My "new-to-me" coop

[Doopy]

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It has 4 windows and all open 100% and have 1/2" hardware cloth screens. All of the eaves are open with hardware cloth. So there is plenty of ventilation.

 

[Doopy]

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Great idea. Before this terribly cold snap came along I had been cleaning the floor, walls, and nesting boxes of poo and straw. When I get all of the crusty stuff out of there I will certainly use some Clorox spray. Thanks.

 

[teach1rusl]

4 x 8 = 32 sq. ft. I didn't see where you guys are, but based on the snow cover I'd say it's a place that gets cold winters...lol. The "ideal" rule of thumb is to have 4 sq. ft. of indoor space per standard sized bird. People in warmer weather areas can get by with less than that pretty easily, because the birds are pretty much strictly inside to roost at night time. But in cold weather areas, chickens often spend quite a bit more time inside (during colder months), so it's nice if you can adhere to suggested guidelines. More space means happier birds, less irritation and pecking. So I would not go over 8 birds myself. Four nesting boxes is PLENTY for that many birds. JMO, but because your nesting boxes sit on the ground, and assuming you have a waterer or feeder inside, I would suggest 6 chickens, because there will actually be less useable space than 32 sq. ft. And if you go chicken crazy, you could always fix up the goat side...lol. You will have so much fun!!!

ETA run comment: 50 x 30 is HUGE!! I guess the previous owners had the goats and chickens in together before??? If you're just having chickens, you should be able to keep grass in their run with no problems. THAT would be great!!!

 

[Doopy]

The entire building size is 16' x 8' and is divided into three 4' x 8' areas. The goat pen on the right, the entry area in the middle, and the chicken coop on the left. I could expand the chicken coop area to 8' x 8' or 16' x 8' but I do not want to have more than 8 chickens. At least for now.

The bottom of the nesting boxes are about 12" above the floor and if I remove the top row I can have a roosting perch above the boxes.

Do you recommend that I just lay a 1" x 12" x 6' poop shelf on top of the nesting boxes (for easy removal) and attach a 6' long roosting perch about 6" above the shelf? If I make the shelf 8' long it will be hard to handle and hard to get it out of the coop for a thorough cleaning once in a while. Whacha think?

Do you recommend that I cover the poop shelf with linoleum or put a 1" wooden lip all around and fill it with sand or kitty liter? Or maybe both?

When you guys put the linoleum on the coop floor do you try to run it up the side walls a few inches to make sort of a pan to contain the wood shavings or sand?

I know, I know . . . too many questions

Thanks, Larry

 

[gsim]

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I would space the roost to where it is no closer to a wall than 12". Then do a 24" wide poop plank of OSB with linoleum glued over that. Sheet metal would be even better. Scrape and remove poop daily

to avoid fume/humidity buildup and lung troubles. Do not worry about removal but make it removable anyway. After scraping, residue of streaks will quickly dry

and not stink up the coop.

Definitely do a linoleum floor because odors and such cannot penetrate and grow bacteria. Caulk it at bottom using Sonneborne NP1 caulk. Regarding a skirt around edge, I think it is good and really nice for when changing litter to be able to turn a hose on it all for dust and disinfecting too. I have no inside walls, and no insulation either. So I just ran a bunch of scraps up the sides of the coop about 16" or so and stapled them in to studs and to osb sheathing. They each taper outwards to where they cover the 2 x 4 baseplate of the wall. I then caulked each one so as to be able to spray it with a hose when cleaning it. Best thing ever for cleaning. No places for creepy-crawlies and whatever to breed either.

With the poop plank, you will find that litter should last a year unless you have breeds that stay indoors a lot in rainy or cold weather. Get breeds that do well in wintertime and they are likely to be all-weather chooks. Mine are. I have black aussies, RIR, buff orps, and buff comets. They do not care if it is rain, sleet, snow, cold, or whatever. And I get 20-22 eggs a day from my flock of 24 (with one runt that does not lay eggs) at 7 mo age too, with no artificial light or heat, just 10 hrs of good daylight.

Work safe, ask questions, take long breaks, take short puffs and have fun.

 

[Ozchook]

Doopy, I am soooo jealous of that building!!! I think it is going to be a lot of fun planning and adapting it, especially when you have a brainbank like BYC to tap into. I had to laugh though; when you asked about the poop plank size I was thinking 'great, that's something I'd like to know'. The advice was 24"...I have 2 roosts on opposite walls in my chook house (under construction) and if I made the planks 24" wide they'd meet in the middle

Hope you have huge fun on this project, but don't neglect Boogity!