Help Me Design the INTERIOR of My Chicken Shed!!!

[dffr12345]

Hello people!

I discover a site that can help you so much to building your own coop.
There you can pick up and choose from 19 step-by-step chicken coop plans.

Site Chicken Coops Guide:
bit.ly/1eX2km6

Comments:

The chicken coop plans I got from you were great!
They were easy to follow and the coop turned out to be the envy of all of my friends. I love my new hobby.
Thanks so much for giving me every thing you promised.

By David Hess, USA

 

[Irishhenman]

I think that might work...might be a little tight having the nesting boxes on the right with the pop hole on that wall, but I'll tape-measure it out and see...THANKS!!

Pop door goes underneath the nest boxes or you could cut it into the people door if that would work

 

[iwiw60]

Pop door goes underneath the nest boxes or you could cut it into the people door if that would work

Well, DUH! I hadn't taken that into account...stupid me. But that brings up yet another question: would hens going in and out underneath the nesting boxes while a hen is in one make too much of a ruckus and disturb the hen that wants to lay an egg?

 

[farnorth]

I would put the pop door right on the bottom of one of the big doors.

 

[iwiw60]

Just got a phone call from Reddaway Freight Lines...my shed gets delivered tomorrow .. WOO-HOO!! Now the hair-pulling begins!

 

[cutenmchick]

Hello! I am so jealous \:0) but really happy for you that you are getting a building for your girls. I have been trying to get my coop built for about a year now....almost there.  Guess it isn't a priority yet...   Well, my first suggestion was going to be to grab a nice tall ice tea, long island ice tea, or margarita.  Sit down with some construction paper and scissors.  I am not sure how well this might work for this situation, but, in my MANY, MANY office moves and our upcoming "remodel" I guess you can call it of our farm/ranch area around the house...moving livestock pens, re-doing water lines, etc., this is what I am doing...
Since you know the amount of space you are working with, and you know the number of things you want to put in there, you probably already know, even if you really don't know it (sorry, trying to be funny) how big some things should be. This would be, how long the roosting bars should be, how long this or that should be, how many rows of laying boxes, etc.
You will be cutting out the size (working on a 1" scale) of things. For example, Your shed will be 5' X 8', your base of drawing will be 5" x 8".
The items you cut out will help you place them onto the shed cut-out, move them around... It would give you a bird's eye view of the final... I know this sounds kinda crazy, maybe silly, maybe this isn't what you were looking for, but I hope it helps.  I have saved myself lots of extra effort by using this type of planning.
If you do this, then imagine when you walk in, then on the right, what you will see, then imagine yourself doing your chores, your chicken's behavior, then how it opens up to your yard, etc... it may help you to be more creative in itself.

One thing I agree with you on.  The poop board. People are so clever about this, but The best ones I have ever seen are those that slide in like a tray into an oven, then you just pull it out, dump it off, or spray down with the hose, then slide it back in.  This way, evey your children or grandchildren might not be opposed.... just an idea.

Since my coop is going to be very large, I am hoping to do the same thing, but mine will be several of those pull out boards in a row, maybe 2' wide each.

Good luck.

Hello again!
I can't remember what the space requirement per hen is. Do a search on byc. I did that some time ago as well. Another thing to consider is the type of bird, bantam vs. Giants. In addition, will they be in a yard or free range during the day.
I hope my idea helps. Please let us know how it turns out.
Good luck

 

[iwiw60]

Hello again!
I can't remember what the space requirement per hen is. Do a search on byc. I did that some time ago as well. Another thing to consider is the type of bird, bantam vs. Giants. In addition, will they be in a yard or free range during the day.
I hope my idea helps. Please let us know how it turns out.
Good luck

Oh, I'm sorry! I forgot to mention earlier I already have my chickens...well, chickies actually!

I bought 4 Black Australorp wanna-be hens (!) on April 2nd, and they're getting SO big now! They're at that "teenager" stage...looking all gawky, bouncing off the walls of the brooder, etc.!! So I'm only planning on the 4 which should be plenty of room considering how large I'm making their run. Their run will be very large as I can't allow them to free-range. Breaks my heart but with the predators we have here...racoon, badger, fox, coyotes, and worst of all hawks, I just can't risk it. The neighbor down the road lost his entire flock of 14 RIR's to a fox this winter..eek! My coop and run will be built like Fort Knox!

 

[cutenmchick]

Awesome! Don't feel bad about them not free-ranging. Part of raising animals is making decisions about what is best for them, and keeping them safe is best for them. It would be terrifying for them to be pursued by a predator and come to a terrible death, or see the others in the same pen be dragged off in a violent manner. Everyone has an opinion on what is best, and if one should have chickens if they can't free-range them, but, you have to do what is best for you. I think if you keep your chickens well cared for, and they understand that the area they are in is what is allowed, they come to know that is what is best for them.

Where I live, I have cyotes, skunks, wild dogs, stray dogs, then those dogs that folks don't keep locked up, owls, and hawks. Although I would love to let my girls out every day, some days they just cannot be let out of their coop to free-range. Although we are on 5 acres, sometimes I just can't protect them unless they stay inside their coops.

Enjoy your new hobby and the joy and sustinence the girls provide for you. They will most likely provide entertainment as well.

p.s., if you decide to try to let them free-range while you are home, or particular days of the week, or whatever, make sure you train them. There is a response from "Sunny Side Up" on 7/3/10 here on bycs that gives a pretty good example of training your chickens to return to the coop. That really makes a big difference.

 

[iwiw60]

Thanks for your reply...appreciate it for sure! Yes, I've been feeling a bit guilty about deciding to keep mine confined to their run, but like you said you have to do what's best for them in the long run.

BTW, my shed is being delivered today via Reddaway Freight Lines...I'm watching the road as we speak...eek!!!

 

[iwiw60]

UPDATE!! I'm so excited!!! Thursday afternoon my neighbor and I are going to put the wood foundation floor down and BUILD MY COOP/SHED!!! Yay!!!

I gotta get these chickie babes OUT of my house!!!