Hello!

[VictoriaWins]

I haven't had chickens for years and I ordered chicks today! I am trying to figure out what coop to build! I was looking at some of the pictures but I didn't see any really specific plans. I am not so handy so I could use some advice.

 

[Pork Pie]

Hi and welcome to BYC - great to read that you are getting back into chickens. I guess your coop design and size will be predicated by a number of factors - climate, number of chickens etc. It may be an idea to join your state thread (assuming you are in the US) and ask there what kind of coops seem to be preferred- https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/270925/find-your-states-thread#post_3239224

Good luck
CT

 

[chameleon]

You must be so excited for your chicks to arrive! As CTken says, the more information you can give about your chickens and what kind of space you have available the better the advice you can get. You can also get better answers if you post your design questions in the coop design and construction forum.

To start though, a few basics and things that helped me:
*Go as big as your space and finances will allow, the more space your chickens have the happier they'll be. This also allows for chicken math, if you decide you want more chickens later you'll have some extra space.
*Lots and lots of ventilation. As long as you there are no draughts, humidity and overheating are far more dangerous than cold.
*Build in a way that makes cleaning as easy as possible. For me that meant a coop raised to a comfortable height with one side that folds down. It's also not too deep so I can reach the whole coop from the open side.
*Look into large spill proof feeders and waterers so that you don't have to constantly refill and change food and water. There are many designs on here so you can find one that fits your needs.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

To start though, a few basics and things that helped me:
*Go as big as your space and finances will allow, the more space your chickens have the happier they'll be. This also allows for chicken math, if you decide you want more chickens later you'll have some extra space.
*Lots and lots of ventilation. As long as you there are no draughts, humidity and overheating are far more dangerous than cold.
*Build in a way that makes cleaning as easy as possible. For me that meant a coop raised to a comfortable height with one side that folds down. It's also not too deep so I can reach the whole coop from the open side.
*Look into large spill proof feeders and waterers so that you don't have to constantly refill and change food and water. There are many designs on here so you can find one that fits your needs.

X 2 on all counts -- especially the first. There is, imo, no such thing as giving your flock too much room, but providing too little space can have some very negative outcomes. How many birds are you looking to house and what size coop are you thinking of building? There are a couple of fairly detailed different pages/articles/threads that have some pretty detailed photos of the build process that can be used to get some pretty easy to follow plans for the particular coop - but knowing what you are looking for would help to narrow if they are something that would work for you or not.

 

[redsoxs]

Greetings from Kansas, VictoriaWins, and

! It's great to have you with us! Best of luck with your coop construction and future flock!!

 

[N F C]

What breed(s) of chicks are you getting? Good luck with your coop build!

 

[drumstick diva]

 

[LauraBrown]

Welcome to BYC Victoria! Glad you joined us!

 

[Teila]

G’Day from down under VictoriaWins

Welcome!

As you have already received some great advice and links, I will just wish you all the best.

I hope you enjoy being a BYC member. There are lots of friendly and very helpful folks here so not only is it overflowing with useful information it is also a great place to make friends and have some fun. Unlike non chicken loving friends, family and colleagues, BYC’ers never tire of stories or pictures that feature our feathered and non feathered friends