Newbie here.. OK, We have the coop built. We live in southwest Missouri. We have 2 week old chicks (44, so far). We thought we could handle more?? Anyway, It is 12 ft (sides) x 16 ft. (nearly 200 square feet). It has a "shed," type roof (front high, back low) 8 ft front, 6 ft back wall. Metal roof, over OSB. We have 2 windows on the (west) back wall, and the front is 4 ft opening for the door (not done yet), and a large window. On the sides (north and south) we left the top triangular area (where the 8 ft goes down to the 6 ft) open, covered with chicken wire), for ventilation. No plan to cover these vents, even in winter. We used OSB, and have covered it all (inside and out, floors and walls) in oil based glossy porch paint, as recomended on another thread. No insulation and no inside walls, just lots of paint. My questions are: Plan is to build the nests on one of the 12 ft side walls. How many and what size? How about bookshelf looking nests, 3 high? No nests open to the outside. Is it wise to have the roosts along the back wall (3 - 16 ft long roosts made of 2x4s, about 16 inches apart??)? All 3 same height? How would we do a poop board? I don't understand how that works. Is it a board on the floor, or elevated and close to the roosts? Is it a board covered with linoleum or tin or what? If it is 16 foot long, how could I move it? No electricity, as it is quite aways away from the source. Also want to have a storage area for supplies on one side, should it be a room, or just a big box with sloping lid? Do we need to cut out little "chicken doors?" Can I use sand on the floor, or only pine chips? Is sand only for older chickens, or what age chicks? We will have a very large (huge) outside run. Please advise. Any suggestions welcome! Thanks in advance.
