and store feed in. If you can, running electricity and water, or at least water, to the coop is well worth the trouble, and not really that hard to do or expensive if you can do it yourself. Modern pipe is pretty easy to work with.

    Just my viewpoint, of course. It is a dirt floor cop, by the way, because I wouldn't have another kind.
     
  5. Dec 12, 2012 #3
    Jakoda

    Jakoda Chillin' With My Peeps

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  7. Dec 12, 2012 #4
    JackE

    JackE Chillin' With My Peeps

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    Build a Woods coop. It's a proven 100yr old design, and you don't see too many of them around.
    Jack

    [​IMG]
     
  9. Dec 15, 2012 #5
    cluckcluckluke

    cluckcluckluke Overrun With Chickens

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    My shed is going to me 8x8 as well so should be plenty of roosting space for 25 chickens. and yes the roof slants to let water of easily and it's going to have a lot of ventilation with one side completely open with thick rigid wire up so no predators. It's going to have the deep litter method as well. My main roost will have 2 other smaller sheds attached for nest boxes and a bantam &chick roost. Water will be run down easily enough but no electricity (hasn't been even needed so far). The floor is wooden and will have a deep litter method.
     
  11. Dec 15, 2012 #6
    cluckcluckluke

    cluckcluckluke Overrun With Chickens

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    Here is the new coop so far these photos were taken a few days ago and by now we have 3 frame walls up and the floor nailed down.
    The wood has been painted with an anti termite thing and is preserved so no rot for hopefully hundreds of years.lol.
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
    The coop is of the ground to allow water flow.
     
  13. Dec 15, 2012 #7
    maryhysong

    maryhysong Chillin' With My Peeps

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    MY personal opinion; waay too much work and waaay too much expense. Why does everybody want to build a wooden floor in their chicken coop anyway? Deep litter on dirt, that's the way to go! No place for rats or skunks to hide and nest like they can under a wooden floor, especially one close to the ground. No worries about rotting out the floor in 5 years from the manure. Deep litter clean out once or twice a year, easy peasy. It is also better for the chickens, producing beneficial bacteria that help keep sickness down.

    For a stationary coop I'd go for pole barn style. Or I'm planning a brooder house, narrow cement foundation (almost no frost line here), to keep predators from digging under, then walls made of pallets, recycled windows and doors, topped off with recycled tin. I will probably use T111 siding as being the quickest and easiest option on the outside over the pallets. On the inside I'm thinking of a layer of cardboard covered with smooth stucco.
     
  15. Dec 15, 2012 #8
    OkChickens

    OkChickens Orpingtons Are Us

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    Agreed!

    People spend $1000's on coops that are 8x8. I built a 12x20 pole barn and I have 2 4x8 stalls in it then the rest is for free range birds. The total cost was about $800. It has a dirt floor and I use shavings with deep litter method. I clean out that coop in March, June, and around August or September. It gets to hot around here for deep litter in the summer. I can post pics of the coop if you would like.

    Nate
     
  17. Dec 15, 2012 #9
    cluckcluckluke

    cluckcluckluke Overrun With Chickens

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    Yeah so far my coop has cost nothing as we got the cement blocks free from knocking a wall down and the frame was completely free from a friend who has so much stuff he needs to get rid of it and the wooden boards we already had and just touched them up, perfectly fine new.
    The only reason i had to raise the coop was because of the rain water coming down the hill and my deep litter has to stay dry like anyone's deep litter method otherwise it ferments and disease arises. The hens will go under the coop any way so it will be in constant use so no pests should make it their home.
     
  19. Dec 15, 2012 #10
    cluckcluckluke

    cluckcluckluke Overrun With Chickens

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    Yeah so far my coop has cost me $00.00. I would love to see you coop.
     
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