Helpful hints for building coops

[aart]

Rule of thumb have heard is 1sqft of vent per bird,
but that can be impossible depending on size of coop.
And different climates have different ventilation needs.

How many birds do you plan on keeping in there?
You're going to have a ridge vent, per se, at the peak?
Do you have a layout of where nests, roosts, feed/water will go?
Will it be all coop, or part run too?

Problems I see with A-frames are:
-Tight head room both for keeper and birds,
hard to do your stack up of vents above roosts above nests.
Roosts can end up so high there's no head room for getting up to roosts.

-Slanted 'walls' don't shed weather well. There's no real 'roof' to help protect vents and windows, you basically have to have a solid 'walls' all the way to the ground.
Might be especially difficult in deep snow areas.

Go with large (2-3') 'roof' overhangs on both ends.
Place coop where it is protected from winds,
where prevailing winds hit side rather than end.

Just my thoughts.

 

[Tlmcq]

It is all coop and yes ridge vent, actually leaving top 6 to 8 inches open in peak and solid roof with overhang all the way down. It's over 6 ft tall. I have 15 chickens presently. Back covered in horizontally stacked 1x6 decking boards so not completely air tight due to fractional space between boards. Door with window on each side of front the rest also covered in decking boards. Nest boxes on back wall. I wasn't originally going to go A frame, but in order to get size I needed with material I had on hand and minimal money spent it was what worked out best.

 

[tigger19687]

If that was just the roof and it was going on a Square 8'x8' x 6' tall I would say yes it would work.
That A frame is not going to work, maybe for 4 hens but NOT anywhere near 15 hens.

 

[Tlmcq]

It is on on 8x8 square and a bit over 6 ft tall. Yes, that is basically roof framing...no run all coop. It's 64 sq ft floor, where do you get only 4 hens?

 

[tigger19687]

Not trying to be an ass..... these are the things that come to mind.
I have a 7x7 coop, sq. and I can't see 14 hens in there for Winter and be comfortable.
Where does Food/water/roost go?
How deep will the floor litter be and will you clean it every day? Deep litter method?

Is there even enough 'wing room' to get up on the roost? If you figure 1 foot for each hen on a roost, how long is the roost? It looks like you would put 1 long roost of 8 feet. So 8 hens ? Unless you do 2 roosts 8 feet long? But then that also goes back to where the feed/water are going and there will be poop on them from being under the roosts?

 

[Tlmcq]

Feed and water has own station although I usually don't feed inside coop (they are let out just after sun comes up) it will be to right of nest boxes and I am doing two 8 ft long roosts closer to front, along with one lower on left side going front to back. I use sand for floor and clean 3-4 times a week if not daily using a pitchfork with 1/4 in hardware cloth over it( kinda like a big kitty litter scoop) and rake. And, btw, I welcome the input wasn't thinking you were being rude or anything. Just wasn't sure how you came up with your number.

 

[Tlmcq]

And 7x7 is 25 sq ft smaller than 8x8. They have a covered area outside for winter so they don't have to hang out inside all winter. I just have coop n "run" separate. They free range as much as they choose during daylight.

 

[tigger19687]

OH, they go outside ! I misunderstood.
I would still make the sides straighter, would be way easier for you to get in there. Plus will make more wing room for them to get on the roosts
Skip the sand, it smells from what others have said and my little back yard roost house has it and it smells. Easy to scoop poop but smells.
I have shavings and sprinkled PDZ on the floor of the coop (PDZ in the poop board- WAY worth it to have a poop board if you are planning). I will be adding more PDZ on the floor for Winter whent he time gets closer. I think it would be worth the price.
Shavings is cheaper then sand, at least here it is.
Click on MY COOP on the side there and you can see how I have mine.
But I only have 4 hens

 

[Tlmcq]

There nest boxes also do not take any room inside coop as they are attached for outside access. So y'all don't think 8ft by 8ft is big enough?

 

[Tlmcq]

I presently use sand. I know some people don't care for it but works great for me. I do not recommend sand for outside tho.