Let me see your simple design walk in coops

[cityturncountry]

I'm going to go look in the chicken coop section. We are building a new coop for my big hens (and to integrate all of my chicks as soon as the littles get big enough) and moving the littles into the old coop because my husband says the basement stinks too much

He says he wants to make it 10x6x6 so I can walk in it and it'll be enough for all my hens when they're all together (23). He says he wants to make it all with 2x4s and have the sides open completely during summer and close it up when it gets cold. I tell him we just need to close it all up and add windows. Tips, advice, etc. We don't want any fancy cutouts or nest boxes.

 

[chiques chicks]

For floor dimensions, go with multiple of 4 feet. Less cutting, less waste. I suggest a slopped roof, easier to build.


I used 2x3's and built like a frame house. Built the frames, erected them, then sheathed in plywood. The window openings were built into the frames, then I cut out the plywood after sheathing, screwed lumber to the cutout potions and hinged them for vents that can be opened in the summer (I actually rarely close them).

 

[dheltzel]

For 23 birds, you really need to go larger, 8x12 at least. I agree about going in multiples of 4 ft, I try to minimize cuts when building, that makes the best use of the expensive materials.

 

[chiques chicks]

Moving the people door to the tall side without the angle would make construction easier. I couldn't do it due to the location I wanted the nest boxes.

 

[21hens-incharge]

This is mine. 8x14 currently has 32 chickens in it and it is overcrowded. It can hold a max of 26 since the nest boxes are inside. Yes I know I know to many chickens in there.
When sizing a coop the space taken up by nest boxes and food dishes etc should be subtracted from the overall dimension in order to get an accurate view of actual usable room.
I have divided the coop and the old ladies have the rear section while the younger ones the front. There is a roost along the back wall and two along the left/short wall in the second pic. It is very tight with that many birds in it. I am praying I do not have issues this winter with them. The old ladies were supposed to have been culled out leaving 21 hens in this space. There were many issues that came up and prevented the culling.

Moral of the story is build it bigger and build it once. This coop replaced 5, yes 5 smaller coops.

I would agree using the dimensional lumber to your best advantage would mean an 8x12 or an 8x16 coop. Bigger is better when dealing with chickens and winter cooping needs.

The coop was built with the studs on 2 foot centers and the windows were framed in while I prefabricated the walls in the workshop. I made the windows myself. It was not hard with a miter saw and some 1x3 lumber.

You can use the cut out piece of lumber to make hatches instead of windows easily enough.

This is the best pic I have of one of the hatch windows.


I had just hung it and if you enlarge the pic you can see the hardware that holds the piece of siding in the frame.

 

[LaurelC]

Here's mine 12x12x6. The roosting loft could easily be modified to run the length of the enclosure and have 2 bars giving you 24 linear feet of roost. The way that I've built it, the 2 interior walls of the loft are easily removable so they don't need to be up during the heat of summer.

 

[Folly's place]

Here's mine; enclosed coop is 10'x17', and open air area is 13'x17'. Built over an existing 24'x18' foundation, so secure. It's still due for staining, but finished otherwise. I overwinter about 30 birds, I/3 of them are bantams. mary

 

[rubbleanddebris]

Ours is more than enough space for the 6 ladies we have and everyone can walk right into the run and coop. We also built it almost for free.