My first chickens, my first coop, I have questions

[Gypsi]

I'm about to go to the feed store to find out what breeds I've got, one was black barred, and I think they are both large fowl. (Having seen some adults and pullets(?) at my mechanic's, whose shop is 3 doors down from the feed store.) I have 5 brown and 4 black. Need to go get more chick feed anyway, I don't always get in from work before they close during the week..

I had planned 12 nest boxes, 3 upper, 3 lower, on each side of this chicken house, with horizontal hinged door access for cleaning, the center foot of the house is chicken wire and will have 1 by 2 slats over it. Perches planned to be over that wire...(I don't have a lot of time - trying to minimize cleaning). 3/8 inch plywood for construction to minimize weight - I'm working on this alone with 2 kids, ages 5 and 9. My grown childrens' interest in helping mom with projects died around the time they turned 21. Fortunately my power tool collection went up around the same time. I didn't have a plan for an indoor feeding area, although I've made a rough automatic feeder for the inside of the brooder I built out of 3/8 plywood and pondliner (for waterproofing). It's a 1.5 gallon lidded bucket with 3 half inch holes drilled out of one side, sits on a big bucket lid with a rim that keeps the feed "on the plate". Chicks still haven't figured out how to eat out of the holes, I have to shake food out for them onto the lid.

The original drawing was in pencil and blew away in the wind last week. I guess. It disappeared anyway. But I kept the design simple, my roofed run is 6 ft high, and by the time the house is done, the roof peak will be right at 6 ft. Hopefully this image insert will work. If I'm not going to need 12 nest boxes, how can I best use the space I've got laid out, and where would the best place for the nest boxes be?

 

[Ridgerunner]

You only need 1 nest box for every 4 hens. You could probably get by with two for nine hens if you want to try, but I'd go with three. Certainly no more needed unless you get more hens.

I'd try to keep those three together and as low as possible. You want the roosts to be higher than the nests so they won't want to sleep in the nests. They poop while they sleep, so you want your nest boxes clean. I think you figured that out.

This looks like it is 5' x 4' for 9 chickens. With feeding and watering outside and if you are in an area where they can get outside every day, you might be OK, but I'd give serious consideration to making it maybe 4' x 8'. Plywood comes in 4' x 8' sheets and most lumber in 8' lengths, so you might not need that much more material for the extra size. I'd also suggest some roof overhang on the sloping sides so you can leave ventilation vents up there and cover them in hardware cloth and still keep the rain out.

Once they get bigger, you migth want to consider a feeder like this photo. I think those holes are about 2 to 2-1/2" wide. Oneof these days, I'm going tohave to measure.

Good luck!!!

 

[Gypsi]

Thanks for the tips!

I'm in North Texas, except for USUALLY rare 3 day spans in winter - they can get outside every day. - the run is 12' long, 8 ft wide, 6 ft high, fully covered with 1 inch chicken wire, except for the end with the 4 ft tin roof at the end. I'll post a pic when I have time to take one and process it for upload. (Hawks, feral cats - the chickens need the chickenwire roof...) and they love chickweed and henbit. Which I seem to grow substantial amounts of where I have sun. I was thinking about overhanging the roof. Right now I have the option of a 6 inch overhang with the materials I've got. Still have extra 12" wide plywood from a project a year ago for the access doors to shelves on the side - about to run out of 2x4 again, and am totally out of 2x2. But with yesterday's winter storm I wasn't working on it anyway, and the chickens were in a bit rubbermaid tote in the kitchen. Standing water in their run. We've had an abnormally high amount of precip this year.. They are back outside now.

I'm guessing the nest boxes and sleeping ledges need a piece of 1x2 or 1x4 at the perimeter, which will let me deep bed with something? bark mulch, cedar? more questions. I have straw for the nest boxes, right now I'm using it for everything, having exhausted the newspaper supply.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't use chicken wire on the run. A dog, fox, raccoon, or coyote can tear through that like it was not there. I used 2' x 4" welded wire. You can use the chicken wire at the bottom of the welded wire to keep the chickens from poking their heads out, reaching for grass, where the predators can get to them. Chickens will do that. We lovingly call them bird brains for a reason.

I'd use the 1x4 as the perimeter edging and to keep the nesting material in. You'll probably find that going a little higher might be a better solution. They scratch and throw that stuff everywhere.

I use wood shavings purchased from Tractor Supply as bedding. They don't mark it real well as to what the wood shavinga are, but try to stay away from cedar. Cedar releases fumes that can be bad for the chickens respiratory system if it gets too concentrated. I have used straw and wood shavings in the nests. Both work. I stay away from straw as a litter for the floor of my walk-in coop. It tends to mat together and can be hard to remove. For your coop, it would probably be OK. Different conditions, different solutions. If the straw is cheap or especially if it is free, you can certainly try it and see how it behaves for you.

 

[bigstack]

On the coop I am building now my nest boxes are kinda like wings. They are on the outside of the coop. This maximizes inside coop area and still allows for easy acces to the nest boxes. Roughly I just pulled the nest Boxes out of the walls. instead of framing them inside the coop they kinda hang off the sides. I will try to add pics but it will be tonight before I can. The roofing tin just extends out over the nest boxes and protects them.

Good luck and God Bles!

 

[WoodlandWoman]

What an exciting project!

I see you have perches in your plan, but also mentioned sleeping ledges, with bedding in them. Chickens usually sleep roosting on a 2x4, pole or branch, as a perch. They don't need ledges to sleep on. A 2x4, flat side up, will keep their toes warmer in the winter, as they crouch down and their feathers/bellies cover their feet. I do give them smaller perches to use when they're young, but they grow really fast and end up with pretty big feet. I gently round the edge of the 2x4, if it needs it, just so it isn't a sharp edge.

