HELP!!! Attempting to build my own coop

[mummyof4]

As the title suggests really, I’ve got 5 chicks in the brooder, never had chickens before (I hatched 2 ducks before but only ever did the ‘indoor’ stage until they went to my step-dads friends farm)
I moved house last year and now have an ok sized garden.
We originally built a really long planter out of sleepers, planted it up and nothing really grew that ‘well’ now I’ve decided to turn it into a chicken coop. I’ve cleared the planter (found some good sized carrots in there ) I’m trying to make the whole ‘DIY’ part a bit easier for me. So I’ve been ‘collecting’ my materials, so far I’ve bought an old wooden playhouse (thinking this could be the coop), some sort of old wooden box (it was advertised as a coop but it’s literally a wooden box with a door on the front) thinking I could use it somewhere , I went to our hardware store and bought some random timber (literally I’m making plans in my head which are changing daily).

I was thinking the coop up one end with a long run (as big as I have space for)

Now the coop I seem to have ok plans (in my head) but the run I’ve no idea ‍
I originally thought a wood frame covered in chicken wire BUT the idea I had in my head would make it impossible to clean!

So I’m guessing I need to go taller but have no idea how to make a door of any sort so I can walk in and clean it

Do I need to ‘clean’ the run? Or could I just hose it down through the mesh? Should I attempt to make lids on top of the run so I can open in sections and rake it out?
What substrate is best for the run? I was thinking either sand or bark? The inside of the coop I will most likely stick with straw or sawdust.

How big should nest boxes be?
Do they need roosts? If so How high should they be?
I have no idea what breed of chickens I have (first timer mistake, literally went and picked the cutest ones) so have no idea how big they will grow.

My friend has gone to collect the playhouse for me and once it’s here I want to make a start but at the same time I want to just go hide in the cupboard

I will attempt to add a pic of the chicks incase anyone knows what they are.

 

[Spartan22]

Someone might know how to identify your chicks, looks like a few have tufted heads. As of your coop, draw up a plan to modify your “box”, make some changes on your sketch not in your mind, so at least you have a concrete guide, I built 2 coops and had few modifications while building them, due to the materials available and the YouTube ideas specially how to do windows or door (I’m not a builder) Definitely walk-in coop, easy to clean, take care of chickens and or other practical purposes.
Regarding bedding materials I use mixture of sand and pine shavings, nest size you can do 12” cube or bigger, mine are all 14”x14x16” for easy access. Height of your roost depends on the size of your coop and the type of chickens you got, I will start with 2’ high and go adjust up if needed. Mine are from 2.5” to 5’ multiple roosts.

My 2nd coop
View attachment 1681757

 

[DobieLover]

I agree with @Spartan22 to draw your coop plans out on paper.
Making a door for your run is pretty easy. You should be able to YouTube that.
As someone who currently has a chicken only section of run, DO NOT DO THAT!! You WILL hate it. I'd also be concerned about enclosing your run with chicken wire. It's very flimsy stuff. Really only good for keeping chickens in. It will not keep predators out.
Do not use saw dust anywhere in the coop or run. It is terribly dusty. Shavings or straw are fine in the coop.
I highly recommend wood chips in the run. They drain, the chickens love scratching around in them, they decompose and are excellent for composting chicken waste.
Post some pictures of the materials you are working with. That will help with ideas.

 

[mummyof4]

Thank you.
I’m still currently trying to rebuild the playhouse which is harder than it looks, especially when the only helpers you have are aged 1-7 (there’s 5 of them which helps a bit ) & the 2 cats which seem to think it’s for them

 

[pintail_drake2004]

I know it was said before to draw it out. But I'll add that it should be drawn to scale. If you have never drawn anything to scale, grid paper is a good place to start.
For the nest boxes, I like 12x12x12 with a sloped roof. I prefer pine shavings for the coop, and any organic matter I can find for the run. For a roost a 2x3 will work just fine.

 

[HenHouse4Life]

Are those polish chicks? They're super adorable

 

[21hens-incharge]

Definitely draw it out on graph paper. It is sooooooo much easier to fix things and make changes on paper.

Pictures of what area you are working with and of the play house will help us to help you through the build.

 

[aart]

I know it was said before to draw it out. But I'll add that it should be drawn to scale. If you have never drawn anything to scale, grid paper is a good place to start.

YES!!

It is sooooooo much easier to fix things and make changes on paper.

It most certainly is!

Pictures of what area you are working with and of the play house will help us to help you through the build.

Ditto Dat^^^

How big should nest boxes be?
Do they need roosts? If so How high should they be?

Nests are best 12x12x12" minimum...taller is better, say 16".
Here's some tips on heights;
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/coop-stack-up-how-high-stuff-works-well.73427/

Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, (laptop version shown), then it's always there!

 

[mummyof4]

Are those polish chicks? They're super adorable

I have no idea. We were so excited to find someone selling chicks that we forgot to ask what breed they were.
Do you think they are polish chicks? They’ve grown quite a bit since the pic and now some look like they have comb overs on their head

 

[mummyof4]

YES!!

It most certainly is!

Ditto Dat^^^



Nests are best 12x12x12" minimum...taller is better, say 16".
Here's some tips on heights;
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/coop-stack-up-how-high-stuff-works-well.73427/

Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, (laptop version shown), then it's always there!
View attachment 1681871

I’m in the Uk, Loughton Essex.
Will definitely get some pics of the area I’m working with but not including the coop the maximum run space I can give them is 15metres x 1.5m But that was when I was planning to use our planter my ex-partner ‘made’ last year out of sleepers but he has made it so dodgy that it’s wonky & some of the sleepers are almost tipped over, when I get a pic you will be able to tell what end he did compared to mine (I tend to prefer spending the time & money to make it look half decent to him thinking he can throw a few sleepers down and hope for the best) was just talking to my mum about it and have had the idea to completely remove the sleepers giving me the option to give them a wider and longer run space.

The ex (although he is still round quite a bit) has been banned from helping with this project as he told me to cut costs and make a smaller run that I would have to CRAWL through to clean out rather than a walk in