I Can't Stand It!!!

[jenkassai]

How on EARTH does one pick a coop design?!?!? There are so many to choose from, I'm terrified I'm going to make the wrong choice!!! And then terrified I'm not going to have enough ventilation or the right ventilation for our winters

I NEED to buckle down and make a choice though, so we can get started!!!!! I have only 7 chicks but am planning a big coop in case there are days that they can't or won't go outside due to bad weather. My Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens said 10 sq ft per chicken if they will be cooped up (ha ha!). I am actually planning on doing 10x10 or therabouts because I have some large breeds, AND just *in case* I add to the flock in the future

We will be insulating the coop, and I had read something about putting a drop ceiling over the roost area to help contain body heat in the winter. Where are the best places to add ventilation? Are roosts supposed to be higher than windows? Below windows? On a wall without windows?

 

[zengrrl]

I had the same issue but then we decided we had to work with what we had, a large building on the property. That made it alot less fun

No cute shingles and cedar sides on a huge building!

 

[HoglundH]

Oops you live in Michigan! Just make sure the chickens have lots of fresh air. Cold is ok, damp is not!

 

[FiveAcres]

I found a ton of great ideas in the link below....

 

[Smoosh]

That's exactly how I feel, but I've finally settled on a design.

 

[VelvettFog]

Quote:
I have purchased these plans. Be warned - the materials list is no where near accurate.

 

[whitehousechix]

I found a really nice cedar shed kit at the home improvement center by my house, and just fell in love, added some windows and the pop door with the sawzall, and it was cheaper then if I had bought all the lumber and with all the miscuts we would have had, it took 3 days to build and my chickens couldn't be happier, its on my page. check it out. and Best of luck.

 

[bryan99705]

Start with the number of birds you want, the enviroment your in, the restrictions / laws you have to deal with and whether you're urban or rural. Pick a general design you want and whether you need stationary or molile. This will help considerably in the decision process. If you would like, post your ideas and maybe we can make some suggestions to help you