My new coop

_Rubyrebel_

Hatching
Apr 30, 2020
6
5
8
Calgary Alberta
I’m in the process of designing my new coop and I was wondering what’s the recommended size of coop and run for 25 egglayers. Also what are some mandatory things that I probably haven’t thought about needing in my coop and run.

Thanks in Advanced
 
I’m in the process of designing my new coop and I was wondering what’s the recommended size of coop and run for 25 egglayers. Also what are some mandatory things that I probably haven’t thought about needing in my coop and run.

Thanks in Advanced
Excellent that you are asking these questions before starting up the saw.
The basic recommendation is that full size chickens should have 4 sq ft per bird in the coop and 10 in the run; I think 15 sq ft is much more practical. These are guidelines for sure as every situation is different. However, the big thing to remember is that chickens need a lot more space than you think and things can get nasty fast if they don't have it.

You need 1 nest box for every 4-5 layers. I had 25 layers at peak population with 5 boxes and that was never an issue.

You need a lot of ventilation. As in LOTS. Lots of newbies think they need to keep their coop warm in the winter and that really isn't true. The chickens can keep themselves warm as long as their coop is dry and the way to achieve that is through ventilation. A great place to put ventilation is between the rafters at the soffit with a corresponding ridge vent and/or gable vents.
Hinge windows on top so they can be left open even during downpours.

Heat will kill more chickens than cold will. Chickens like to spread out their wings on hot summer nights while roosting to help themselves cool down.

Design a run that has some deep shade. I always recommend a run with a solid roof but I realize that is not in a lot of peoples budget.

Make a coop and run you can walk in. There should be no openings larger than 1/2" anywhere in the coop. To achieve this, it is recommended that you secure all openings with 1/2" hardware cloth.

I also LOVE the poop boards in my coop. I scoop them clean each morning. I only have to change the coop floor bedding out annually because of this and my attached predator proof run that enables me to leave the pop door open 24/7 so the chickens aren't pooping all over the place in the morning waiting to be let out of the coop.
ready for chickens.jpg
finished coop and run.jpg
 
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Excellent that you are asking these questions before starting up the saw.
Yes, it's refreshing, eh?

I’m in the process of designing my new coop and I was wondering what’s the recommended size of coop and run for 25 egglayers. Also what are some mandatory things that I probably haven’t thought about needing in my coop and run.
@DobieLover has covered it well.

Just will say...Welcome to BYC! @_Rubyrebel_
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!
1588369061801.png
 
Yes, it's refreshing, eh?

@DobieLover has covered it well.

Just will say...Welcome to BYC! @_Rubyrebel_
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!
View attachment 2117854
My climate can get hit 40°c in the summer and -40°C in the winter Thank you for welcoming me :)
 
My climate can get hit 40°c in the summer and -40°C in the winter Thank you for welcoming me :)

That is a pretty extreme temperature swing! Depending on how the run is set up (i.e. if you plan on weatherproofing the run for winter) you may want to go oversized with coop, like 6 to 8 sq ft per bird rather than the usual 4 sq ft minimum, because if the birds cannot or will not go outside in winter, crowding in the coop can lead to behavior problems.

At the same time, for summer, you definitely want ample ventilation in the coop to prevent it from turning into an oven. You'll still want good amount of ventilation in winter as well, but that's more for letting moisture out of the coop (dry birds = warm birds). You may need to provide heat in winter... normally I wouldn't recommend that but with extreme cold it is something to consider.
 
That is a pretty extreme temperature swing! Depending on how the run is set up (i.e. if you plan on weatherproofing the run for winter) you may want to go oversized with coop, like 6 to 8 sq ft per bird rather than the usual 4 sq ft minimum, because if the birds cannot or will not go outside in winter, crowding in the coop can lead to behavior problems.

At the same time, for summer, you definitely want ample ventilation in the coop to prevent it from turning into an oven. You'll still want good amount of ventilation in winter as well, but that's more for letting moisture out of the coop (dry birds = warm birds). You may need to provide heat in winter... normally I wouldn't recommend that but with extreme cold it is something to consider.

I consider myself a noob but for a couple years, 30 years ago, I rehabbed and repopulated an old farmer's dormant operation with 30 birds. It was in the CO Rockies with the same temp swings, and what rosemarythyme said here is exactly how he explained his set up. I'll just add FWIW that although there were vents he also blocked out the wind between the pine boards by stuffing the stud spaces with straw, held in by chicken wire on the inside, and the building itself was shaded by trees in summer and sunlit in winter.
 

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