My new chicken trailer

[Gary Kenyon]

Good morning, everyone! So, I just finished building my new chicken trailer and thought I would share it with the group. It has 114 cubic feet of nesting boxes and two automatic feeders. It's 12 feet long, 7 feet wide and about 10 feet tall. I put a rain gutter on the low side of the roof and plan to put a large water collection container on the tongue below the two feeders. The nesting boxes are modular. Each one is 3 feet long by 1 foot tall and 18 inches deep. The floors of the nesting boxes and the coop itself are removable to make cleaning easier. I am considering getting some astroturf or something similar to cover the bottoms of the nesting boxes so that the girls don't scratch away all the bedding and end up laying their eggs on the wood below. My concern is that doing so would complicate clean up because of all the poo getting matted into it. What do y'all do to prevent this, or do you just let it be? I am trying to make this coop as cozy as possible because my chickens are free range and I am hoping to encourage then to lay their eggs where I can find them. Easter is fun and all, but not every day!

Thanks for looking, and I appreciate any feedback!

 

[Gary Kenyon]

Also, you can't see them very well, but I put 8 small Cedar logs across the top of the coop to provide space for roosting. I don't think it is enough, but it is a start. I am considering adding roosts in front of the nesting boxes in Hope's of preventing them from roosting on the edge of the box and popping in it.

 

[DobieLover]

Hello and welcome to BYC!
How many birds do you have?
You appear to have way too many nest boxes, not enough roosts and not enough ventilation.
What is the square footage of the floor?
I'd remove the upper nest boxes on both sides and probably one of the lower set of boxes.

 

[Gary Kenyon]

Hello and welcome to BYC!
How many birds do you have?
You appear to have way too many nest boxes, not enough roosts and not enough ventilation.
What is the square footage of the floor?
I'd remove the upper nest boxes on both sides and probably one of the lower set of boxes.

The floor is 84 square feet (12 X 7). There are two large (7 square feet) triangular openings at the top on each end covered with 1/2" hardware cloth for ventilation. Is that not enough? I'm not really sure where else I would add ventilation without creating a draft. As far as the nesting boxes go, I know all 50 chickens are probably going to pick one or two spots, but I figure this way they have plenty of options. I agree that I need to add more roost, as I mentioned before, I am considering adding some in front of the nesting boxes. Is there another area you would recommend instead?

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[DobieLover]

The floor is 84 square feet (12 X 7). There are two large (7 square feet) triangular openings at the top on each end covered with 1/2" hardware cloth for ventilation. Is that not enough? I'm not really sure where else I would add ventilation without creating a draft. As far as the nesting boxes go, I know all 50 chickens are probably going to pick one or two spots, but I figure this way they have plenty of options. I agree that I need to add more roost, as I mentioned before, I am considering adding some in front of the nesting boxes. Is there another area you would recommend instead?

Thanks for the feedback.

I really hate to say this but your coop should not house more than 21-24 chickens. And that many birds only need 5 boxes.
You can install HC backed windows with top hinged covers for winter or driving rain protection.
With the entire structure being sided and roofed with metal, it's going to get hot in there.

 

[aart]

so that the girls don't scratch away all the bedding....What do y'all do to prevent this, or do you just let it be?

I make the nests with a good tall front lip and shove a tight flake of straw inside.

because my chickens are free range

Do you already have these 50 chickens?

Also, you can't see them very well, but I put 8 small Cedar logs across the top of the coop to provide space for roosting.

Gonna be hard for them to get down from those without crashing.

I am considering adding roosts in front of the nesting boxes in Hope's of preventing them from roosting on the edge of the box and popping in it.

Hope in one hand.......

 

[rosemarythyme]

I don't know how difficult it'd be to cut in windows but yes some hinged windows should allow you to add ventilation while still buffering both drafts and weather.

50 chickens = roughly 50' of roosts. You'd need 4 bars running the long length of the unit. I'd consider removing all upper nest boxes and put 2 rows roosts above on each side, something like that. Plus some sort of hinged or removable ramp so they can get down without crashing.

 

[Gary Kenyon]

I make the nests with a good tall front lip and shove a tight flake of straw inside.

Do you already have these 50 chickens?

Gonna be hard for them to get down from those without crashing.

Hope in one hand.......

Yes, I already have them. I have had them for a little over a year. This cool is just a rebuild of the old one that was the same size. Several of them have been roosting about 20 feet off the ground in trees, so I am confident they can handle the 6 foot drop from the roosts I build.

Maybe when as I replace nesting boxes I will make the lips a bit taller. They are currently only about 1 1/2".

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Gary Kenyon]

I don't know how difficult it'd be to cut in windows but yes some hinged windows should allow you to add ventilation while still buffering both drafts and weather.

50 chickens = roughly 50' of roosts. You'd need 4 bars running the long length of the unit. I'd consider removing all upper nest boxes and put 2 rows roosts above on each side, something like that. Plus some sort of hinged or removable ramp so they can get down without crashing.

The roosts I have now add up to 32 feet. If I add some in front of the nesting boxes I could add another 24 feet.

Thank you for the feedback.

 

[Gary Kenyon]

I really hate to say this but your coop should not house more than 21-24 chickens. And that many birds only need 5 boxes.
You can install HC backed windows with top hinged covers for winter or driving rain protection.
With the entire structure being sided and roofed with metal, it's going to get hot in there.

Good to know. Maybe I will built another one some time.

Thanks for the info.