Help me design a new coop/pen..

[foamspoon]

I would like ideas for a new coop/goat pen I would like to build.

I would like it to be big enough for 12 chickens and two pygmy goats.

What I am looking for is...

1. Ideal size...

2. Storage areas...

I am looking for any ideas any one would have based their experience on what they might do over their coop again.

thanks,

Bryan

 

[waynesgarden]

Climate is one of the biggest factors in coop design. One would need to know your general geographic region to offer good advice.

A coop here in Maine could be a lot different than one in a southwestern desert.

Wayne

 

[foamspoon]

Sorry Long Island, NY near the water so summer and winter is milder than upstate NY.

Thanks,

Bryan

 

[PortageGirl]

Ok, I'm not going to suggest any actual coop design, a lot of that will depend on too many things, I suggest going over the Coop Design section and choose what you like best. All the other stuff, ventilation, insulation, well, they're incredibly important, but lots else is preference... I will say, there's no need to build too many nest boxes, hens will usually only share 1 or 2 and ignore the others, but that's up to you, use 2x4s flat side up for roosts... make it easy to get in and out of, easy access with wheelbarrow or yard tractor trailer... for bringing feed in and the results of the feed out.

Back when I had goats AND chickens, they had seperate sheds, the goat shed was there, we just adaped an already there shed, and built the chicken coop seperately, using a disassembled shed from a neighbor, and rebuilding it... I have to say that the way we laid it out really WORKED though, here's a VERY rough drawing... by setting the 'L' facing the right way for your property and climate, you can really optimize wind protection and take advantage of sunshine. the 'open storage' part had a back wall and shared the roof, but it offered a good place to store things, it would probably be better enclosed but at the time it's what we had to work with.

I suggest watching your property, thinking about how the winds affect it, and how the sun tracks now during the winter, vs summer. you want shelter from winter but cool in the summer, ... shade trees? other wind breaks? access?

The hay was in another barn area, we totally free ranged the chooks but again a placement of a run depends on how the ground is in your yard.

THis is a very rough drawing not ANYWHERE near to scale. It all depends on how many chickens you have or might get. I have no idea how much room a pygmy goat may need, but always make em bigger than you think I'd say! and bigger still if you will need to store feed out there too. I had other storage areas. Also, if you DO store feed out there, make sure it's Houdini PROOF cause goats are great at getting into and out of places you don't want them to!!!