My small coop plans (blueprints, materials list) - How large should the entry/exit be & the nest box

[Kernel Cluck]

Nice job. I like that you added lots of ventilation. Most do'nt put enough and then have to go back and add some. The importance of moisture control cannot be over emphasized.

 

[allsummedup]

Looks great you did an excellent job

 

[jimmywalt]

Well here we are. About 95% done. All I need to do is shingle the roof and build a poo board....



Window above clean-out door opens for fresh air in the summer. The inside is covered with 1/2" hardware cloth



You can see the nest box on the back. Clean-out door is big enough for me to crawl in if I have to.





Front view. Window doesn't open, but I'm considering putting hardware cloth inside the window and making it one that opens and closes... Not really sure if I need to though. Ummm....



Buddy gave me some rubber and a metal strip to put on nest box just to be certain that water/snow doesn't get in. I'll shingle right over this so you won't see the rubber when done.



So I thought I would bring 3 of the girls (ISA Brown's) up to see their new coop. We got them 24 days ago so I would guess that they are almost 4 weeks old. They looked lost in their house and they stayed really close together. They were only in there for about 5 minutes but that didn't stop each one of them from pooing on my new floor a couple times. The poo board will be where the white vinyl is currently laying (under the roost)



How old should they be before they are moved to this larger coop? Also what should the temp be? The coop is in our garage and it's still getting into the low 40's in the middle of the night. I'm thinking they need to stay in the warm basement with the heat lamp for a few more weeks. Suggestions?

 

[nab58]

Wow, your coop looks great!
I've read that they should have their adult feathers and the nights shouldn't get below 50 before leaving them overnight. I would imagine you'd have to acclimate them to fluctuating temperature somehow. Mine are in my basement under a heat lamp currently. I can't just turn the lamp off as its only around 55-ish down there. I guess I'll have to figure out how to move the lamp further away and take them outside for some outdoor time on nice days. of course, the coop and run are still under construction, so I'll have to wait for that!

 

[jimmywalt]

My chickens have got HUGE since my last post. They almost look full size. I plan to move the coop from our garage to our back yard this weekend.

They have been living in the coop for about the last 3 weeks and loving it. They eat out of a large cookie tin where I put their food. It works well as it keeps the bedding out of the food and they haven't pooped in it yet.

Here are pictures of the waterer I have used. I have 2 of them that hang from the perch inside. They seem to love drinking from them. You just got to remember to make a hole in the top to let air flow in so that the nipples work right. See the black circle I made with a sharpie showing the hole location.

 

[jimmywalt]

Finally got the coop and chickens out last night. Seems they love the new digs!!!

I still need to shingle the roof (later today) and a couple other small housekeeping details.

 

[joan1708]

so cute! Nicely done. Enjoy the grass in the coup for now. It will be gone in 2-3 days.

 

[allsummedup]

That looks awesome!

 

[PrayingMantis]

Would love to get a blueprint to build a similar coop for our 4 ducklings! We have 2 cambells and 2 welsh harlequins they will get about 5lbs each and need a predator proof house for night use only. We are on a limited budget and we able to get some used trex decking for about 200-275sq ft. Our thought was using this material will last longer. We dont have the funds to make a mistake when building so any blueprints that can be provided would be great! Thanks!

 

[aart]

Would love to get a blueprint to build a similar coop for our 4 ducklings! We have 2 cambells and 2 welsh harlequins they will get about 5lbs each and need a predator proof house for night use only. We are on a limited budget and we able to get some used trex decking for about 200-275sq ft. Our thought was using this material will last longer. We dont have the funds to make a mistake when building so any blueprints that can be provided would be great! Thanks!

Plans are on the first post, probably should read thru the entire thread to see if any changes were made while building.