Help!

[whispurr]

We had purchased a chicken coop from a local company. It was about was supposed to be delivered by last week. But today they told us that it wouldn't be until the middle of next month. We canceled the order because we needed it weeks ago. Now I need to have our handyman build it and I need some good plans for a basic chicken coop. I tried looking on here but there's 1200+ pages of info on here. I just need plans to tell my handyman. I only have nine chickens now but would like to get up to 20. He could build a basic shed but I need a way to get into the coop and an easy way to collect eggs is there anything someone could suggest? Thank you.

 

[perkolator]

I only have nine chickens now but would like to get up to 20….is there anything someone could suggest?

Look at the Articles on large coops and draw inspiration: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/categories/large-coops.20/

 

[DobieLover]

We had purchased a chicken coop from a local company. It was about was supposed to be delivered by last week. But today they told us that it wouldn't be until the middle of next month. We canceled the order because we needed it weeks ago. Now I need to have our handyman build it and I need some good plans for a basic chicken coop. I tried looking on here but there's 1200+ pages of info on here. I just need plans to tell my handyman. I only have nine chickens now but would like to get up to 20. He could build a basic shed but I need a way to get into the coop and an easy way to collect eggs is there anything someone could suggest? Thank you.

I converted a shed into a coop. You can have him build a basic shed type building with windows, human door, pop door, poop boards and roosts and nest boxes.
You can take a look at my coop build article or the many other shed to coop conversions on this site.

 

[Tookie]

If your going to get up to 20 chickens you need at least 80 sq ft of coop space, 200 sq ft of run space, 20 linear ft of roost, 20 sq ft of permanent ventilation, and about 4 nesting boxes.

 

[whispurr]

If your going to get up to 20 chickens you need at least 80 sq ft of coop space, 200 sq ft of run space, 1 linear ft of roost, 1 sq ft of permanent ventilation, and about 4 nesting boxes.

I'm thinking 8x10 for the coop, 10x20 for the run. I will also free range.

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC. Where, in general, are you? Climate matters, especially when it comes to housing and there are some things that work in a hot climate that aren't so good in a cold climate and vice versa.

The usual guidelines break down a bit when you get to very large flocks in very large coops, but here are the numbers for 20 chickens as a starting point:

20 hens

• 80 square feet in the coop. 8'x10' is the most practical because 7'x12' or 6'x14' require a lot of weird cuts.
• 20 feet of roost
• 200 square feet in the run. 10'x20', 12'x16' or 8'x25' as suits the land available.
• 20 square feet of ventilation.
• 5 nest boxes.

Here are some links to large coops and shed conversions to help you figure out what you want.

Large Coops

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/alaskan-woods-coop.75752/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/my-coop.76267/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/post-and-beam-styled-coop-run.76181/reviews
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/le-palais-de-poulet-the-chicken-palace.67196/
https://countryliving.blog/2021/06/15/my-coop/

Shed Conversions

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-mulligan.74743/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-coop-page.65912/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-scoop-on-a-rubbermaid-big-max-coop.76444/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/toy-shed-conversion.64879/

 

[whispurr]

Thank you for all that. I live in NC, so hot (90+) and cold (teens) in the winter.

 

[3KillerBs]

Thank you for all that. I live in NC, so hot (90+) and cold (teens) in the winter.

from Moore County in the Sandhills.

Consider an open air coop. They're wonderful in our climate.

Instead of turning into a rotisserie in the sun, my coop is the coolest place in the yard. I don't have a coop page for it yet, but it's featured in my article on hot climate chicken keeping: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hot-climate-chicken-housing-and-care.77263/

Here are some Open Air coops:

Open Air Coops

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/jens-hens-a-southern-texas-coop.75707/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/my-positive-local-action-coop.72804/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/california-living.68130/

Note, I have a large flock of 23 adults and some juveniles. I suggest planning a way to divide your coop. I'm having to retrofit that in mine so I can separate my pure Australorp breeding flock from my mixed laying flock.

 

[whispurr]

I'm thinking this one with a few changes. Put nesting boxes up higher is the main thing. And only 5 nesting boxes. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-coop-deville-2019.75320/

 

[whispurr]

from Moore County in the Sandhills.

Consider an open air coop. They're wonderful in our climate.

Instead of turning into a rotisserie in the sun, my coop is the coolest place in the yard. I don't have a coop page for it yet, but it's featured in my article on hot climate chicken keeping: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hot-climate-chicken-housing-and-care.77263/

Here are some Open Air coops:

Open Air Coops

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/jens-hens-a-southern-texas-coop.75707/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/my-positive-local-action-coop.72804/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/california-living.68130/

Note, I have a large flock of 23 adults and some juveniles. I suggest planning a way to divide your coop. I'm having to retrofit that in mine so I can separate my pure Australorp breeding flock from my mixed laying flock.

I don't quite understand. You only make 3 walls? It seems like that would make it easier for predators to get them. Snakes, racoons, and do groundhogs go after them?