Lots of questions from a new member!

[Mustard Tiger]

Not really sure where to begin, and my apologies if this thread gets long-winded, but figured it would be better to put all my initial questions in one thread (or all my eggs in one basket!) instead of several smaller threads.

I’m located in the foothills of the Cascades in Southern Oregon. The climate here is much different than the more populated areas of the state. It’s basically high desert, and climate is nearly identical to Denver. Warm/hot dry summers and winters where it can vary a lot with below freezing temps and several feet of snowfall or you can have temps in the 50’s on. Christmas Day them sleet dumped on the next day or not have any snow for weeks or months. But temps to regularly get below freezing especially at night here. Last winter in February we got almost 4ft of snow in 5 days and this year there nothing on the ground right now.

I am about to start building my first coop. The run will be between 100-128 square feet (haven't decided if I will extend the run longer than the original plans), and will house 0-10 chickens and a rooster. I have all the materials spec'd out and in the cart ready to go, and have my materials list made and plan to begin building in the next week or so, weather permitting (there's snow in the forecast). I recently finished up a woodshed for additional firewood and can't wait to start building the coop!

Here's a pic of my firewood shed just before it was finished (still had to secure the roof and finish the edge trim in the pics, so I'm pretty confident I'll be able to build a nice coop after building that firewood shed.

Coop location: I live on two acres. I have a spot picked out where it's close enough to where I can easily see the coop from the house (I've attached a picture below). Area gets great shade among some lodgepole pine and cedar trees which means shade in the summer. The plan is to have them contained in a predator-proof 8'x16' run attached to the coop on the days I work and then they can free-range during the day on the days I'm home (I work three days a week, 12+ hour shifts). When the chickens are free-ranging they will have a combination of forest with lots of pine needles and duff to scratch through and an area that is bare dirt that gets direct sun and is host to a lot of large ant colonies. My neighbors who have a lot of chickens said their chickens go crazy for the ants, and let me tell you, there's plenty of them on that side of the property that will be adjacent to the coop.

The coop would go on the other side of that line rocks and water trough in the background, between the line of rocks and the hammock.

Here's a picture of the coop I plan on building. Only difference is it will be flipped around with the coop on the right and run on the left and I may extend the run an additional 4ft.

Floor in the run and coop: Plan is to just use the natural dirt since the run will be under a metal roof and will stay dry on its own. It can get a bit dusty in the summer though, and was wondering if this is actually a good thing? I'm assuming dusty is better than muddy or to help with dust baths and preventing things like mites, etc., or should I put down some other substrate in the run like sand, shavings, etc? I do have an endless supply of pine needles from lodgepole pines that I could use. Last year I had over 3 tons of pine needles during spring cleanup, so that's an option for a substrate in the run and coop and it would be absolutely free and the supply would never end. Also, can I use the pine needles on the floor or the coop?

Water collection and preventing freezing: I am considering collecting water using a gutter on the run into a rain barrel and using a system similar to what is pictured here:

I can keep the water from freezing in the rain barrel, but not sure how to keep it from freezing in the PVC pipe and connection going from the rain barrel to the PVC. The alternative would be to abandon the rain collection idea and just use some something like the Omlet insulated waterer or a heated poultry waterer that I would have to refill regularly. As you can see in the coop location photo I posted above, there is a freeze-proof hydrant right there where the coop will be that I installed last summer which means I have easy access to water in the winter, so it's not the end of the world if I need to refill their water every other day or so.

Solar power: What's your setup for solar? Would be nice to have a simple solar set-up at the coop for the automatic door, a small exhaust fan and to plug in a warmer to keep water from freezing in the winter. How many watts of solar panels and how big of a battery are you running for a small coop?

Predator proofing: Since I live in the forest predators are a big concern. There are coyotes, foxes, raccoons, bobcats and mountain lions in my backyard. I've only seen a mountain lions on my property once in the two years I've lived here and saw one jump over a fence in to a neighbor's property once, and I doubt they will care about the chickens since there are endless wild turkeys and deer for them for hunt here, and the coyotes never come onto my property but I can only hear them at night in the distance. My biggest concern are the foxes. Every night I have a pair that come through my property and hang out for hours. I love seeing them and would be great to start seeing fox pups in the spring, but don't want them eating my chickens. I will be using 1/2" x 1/2" vinyl-coated hardware cloth on the run and exterior of the windows on the coop. Also plan to bring the hardware cloth down the edge of the run onto the ground and line the entire perimeter of the run with large rucks (just like pine needles, I have an endless supply of rocks and boulders). Instead of using staples I plan on attaching the hardware cloth with screws and fender washers for added strength.

