Just another FNG building a chicken coop

[bjmoose]

Mrs. Bjmoose has wanted chickens for years now, and has been getting more incessant. So for Christmas, I'm giving her a tiny chicken coop Christmas tree ornament, along with a promise to build a real coop.

So I've been googling everywhere about what a coop ought, and ought not, to have.

• Predator safe
• about 3+ sq foot per chicken
• nesting boxes
• high perches, not in draft
• ventilation. LOTS of ventilation
• suspended food and water, though that's probably outside when the weather's nice
• LOTS of cleaning access
• Dry, warm when it's cold, cool when it's warm
• Disassembles into six discrete parts for moving if necessary (floor, four walls, roof)

And landed on something roughly like this. The roofline is similar to my firewood shed, which I also built.

 

[diamondsilkies]

Are you planning on letting them free range at all? If so, how often?

 

[Teila]

G’Day from down under bjmoose Welcome!

What a wonderful Christmas gift .. bet you both get heaps of enjoyment out of being chicken parents!

Tick all the boxes you have listed except I believe the general rule of thumb is 4 square foot of coop space. Plus, 10 square foot of run each and 2 foot of roost. Perches definitely higher than the nest boxes.

Anyways, this Coop & Run Forum is probably going to be a good starting point.

You might be interested in downloading this free e-book My First Year With Chickens

I do hope you enjoy being a BYC member. There are lots of friendly and very helpful folks here so not only is it overflowing with useful information it is also a great place to make friends and have some fun.

You might want to also Find Your State Thread and pop in and say hello. The folks there should also be able to assist with environment and local predator recommendations.

Personally, I have found the Topic of the Week articles a great resource and a one stop shop for questions which may have already been discussed within the BYC membership group.

Best wishes for a bright and cheerful Christmas and a Happy New Year! I am thinking your gift will be well received.

 

[007Sean]

Howdy Moose Happyto have you join the family. Enjoy your time here at BYC!
You've come to the right place to find out everything you need to know about raising chickens.

 

[bjmoose]

Thanks for the replies. We live in the city on a 70x100 urban lot surrounded by an 7' redwood fence. I'd love to let them range over the entire yard, but don't know how practical that is.

If we get six chickens, that's definitely four sq feet per. Goes down to three if we go up to eight.

 

[bjmoose]

We have cats. I assume that if they both have access to the yard, the chickens are big enough to defend themselves from ordinary housecats? Or is that complete stupidity and they must be separated at all costs?

 

[Smuvers Farm]

Hiya Moosie!!

Let me call in some coop experts: @aart @rjohns39 @Molpet

 

[Wickedchicken6]

Hello and welcome to BYC!! It’s so nice to have you join us.

This video may help with learning how to navigate this site.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask one of us.

 

[Flashpoint]

We have cats. I assume that if they both have access to the yard, the chickens are big enough to defend themselves from ordinary housecats? Or is that complete stupidity and they must be separated at all costs?

My chickens, ducks and turkeys would eat my cat if they were so inclined. As it is, the cat spends a lot of time in the coop shed with all the birds and she (nor me) has ever had an issue.

 

[Pork Pie]

Hello and welcome to BYC. I'd suggest reading this link - http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-much-room-do-chickens-need