Helpful hints for building coops

[Tlmcq]

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

Yes PDZ is great too. I've used it in past. Shavings are ok, I prefer pelleted pine like ya use for horses better tho. I use pelleted pine and straw for my ducks. I've used all kinds of "litter" and do switch up from time to time..find myself always going back to paver base sand. Cute coop. I had considered the Rubbermaid shed idea, but I have 90% of material already here to build a wood one so it was financially better choice for me.

 

[Tlmcq]

I am planning on using a removable tarp sling under my staggered roosts and poop board on other roost for easier cleaning and to keep it a bit more tidy.

 

[biophiliac]

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?

The math works out to 16 birds, otoh, .nothing is ever big enough!
I will be interested to hear how it works out for you.

 

[Tlmcq]

The math works out to 16 birds, otoh, .nothing is ever big enough!
I will be interested to hear how it works out for you.

I hear ya there. Which is why I'm going to keep the 2 smaller joined coops my birds are in now... Chicken math can be a disease around here...lol

 

[Tlmcq]

I will probably be building a different coop next spring or converting my shed and trading this one out to ducks or storage, but I wanted to get the chickens straight before winter as the one they're in now isn't ideal for winter. And since I had majority of material already here and soon to be running outta nice weather to build it works out for now.

 

[jvls1942]

I never cared for A Frames.
I don't like bumping my head.
yours is 6 feet tall. but how far to the right or left do you have to go before it is 5 feet? 4 feet?

a ridge vent is plenty of venting.
Aart, I think the 1 foot square foot is the recommended area for a chicken.
In a house venting situation. it is one squalre inch for each 200 square inches of flat ceiling.

in that coop, if you leave a one inch space at the ridge it should be plenty.
and if you let the chickens out each day, the open door alone would vent it .
and the cracks between the rear wall boards is plenty of venting, too.
if in doubt, take all the cracks and add them up. it would be a pretty large hole.
you should be OK with the 15 chickens in there.

 

[aart]

Aart, I think the 1 foot square foot is the recommended area for a chicken.

Nope. 1sqft of venting per chicken is what I meant, can't cite the source tho.

 

[The Farmers' Daughter]

Question.
I'm planning on painting my coop (exterior gloss). I'm using flat 2x4s for the roosts. Can I paint those too or will it be too slippery for them?

 

[shartnett5]

Husband went wild and helped me wrap up a coop w a hoop run. 6 by 8 w a hardware cloth door for ventilation. Not including nest boxes. They bump out to the left. Hoop turned more a frame-ish as he grabbed the wrong cattle panels. He decided to put them up to see if i liked them. I need to add a bunch more U bolts but i like it enough. Just need a tarp. He tarped the coop roof for winter. I read ventilation is key for health. After the run is tarped, the front stays open. The roosts are to the right of the door. Nest boxes to the left. Food and water still need to be hung but currently on floor near nests. I hope that is enough air cushion to prevent drafts. I was confident when I planned it. It went from 88 to 62 in a day. And now I am nervous

 

[shartnett5]

Run is 12 long, 10 wide. 8 birds for now. prob double the run in spring. Babies in brooder have their own winter coop and run. But wont stay there after spring because I hate it's location