I'm sure there's plenty of questions I forgot to ask and will be posting more soon. Thanks to everyone who make it this far and took the time to read through all my questions and offered advice!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Hi, welcome to the forum, glad you joined!

Where are you located? That could help a lot on a lot of questions. For this, it would help to know your climate. How hot does it get in summer? How cold can you get in winter? I'm looking for extremes, not normal temperatures. Do you see snow?

Coop location:

My main consideration for coop and run placement is drainage. If water drains to your coop or run and stands there you have a problem. Not only is it messy, it can harbor diseases and stink. As long as to stays dry you can handle the other things.

Floor in the run and coop:
Plan is to just use the natural dirt

My coop floor is on the ground and is dirt. Mine is on a slight rise plus I used swales and berms to keep rainwater from running into it. I also added a few inches of dirt to the floor of my coop to raise it above the natural level to help keep it dry and drain better.

since the run will be under a metal roof and will stay dry on its own.

No it won't. Even if water does not run in when it rains hard, rain and snow will blow in from the sides. I also have a metal roof on mine and it still gets pretty wet when the weather sets in wet for a spell. That's why drainage is important.

It can get a bit dusty in the summer though, and was wondering if this is actually a good thing?

Dry is much better than wet.

Also, can I use the pine needles on the floor or the coop?

Certainly. For the coop people use wood chips. wood shavings, hay, straw, dirt, sand, Spanish moss, shredded paper, just about anything and everything you can think of. No matter what you use somebody on here can come up with a reason why it won't work, yet many people still use it safely. That's just the nature of a public forum.

You main concern is the poop. If it dries out it will not stink or be unhealthy. If it stays wet it will stink and harbor diseases. If it gets too thick it will not dry out. In your type of coop I'd want a bedding that absorbed moisture and protected the wooden floor so it doesn't stay wet and rot. Pine needles can do that as long as you maintain them. If they get damp, change them out.

I'd either put linoleum on the floor or paint it with a good paint to protect it from moisture. You do not want it to rot.

I'll mention this here. I assume your coop is 8 feet x 4 feet. The nests don't count and your run is 8 feet wide. That is tighter than the normal recommendations for coop size for 11 chickens. But if you consider your run predator safe, just never close your pop door so they have access to the run if they need it. That usually works as long as weather doesn't keep them out of the run. But with that many chickens (11) in there, poop will build up. You are going to have to manage it.

My run is a lot bigger than yours and is just dirt. Although covered it gets wet when the weather is wet but it drains fairly well so it doesn't stink. I dumped some bags of pea gravel in strategic locations so I can get around when it is muddy. Many people with runs like yours use some type of bedding. With pine needles being free they should work for you. If they stay wet they could start to stink so you'd need to dry them or replace them.

Water collection and preventing freezing: I am considering collecting water using a gutter on the run into a rain barrel

I use a similar system to collect rainwater for my garden, into a rain barrel. But I only do that in months it will not freeze so I can't help you.

I also have a frost free hydrant for easy access to water year around. In winter I use black rubber bowls for water. If you put them in the sun they will keep water thawed down into the teens Fahrenheit. When they freeze I just turn them over and stomp or beat the ice out. In summer I use white bowls that stay cooler and try to keep them in the shade.

Solar power:

I don't do solar. I ran a line to the coop.

Predator proofing: Since I live in the forest predators are a big concern. There are coyotes, foxes, raccoons, bobcats and mountain lions in my backyard.

Probably bears too. About the only thing that stops a determined bear is electricity.

Just build it as solid as you can. I also use screws and fender washers to attach hardware cloth, but I add a strip of lathing under them to really clamp the wire down. That also covers the edges to make it harder for the critter to get a grip and pull it off plus it keeps me from cutting myself on the sharp edges.

To stop digging predators I use an apron. Lay a strip of mesh wore like hardware cloth about 12" to 18" flat around the outside of your run. Attach it to the bottom of your run so nothing can get through. The idea is that a critter goes up to the fence and starts to dig. It hits the wire and does not know to back up. It's really effective and
is usually easier than burying the wire 12 to 18 inches. I bury mine about 2" to keep it laying flat and away from weed eaters. That just means remove the turf and put it back over the wire.

Just some things to think about. Good luck and once again,

 

[Mustard Tiger]

Hi, welcome to the forum, glad you joined!

Where are you located? That could help a lot on a lot of questions. For this, it would help to know your climate. How hot does it get in summer? How cold can you get in winter? I'm looking for extremes, not normal temperatures. Do you see snow?


My main consideration for coop and run placement is drainage. If water drains to your coop or run and stands there you have a problem. Not only is it messy, it can harbor diseases and stink. As long as to stays dry you can handle the other things.


