Large flock of laying hens (I need advice)

[justing]

My daughter got a loan from the USDA and we are going to expand her egg business. We plan on having 200 hens. I want to build one structure that can service four separate flocks of 50. I am assuming that separating them is correct. The problem is...I don't know anyone that manages more than 20 or 30 hens. Folks either have 20 hens or 32,000. Please help!

 

[JackE]

Check out pg 45, of the link below. It has plans for a Wood's style coop for 100 birds. Just build two connected together, and there you go, a coop for 200. These coops were the egg industry standard back in the day. I have a smaller version of the Woods, and it has been a great coop for me.
Jack

http://archive.org/stream/openairpoultryho00wood#page/44/mode/2up

 

[what did I do]

That sounds interesting. We have a bunch of birds but nothing simi commercial. Does your DD have a candling license? What is she selling the eggs for? Where is she selling the eggs?

We have our chickens in 3 different coops, they all free range so often one coop will end up with more chickens than the other coop. My coops are just old buildings that were built 50 years ago. I can tell you that with that many birds ventilation is important. Chickens put off a lot of heat and moisture.

 

[justing]

Thank you JackE, that looks like good info. A local resturant has agreed to buy our eggs, so we will sell to them and to people at our jobs.

 

[what did I do]

Just thinking, you need a place to grow out replacement chicks. I take it you will re-hen every year.