i finally got a bigger coop,now for the questions!!!

[mom wewantchicks!]

sorry! no pics yet,my camera was dead!! well i had 6 hens and a roo living in a rubermaid building we had converted into a coop. a few windows some roosts,and a nest box wallaa!! but i needed more chickens! so finally i haulled this old building from my parents house to mine (ok i didnt do it,i paid someone!!) it is just a regular barn style building,nothing fancy. it is 8x10 so here are the questions.
8x10=80 sq feet,so that is room for 20 birds going on 4 sq foot per bird correct?
how much roost space does each bird need?
ive seen branches used as roost,if they are wide enough,what are the pros and cons of this idea?
if i have a window in the back,and a sort of "screen" door (useing hardwire cloth) will that be enough air flow?

i think that is about it for know, i plan on keeping mostly heavy breed birds and building a nice size run,and some freeranging. my idea is add roosts,a door,a run,nest boxes,feeders and some ventalation.im hoping to have it all done by this weekend,when dh is home on vacation!!

 

[Omran]

I have a 10x8' coop and have two 10' long roosts in it and 26 10 weeks old pullets in it, they seem very happy with the roost.
I am going to mix them with my other 9 hens when they get 16 weeks old, so they will have way more room.
a window and a screen door are enough in summe, but in winter they still need ventilations, so you still have to make a ventilationsholes in the top of the walls, so they get enough air in winter, but no draft.
I have no Idea about the branches.

Omran

 

[AHappychick]

you could do both branches and 2x4's so they have the option. thats what I have done

 

[monathequeen]

Dear WV, Congrats on your new adventure. The spacing between birds is recommended at 12 inches apart. All birds like to huddle at night wether it's cold or not outside so they will all mostly all the time be inches apart from eachother. (and they will fight and knock eachother off the roost constantly to establish their places and dominance. It's a natural thing they do so dont freak out !! )
If you have 6 hens and a Roo, you should have atleast a 8ft. roost going the whole width of the coop and a 10 ft roost going the length. It sounds like you want more chicks so this roost (both directions) will be plenty. The roost should be 2in.x 2 in .otherwords, square with rounded corners.
The use of branches is a great idea as long as the branch is atleast 2in. wide and the branch MUST be secured so it dosen't sway back and forth..... If the branch is wider, thats ok because the more they have to wrap their toes around the better. They need to be able to "Grip" the branch or board so thet dont fall off and most importantly, theyt can develope deformaties in their feet if they have too small of a roost to clutch to at night.....also place the roost about 2 feet off the ground. If it's too high, they will have a hard time "Jumping" up to the roost.....Go to Google and look up "Raising Chickens and there is Tons of info for you...Good Luck...Have Fun....Ray

 

[monathequeen]

I forgot to tell you, clean the roost once a week with water and a little bleach. All around the board...this will kill mites and the chickens will love you for it. Mites live mostly under neath the board and attack the birds at night and suck their blood. It's hard to get rid of them once they infest your coop..so ....clean,clean,clean...

 

[PacsMan]

Quote:
Will DE kill mites? I always seem to get bleach on my clothes!

 

[Kitchenella]

Mine have a 1 x 4 in the coop for a roost. I also put a nice branch in the run that they won't go near. Dumb clucks.

Peggy

 

[monathequeen]

Pacsman, What is DE ? Sorry I havn't heard of it. Wear cloths that aren't a big deal to throw out....b leach and water are the best I have ever used. My Chicks never seem to have mites when I check them. I also let them out in the run where they take dirt baths...they roll around in the dirt for hours and get rid of any nasty ceitters living on them....they must have access to dirt for that reason.

 

[Judy]

Many in colder climates use the flat side of a 2x4 for roosts, so the chicken's whole foot is on a flat surface. Lets them sit on their toes so they will not get frostbitten.

De will kill mites. On the FAQ page, there are links to several threads about DE. Many here use it, including me, but it is a bit controversial, plus the wrong kind will kill them, so read up on it.

I have mostly read between 8" and 12" per bird for roost space.

 

[PacsMan]

Quote:
DE is Diatomaceous Earth. Here's the best page on DE I've found.

Yes, it will kill mites, and much less caustic than bleach...

Marty