My coop floor is on the ground and is dirt. Mine is on a slight rise plus I used swales and berms to keep rainwater from running into it. I also added a few inches of dirt to the floor of my coop to raise it above the natural level to help keep it dry and drain better.


No it won't. Even if water does not run in when it rains hard, rain and snow will blow in from the sides. I also have a metal roof on mine and it still gets pretty wet when the weather sets in wet for a spell. That's why drainage is important.


Dry is much better than wet.


Certainly. For the coop people use wood chips. wood shavings, hay, straw, dirt, sand, Spanish moss, shredded paper, just about anything and everything you can think of. No matter what you use somebody on here can come up with a reason why it won't work, yet many people still use it safely. That's just the nature of a public forum.

You main concern is the poop. If it dries out it will not stink or be unhealthy. If it stays wet it will stink and harbor diseases. If it gets too thick it will not dry out. In your type of coop I'd want a bedding that absorbed moisture and protected the wooden floor so it doesn't stay wet and rot. Pine needles can do that as long as you maintain them. If they get damp, change them out.

I'd either put linoleum on the floor or paint it with a good paint to protect it from moisture. You do not want it to rot.

I'll mention this here. I assume your coop is 8 feet x 4 feet. The nests don't count and your run is 8 feet wide. That is tighter than the normal recommendations for coop size for 11 chickens. But if you consider your run predator safe, just never close your pop door so they have access to the run if they need it. That usually works as long as weather doesn't keep them out of the run. But with that many chickens (11) in there, poop will build up. You are going to have to manage it.

My run is a lot bigger than yours and is just dirt. Although covered it gets wet when the weather is wet but it drains fairly well so it doesn't stink. I dumped some bags of pea gravel in strategic locations so I can get around when it is muddy. Many people with runs like yours use some type of bedding. With pine needles being free they should work for you. If they stay wet they could start to stink so you'd need to dry them or replace them.


I use a similar system to collect rainwater for my garden, into a rain barrel. But I only do that in months it will not freeze so I can't help you.

I also have a frost free hydrant for easy access to water year around. In winter I use black rubber bowls for water. If you put them in the sun they will keep water thawed down into the teens Fahrenheit. When they freeze I just turn them over and stomp or beat the ice out. In summer I use white bowls that stay cooler and try to keep them in the shade.


I don't do solar. I ran a line to the coop.


Probably bears too. About the only thing that stops a determined bear is electricity.

Just build it as solid as you can. I also use screws and fender washers to attach hardware cloth, but I add a strip of lathing under them to really clamp the wire down. That also covers the edges to make it harder for the critter to get a grip and pull it off plus it keeps me from cutting myself on the sharp edges.

To stop digging predators I use an apron. Lay a strip of mesh wore like hardware cloth about 12" to 18" flat around the outside of your run. Attach it to the bottom of your run so nothing can get through. The idea is that a critter goes up to the fence and starts to dig. It hits the wire and does not know to back up. It's really effective and
is usually easier than burying the wire 12 to 18 inches. I bury mine about 2" to keep it laying flat and away from weed eaters. That just means remove the turf and put it back over the wire.

Just some things to think about. Good luck and once again,

Thank you for all the incredible advice! I edited the thread and added in climate conditions.

Regarding drainage, that isn’t a concern of mine. Even with that woodshed I built on the same type of ground the chickens will be on, runoff isn’t an issue and it’s dry underneath. There’s enough duff on the ground around that area that it soaks up the rain water and it rains so infrequently here and the ground doesn’t get so saturated that it begins to pool and puddle. Even the uncovered, dry, bare dirt out in the open sucks up water pretty fast here. It’s very arid here, low humidity, high desert climate. We get rain but it’s not like the humid and rainy northern parts of the state like Portland. With the coop roof and being in the trees that’s a very dry area, which is one of the main reasons I chose that particular site. When it rains there are dry patches underneath those trees in that area. If I ever do encounter any run off I can easily devise something to divert the water. I can build berms or a break with the tractor, but don’t really see that being a big problem. My neighbors have three much larger coops out in the open on the same row of ground and flooding/drainage isn’t an issue for them as well.

My plan with the inside of the coop, especially the floor is to paint it with a few coats of an exterior porch paint to protect the wood and give it some durability so it doesn’t absorb the moisture and poop combined with some sort of bedding. I considered using pine needles because I literally have tons and all I do is burn them in the spring because they’re a fire hazard. Pine needles in the run is easy as well. And changing them out would be a breeze since I rake pine needles on the property all the time. The used/solied pine needles would simply go to the burn pile. I also have ash from my wood stove that I could repurpose in some sort of way if that’s beneficial to the chickens. Dust bath area or sprinkle the ask on the coop floor under the pine needles for added moisture absorption?

