Input on Building Our Coop!

[RedMoxie]

Hi All,

We are looking at building a coop shortly (as soon as the temps get back into the double digits). We are reviewing a number of different designs but are thinking strongly about this one: http://www.thegardencoop.com/large-chicken-coop-plans.html. I'd value any general input from anyone, and we also have a couple of specific questions.

1. It says for up to 16 chickens--though we will only have 10, we are still wondering if the dimensions would workout. Is this actually enough space for 10 hens? What about 12 (because I know me)?

2. How far should parallel roosting bars actually be in a 3 foot wide coop? If we stagger them, is there an optimal distance?

3. Any major drawbacks to this design? We are total newbs. I've scoured the boards here and realize that this might not be as easy to clean as a walk in, and it probably wont be possible to do deep litter (which we love the idea of) given the somewhat small interior...but other drawbacks we should consider?

4. Any other designs we should look at for 10-12 hens? I've seen a number of designs on the boards here, but we would be looking for something that has GOOD plans--my husband is decent when it comes to building, but I'll be honest--I'm a bit of a spazz when it comes to tools .

5. We live in Maryland where we get some snow and single digit temps, but overall a moderate climate. Will the hens ever roost in the run, or will they most likely all head into the hen house every night? On a related note, do we calculate the necessary square footage only by the hen house, or is the entire enclosed area part of the calculation, to include the covered run with roosts?

 

[Heather80...]

If you live in a cold climate then you will need to tarp the screened section in the winter. Hens hate drafts in the winter plus the snow blows in. Make sure you don't just use screen either. A predator will go right through that. I recommend a 1/4" galvanized mesh wire fencing then you don't have mice getting in. You can get it at any home improvement store. There should be 1 nesting box per 2 birds. I have 5 hens and 1 roo and all the hens use the same nesting box to group them together so I would just watch there behavior if you need to add more or not. If the hens ever lay there eggs outside the coop you can get fake wood eggs or ceramic and put them in the nest to show them where to lay. But on occasion my hens will drop one outside of if I let them run around the yard they might leave one under the tree lol. Chickens are so fun to watch! They truly have their own little community. Enjoy and good luck!

 

[Heather80...]

I would bury the mesh wiring too about 8 inches down.

 

[wamtazlady]

Cute coop but almost too small for 10 chickens. Allowing 4 square feet per bird, that coop is set up ideally for 8 birds. If the nesting boxes are inside the coop that takes away square footage. The run should have about 10 square feet per bird so it's perfect for the 10 you have.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Love that design but make it BIGGER! The recommended space (minimum) is 4 sq ft per chicken in the coop & 10 sq ft per in the run but always PLAN BIGGER due to Chicken Math. The roost in the pics is 2x4 up on edge, it would be better the bigger side up gives them more space to keep feet/legs warm during the cold months.

Heather80 is right on about using 1/4 hardware cloth/galvanized wire, some use welded wire & bury the wire. Remember mice & rats can climb ... Not sure of your location & what kind or predators you'll be dealing with.

I have only 4 BOs & had two nest boxes but they all pile into one. Prior to these girls I had 5 Blue Wyandottes, they all piled into this "nest". I use a HUGE plastic dog house for a nest, it's elevated & under their night roost that has a poop board under it with PDZ. Scoop up their night poop in the morning. I chose going DLM, love it, fermenting their feed, they don't poo so it's easy pick up. Mine don't free range but they seem content in their enclosure, I do put them in the mobile run weekly when I clean their space.

 

[Folly's place]

That coop is way too small! Consider a garden shed, either prebuilt, or from plans, with added ventilation and windows. For twelve birds (more?) you would want at least 50 sq. ft. in the coop, and 100+ sq. ft. in the attached run.
You will regret anything except a walk-in coop!
My ideal, if I could build from scratch, would be a Woods coop. Mine is a shed with additions, and works well, with a small roofed run.
Mary

 

[aart]

Tho 'Garden Coops are one of the very few decent plans out there, they are still smallish on their population estimates. The 3' depth is for ease of human 'reach' when tending to birds and cleaning a raised coop, but it does present difficulties for the birds movement and fitting feeders and such.

If you have the space, building a basic shed would be a good way to go (plans for those are readily available as far as I know), then modify plans for a chicken coop:
Good roof overhang all around 12-18".
Open eaves and gable and/or ridge vents for year round ventilation.
Top hinged windows for summer ventilation.
Roosts, nests, manure management are all variable, many options.
Planning for birds needs as well as keepers access and ease are both important.
Take your time planning, get some graph paper and do some sketching.
Read a lot, take notes. I use(d) a Word doc and a spread sheet file to save info and links under headings like coops, roosts, nests, etc. Makes things much easier to find later. Planning for chickens, and the first year of keeping them, is like getting a sip of water from a fire hose.

Here's some tips on the height of things:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/coop-stack-up-how-high-should-stuff-be.73427/

 

[RedMoxie]

Tho 'Garden Coops are one of the very few decent plans out there, they are still smallish on their population estimates. The 3' depth is for ease of human 'reach' when tending to birds and cleaning a raised coop, but it does present difficulties for the birds movement and fitting feeders and such.

Aart--thanks that is really helpful info. I checked out your coop and it looks great. Did you raise it for the purpose of building it into a coop, or was it already elevated slightly? We have a great garden shed that would make an excellent coop, but it is at the worst possible place on our property (in a bit of a bowl that floods, surrounded by poplars that host all varieties of predators). We've thought about trying to move it, but that seems beyond our engineering--it is very old and likely to not make it in one piece.

 

[aart]

Did you raise it for the purpose of building it into a coop, or was it already elevated slightly?

Shed existed. I only let them use part of underneath, have it fenced off about 4 feet back, so I don't have to crawl too far if necessary.
Stays dry under there, now that I've fixed the drainage thru that area and add a wind block in winter, they can dust bath all winter.

 

[Welshies]

That coop is pretty small. Here are some things you should be considering when building a coop:

• Ventilation- whether or not you live in a cold climate or a hot one, you'll need lots of ventilation. If you live in a cold climate, consider making your ventilation closable or openable- although you want some ventilation always open. The standard rule of thumb is 1 square foot of ventilation per 10 square feet of coop space.
• I would suggest 6 or 8 square feet of space per bird in your coop. It allows for chicken math- basically, you're going to want more chickens.
• Roosts- 10" of roost space per bird is the general accepted measurement.
• Walk in- make it walk in or trust me, you will regret it.
• Nest boxes- 1 nest box for every 5-8 hens.
• Storage- where will your feed and bedding be stored?
• The run- do you want to have a grass run where your birds forage totally naturally? If so, you'll want around 50 square feet per bird in the run (or even more, they wear it down fast). If you plan to put bedding like DLM, sand, or shavings in the run, 10 square feet of space per bird will do.
• Breed- breeds like Silkies often do better with lower roosts. Breeds like Old English Games and Sumatras do better with more space than other breeds. Birds like Leghorns, Rhode Island Reds, Sex Links, and Orpingtons adapt well to confinement. Breeds like Plymouth Rocks, Dominiques, Delawares, Australorps, and Ameraucanas are good foragers but also do well confined.
• Purpose- will your birds be for meat or eggs? If you are raising broilers you'd want a larger area to raise lots of birds quickly. If raising for eggs, you'd want to make the most of your space and have lots of nest boxes.