Location of Coop

[ArborChicks]

I have a small barn that I was going to incorporate the coop into one of my goat stalls; however, the more I read, the more I am wondering how good of an idea it is. My barn is very well ventilated and light - however I do keep horses and goats in it as well.

The birds: 6 Standards (3 GLW and 3 EE) and 8 Bantams (3 OEGB and 5 Sebright)

The Questions:

1) Is your coop in an already existing building or is it a separate building all by itself?

2) If your chickens are kept in a building you use for other things, how much do you notice the smell?

3) I plan on having poop trays under all the roosts that will be cleaned daily. As for the rest of the bedding I was considering doing the deep/composting litter idea in winter, but for the summer I was going to try and keep it fairly well cleaned out.

4) If you would go with a separate building/make a new coop what would be the dimensions needed for the above chickens when they are full grown? Or more realistically because chickens are addicting - how big should the coop be for 10 standards and 10 bantams?

Thank you!

 

[aart]

2) If your chickens are kept in a building you use for other things, how much do you notice the smell?

My coop is in part of a large shed, where garden tools and other things are stored.
It's not the smell, it's the dust...it'll coat everything, thickly, that is not regularly handled.

In your climate, unless you have a run that is covered and blocked against snow and wind, make your coop twice the recommended minimal square footage of 4sqft per bird.

This is how I keep things 'clean':
-I use poop boards under roosts with thin(<1/2") layer of sand/PDZ mix, sifted daily into bucket going to friends compost.
-Scrape big or wet poops off roost and ramps as needed.
-Pine shavings on coop floor, add some occasionally, totally changed out once or twice a year, old shavings added to run.
-Runs have semi-deep litter, never clean anything out, just add smaller dry materials.
-Nests are bedded with straw, add some occasionally, change out if needed(broken egg).
There is no odor, unless a fresh cecal has been dropped and when I open the bucket to add more poop.
That's how I 'clean', have not found any reason to clean 'deeper' in 4 years.

If you're going to go for a new stand alone coop, look at the Woods coop.

 

[ArborChicks]

Thank you for your response!

In your climate, unless you have a run that is covered and blocked against snow and wind, make your coop twice the recommended minimal square footage of 4sqft per bird.

When I read this number I am slightly confused still. Does the 4sqft per bird include heigh of the coop? Are roosts/rungs considered to add additional sq ft as opposed to just counting the "floor print"?

I certainly see the coops selling online that say they are for such and such a number of birds and they seem tiny! For example TSC sells a coop/run set-up that "supposedly" holds up to 18 birds that is 105 in. x 84.6 in. x 77 in.

My indoor stall/"coop" would be 96 inches x 96 inches x 108 inches being conservative in my measurements. My run would be 1200 inches by 480 inches added on to the previous numbers.

 

[aart]

When I read this number I am slightly confused still. Does the 4sqft per bird include heigh of the coop? Are roosts/rungs considered to add additional sq ft as opposed to just counting the "floor print"?

Just the floor space of the coop only, clear open walking around floor space,
tho the poop boards can offer 'another place to be' during 'cabin fever season'.
Height is important for ventilation tho.
Here's some height tips when planning your coop:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/coop-stack-up-how-high-should-stuff-be.73427/

I certainly see the coops selling online that say they are for such and such a number of birds and they seem tiny! For example TSC sells a coop/run set-up that "supposedly" holds up to 18 birds that is 105 in. x 84.6 in. x 77 in.

They lie.period. They maybe are using old commercial req's of 1sqft per bird<shrugs> I don't know how they calculate their numbers, but they are BS.

10sqft per bird in run is the oft cited 'rule of thumb' here on BYC,
but many have found that to be tight too.
There are a lot of variables as to how much space they really need,
so it's hard to put a hard number on it.
Here's a good article by RR about Space.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-much-room-do-chickens-need

 

[Percheron chick]

The biggest positive of having the chickens in the barn with the goats and horses is ease of chores in the winter. One trip out to the barn and done. They don't generate any more dust than another horse would. Another plus is if you let them free range they will work the poop piles cleaning up any fly and worm larvae so will naturally decrease nuisance bugs in the summer. Using an existing stall will be the cheapest way to go. 4 nesting boxes and 2 full length roosts and you're in business. Try it for a year and if it doesn't work, then build a dedicated coop.
20 birds will comfortably fit in a 8x8 stall.