Hello and my chicken coop design

[ApplestoApples]

Hi from knoxville Tennessee! My name is Luke and I am 13 years old. My family is getting chickens and I am the one driving everything. (It was my idea) I have been researching the last couple of weeks and drew up these coop plans for 6 to 10 chickens.(Not shown is the chicken tractor I will build to free-range the chickens during the day.)
Will a 2 by 2 30 in. off the ground in the coop be good for a roosting bar?
Plans:
1 square equals .5 square foot
made out of 1/2 in. ply wood
corners reinforced with 2 by 2's
roof will be hard plastic or metal

 

[DeepFried]

Luke,

It is nice to see younger folks motivated to do other things besides play video games. The roost poles should be set higher than the nest boxes as to discourage roosting in them. You may want to have a couple poles at height intervals to assist them in ascent and to allow the pecking order space (see picture below). Make sure the top edges of the roost poles are rounded.

Best of luck on your progress.

 

[ApplestoApples]

Thanks, I think I will do that. I thought of a couple more questions:
1. What should I use as bedding in the nest boxes?
2. What is the name of the hard plastic used on top of some coops?
3. How would one keep cats out of a chicken tractor?

 

[DeepFried]

Thanks, I think I will do that. I thought of a couple more questions:
1. What should I use as bedding in the nest boxes?
2. What is the name of the hard plastic used on top of some coops?
3. How would one keep cats out of a chicken tractor?

1. Pine Shavings or other similarly soft, cushiony material.
2. Corrugated plastic roof panels.
3. The chicken wire/ hardware cloth should extend to the ground, most tractors have tops on them... most mature chickens would be able to make a cat not want to mess with them. Sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures...(start with pellet gun first)

 

[ApplestoApples]

Thanks for your help. I didnt know if a chicken would be able to defend itself against a cat. I am looking into getting day old chicks, and am trying to find a place away from my cat. Could I put the brooder in the coop? Or would it be too cold. (This would most likely be some time in February)

 

[lajollachickens]

Im also 13 and im trying to convince my parents to let us get chickens again. We used to have chickens at our old house in San Francisco. We had five chickens. I loved them but no one else in my family did. We were on a rea;;y small lot probably 5000squarefoot lot whitch is less then a quarter of an acre. Now in San Diego we are on an half acre lot thats perfect for chickens its all grass with gardens its like chicken heaven.

Do yoiu have any tips on how i can convince my parents???

Thanks

PS: Your coop designs look good

 

[kreagerm]

Looks like a great project you're embarking. Might I suggest making the floor 8'x8', for simplicity reasons. Each piece of plywood is 4'x8', something to think about. Also for easy cleaning, I would suggest using a poop board. Other then that, I would just add a window (purchased from a reclaim center are very cost effective) and that would be about everything. Best of Luck on your project!!!!

 

[Tazman99]

Im also 13 and im trying to convince my parents to let us get chickens again. We used to have chickens at our old house in San Francisco. We had five chickens. I loved them but no one else in my family did. We were on a rea;;y small lot probably 5000squarefoot lot whitch is less then a quarter of an acre. Now in San Diego we are on an half acre lot thats perfect for chickens its all grass with gardens its like chicken heaven.

Do yoiu have any tips on how i can convince my parents???

Thanks

PS: Your coop designs look good

Try telling them the benefits of chickens, like the Eggs and possibly tell them about Meat Birds, and maybe ask if you can join a local 4-H group?

 

[ApplestoApples]

Looks like a great project you're embarking. Might I suggest making the floor 8'x8', for simplicity reasons. Each piece of plywood is 4'x8', something to think about. Also for easy cleaning, I would suggest using a poop board. Other then that, I would just add a window (purchased from a reclaim center are very cost effective) and that would be about everything. Best of Luck on your project!!!!

What is a poop board?
I think I will change the dimensions to 4 times 8, thanks for the tip.
I was planning on making the top clear corrugated pvc, essentially making the entire roof a window.

 

[ApplestoApples]

Try telling them the benefits of chickens, like the Eggs and possibly tell them about Meat Birds, and maybe ask if you can join a local 4-H group?

I did this and it worked.