Looking at your plan, it looks like you are planning to have an open bottom on your coop, covered in chicken wire? It's hard to find a wire for the bottom that is sturdy enough to prevent predators from getting in, has openings small enough to prevent predators from reaching in and has openings large enough to let the droppings fall through. Chicken wire is also stretchy and I can see it bulging, if it clogs with chicken poop. Maybe the slats would give enough additional protection, with the wire. If they are down on the slats, a raccoon could reach up through there, though, if it tore through the chicken wire. How wide is the gap between the slats going to be? Others with more experience using a design like that may be able to comment on it in a more helpful way. With a less secure pen, you definitely need a very secure coop to lock them in at night.

If you're committed to using a wire floor, I'm wondering if it would be safer to enclose the bottom in 1/2" hardware cloth, around the legs? You could make a frame for one side, that opens up like a door, for cleaning. I guess it depends somewhat on what your predator situation is there and how you feel about potential losses.

 

[Gypsi]

I am thinking about winging the coop, bringing the nest boxes out to maximize space. I do have some corrugated tin for roofing, and I do have a metal blade for my circular saw, so I can shorten it from its 11 ft length. But at the moment, I don't have any help for that section of the project. Will have to recruit a helper before I put the coop together if I use tin.

2x4 fencing I can add when I can afford it.

On security, I changed my dogs out last year. Any dog that chased cats found a new home, as preparation for getting chickens. The 2 females that migrated elsewhere would have presented a significant threat to the chickens.

The remaining dogs, a german shepherd/border collie, a miniature dachshund, and a rottweiler mix, have not the slightest interest in wild birds or my house cats. I crate them when I have the coop open and let the chickens roam the yard.

But because of the large dogs being out in the yard a lot of the time, and an unpredictable pattern on their being out, and a 6 ft privacy fence with an interior chain link fence, I have yet to see a raccoon in my yard. Feral cats (ordinary housecats gone wild) very occasionally hop that fence, but not often, could be a fatal error. A skunk worked its way thru a pair of gaps once, it was fatal, the dogs were out. (and stunk), and a poor little possum spent a short period between fence lines before finding his way back out after a severe barking session. I do have local coyotes, and they hop 4 ft chainlink all the time, but they have never hopped my 6 ft fence.

My chief worries are rats, snakes and red-tailed hawks. Those, and a green heron, have visited my yard and presented problems in the past - but I don't know if they are a danger to chickens.

Right now the coop is far from secure, part of the upper chicken wire isn't even wire, it's old window screening draped (4 to 6 ft level), that I can reach past, but is enough barrier to keep not terribly bright chickens in, and would at least irritate a serious cat or hawk effort. The door to the brooder is an old t-shirt, the chickens can push past to let themselves out in the morning, and in at night. Got to go out and be sure they went in when I put the heat lamp on. They were sleeping on the ground under the coop when I got in from work at 9:30. (They've been out under these circumstances for a couple of weeks now, but I always put them to bed when I get in.)

I'd best get better fencing on the coop, and get it secure, because there is no way I can always be home to lock them in a chicken house at night, and get out there to let them out in the morning.

Thanks for all your tips. Wings for nest boxes, and 2x4 welded wire... On the list. Tomorrow is my day off. I have something near 100 miles to drive and 3 appointments. I suspect the chicken house will get finished on easter sunday... Owing to a neighbor's tree pruning business, I have a significant pile of aged hardwood mulch - might be ok for chicken house floor?

 

[bigstack]

I couldn't get pics up last night. sorry! I will re try tonight. I used the 2x4 fencing to fence around my chicken house. They will be able to walk under the coop to escape the sun or rain. I have a plywood floor. I coverd the area under the roost with old linoleum. That way I can open a door I made to access this area and use a hoe or rake to clean out all the droppings. I ran the roosts down the middle of my coop. 7 roosts 7 feet long or roughly 45 to 50 chickens. I made them 16 inches apart starting 8 inches from the floor. I have JG's so i made them a lil more than the standard 12 inches. 16 nest boxes 8 on each side. I srill have to close each end and do the final touches. But so far I only have bout $100 in it. It is 8ft x 8ft x 5ft tall (not counting peak hight) I got an old tin building from a neighbor for $50 plus a bunch of old rough cut 2x4's. I used this and some old oak 4x4's I had laying around. I will have 2 ramp doors and the 1 clean out access door. I will be adding 4 vents into the eves and thinking about 2 windows. All the pen area is 2x4 welded wire and electric. I have a BUNCH of expanded metal waste (18x28) I am thinking of linning the bottom of the coop area and ground using these. I have about 50pcs. I worked for a manufacturer and these were just tossed into the scrap bin. I knew I could use them. Just wasn't sure what for. LOL I used a few to make new BBQ racks and some on my 4 wheeler trailer. But I still have 40 + left! I figure NOTHING will be able to get through these babies!!! As for rats, mice and snakes..... I'm not sure yet! I have found some suspiscious holes in the empty coop floor already. I.m thinking about puting some poison blocks into the holes then covering with dirt before I add wood chips for litter. Most wood chips/shavings/sawdust is ok for litter as long as it doesn't have cedar!!! You may also want to be careful with chicks and sawdust. Others should be ok.

Good Luck and God Bless!

Try to get pics added when I get Home.

 

[bigstack]

its not the best pic but you get the idea.

Good Luck and God Bless!

 

[Gypsi]

I don't see a human sized opening for cleaning, and my arms aren't 4 ft long (although I daresay I could take off front and back and use a wide broom.) Thanks for the pic.

I do not think I would put rat poison anywhere a chicken could get to it, btw...even covered with straw or something.