Hi from NC

[leaferikson]

Hey there! I'm brand new to keeping chickens (or any animals outside of house pets). I'm planning to start with a small flock of hens this spring. Currently researching and planning building their coop. Excited to learn from you all!

 

[OrpingtonManiac]

Welcome to BYC!
Good luck with coop building!

 

[007Sean]

Howdy, and Welcome to Backyard Chickens.

Happy to have you here with us. Enjoy your time here at BYC!

Thanks for joining our community!

 

[muddy75]

Welcome to BYC!

 

[TesoroSena]

Welcome! Coop building is always fun, best of luck!!

 

[Tookie]

Hello, and welcome to BYC! Nice to meet you.

For the coop, make sure each bird has at least 4sq ft of coop space, 10-15sq ft of run space, roughly 12ft of roost, and 1sq ft of 24/7 ventilation. Depending on where you are located, you may need more space. If you free range a lot then you could get away with a bit less space, but that also depends on where you are located as well. If you get colder winters then you'll want more coop space since they'll spend more time in there.
I also recommend using 1/2" hardware cloth. Its the best to protect against predators. Don't use chicken wire since it has big holes and is very flimsy, predators can just rip right through it. You also want to have an apron around the whole coop and run to prevent digging animals from getting inside.

 

[DobieLover]

Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.

 

[Debbie292d]

Hiya, and welcome to BYC!

You will find a ton of information about both raising chickens and building coops, and more, in our Learning Center.

We're glad you're here!

 

[CCsGarden]

Welcome!

 

[User690263]

Welcome to BYC! Good luck building your coop