When calculating the square footage of the run (not the coop) it’s 128 square feet (8’ wide x 16’ long if I extend the run from 12’ -16’. From what I’ve read you want 10 sq ft per bird, so 128 sq ft seems adequate for 10 birds.

I don’t want to run an extension cord from the house to the coop. Just do like the aesthetics and it would be in a spot where I’m always driving over it with the tractor.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don’t want to run an extension cord from the house to the coop. Just do like the aesthetics and it would be in a spot where I’m always driving over it with the tractor.

I buried a line in conduit that met code from breaker box to breaker box. I also had a storage shed attached so I had a good spot to put the breaker box. So I had lights and power. Most of my tools were still where I had to plug them in with an extension cord instead of battery powered so that extra location 200 feet away really came in handy. Times have changed.

 

[StinkyAcres]

How wide will the coop be? It looks quite small for 10 chickens, especially in an area that gets snow and cold. Aim for at least 6 square feet of coop floor space per bird, 1 foot of roost length per bird, 1 square foot of open ventilation per bird, and 10+ square feet of run space per bird.

 

[Mustard Tiger]

How wide will the coop be? It looks quite small for 10 chickens, especially in an area that gets snow and cold. Aim for at least 6 square feet of coop floor space per bird, 1 foot of roost length per bird, 1 square foot of open ventilation per bird, and 10+ square feet of run space per bird.

Coup is 69-1/4” x 62-3/4” which is 11 square feet. 6 feet per bird of coop space doesn’t seem right. Plenty of people use this particular coop build for 10 birds and it’s been super popular and never heard of of anyone only using it for just 2 birds if it’s only 11 square feet for the coop and 100-128 square feet of run.

Here’s a YouTube link of the built coop:

 

[pennyJo1960]

Welcome to Backyard Chickens. This is a great place to hang out.

 

[thecatumbrella]

Warm/hot dry summers and winters where it can vary a lot with below freezing temps and several feet of snowfall or you can have temps in the 50’s on.

Overhead ventilation will help negate both these issues. Here's my favorite article on the subject.

I'm assuming dusty is better than muddy or to help with dust baths and preventing things like mites, etc., or should I put down some other substrate in the run like sand, shavings, etc?

I'd put substrate down, like wood chips. It's fun for them to kick around and helps prevent puddling.

The alternative would be to abandon the rain collection idea and just use some something like the Omlet insulated waterer or a heated poultry waterer that I would have to refill regularly.

If you go this route, I suggest the Premier 1 heated waterer over the Omlet. Sounds like it's been a bit of a flop for people with freezing over.

Would be nice to have a simple solar set-up at the coop for the automatic door

A lot of auto doors use simple batteries that last 6-12 months, so you cross that off the solar list!

Apologies if there's repetitive advice. I'm about to eat pizza, so typing out in a hurry. And welcome to the site!

 

[Mustard Tiger]

Overhead ventilation will help negate both these issues. Here's my favorite article on the subject.

I'd put substrate down, like wood chips. It's fun for them to kick around and helps prevent puddling.

If you go this route, I suggest the Premier 1 heated waterer over the Omlet. Sounds like it's been a bit of a flop for people with freezing over.

A lot of auto doors use simple batteries that last 6-12 months, so you cross that off the solar list!

Apologies if there's repetitive advice. I'm about to eat pizza, so typing out in a hurry. And welcome to the site!

Thank you!

 

[Sefirothe]

Coup is 69-1/4” x 62-3/4” which is 11 square feet. 6 feet per bird of coop space doesn’t seem right. Plenty of people use this particular coop build for 10 birds and it’s been super popular and never heard of of anyone only using it for just 2 birds if it’s only 11 square feet for the coop and 100-128 square feet of run.

Here’s a YouTube link of the built coop:

I have an 8'x12' shed divided in half with a wall to make the back half coop and front half storage. So the chicken accessible area is 48 sq ft. My run is 12'x8' and roofed.

These last couple weeks of brutal cold (mostly single digits) none of my 13 chickens wanted to be out in the run very much. We all very much appreciated the 48 sq ft available in the coop this winter let me tell you.

Also, I don't normally wrap my run, tho if I did that may have helped. The shed normally blocks the prevailing wind which helps keep the run dry along with the roof. We got 14' of snow a couple weeks ago and there was at least 8' of snow in the run that I ended up shoveling out to encourage the girls to venture out to food and water.

Just know that more space is always better. I'm definitely pushing it with 13 hens in this space, but 10 of them are 4 month old pullets so its working for the moment. I realize I'll probably have to rehome a couple of them this spring/summer when they come into lay and the pecking order switches up.