Need Help Planning a new coop to hold at least 15 or so chickens.

[aprophet]

http://poultry.purinamills.com/stellent/groups/public/documents/web_content/ecmd0007989.pdf

This is the one I am getting ready to build. I trap by reducing the number of predators I do not have as many to defend against

good luck with your flock

 

[Palm City Peep]

Ruder ranch - Don't you just love this site? It's hilarious. I think I'm getting into the backyard chicken business just to keep up with this comedy. I don't have any chickens, yet. Still in the planing stages. Have dropped down from the "$" coops to the "ugly coops". (All of which look pretty to me.) Have some "blueprints" tho. Palm City Peep

 

[drumstick diva]

Ruder, I am thinking whatever you make or buy, have it at least 25-50% bigger - that way you won't have to enlarge anything for a while. Chicken math has a nasty way of growing and filling up coops no matter how "few chickens," you think you are going to have. Good luck.

 

[ruder ranch]

Nope our last coop my father built was a makeshift coop that was built fast, quick, and no thought process, because we at first had them on the heated porch ten winter approach and mother put them in the greenhouse full of leafy greens. There went the leafy greens. So we had to make a makeshift coop which i thought was wrong. This time I am going to do it right, so it's easier for my parents to take care of them. The health bonus from them and the fresh eggs are totally worth it. The firm yokes are way better than the yokes you get at the store. So all the planning will turn it into a great coop that will last for years.
P.S. also I am going to make it pretty big, since I'm 6'3" so don't really want to bend down every time i have to clean it. So they will have plenty of roost space.

 

[speedy2020]

If I build one, my choice would be ground as floor. This require minimum maintenance. I see folk clean the coop weekly or monthly, which to me a lot of work. I just add new fresh dirt and leaf when see fit and scoop them down and replace fresh dirt one or twice a year. The garden plant would love that. As for the predictor, will run chainlink fence wire 6" underground around the coop. Yeah, there is be trap to get rid of them for good.

 

[annaraven]

I don't like the idea of outside nest boxes. I like having cover from the rain when I go gather eggs. So having the nest boxes inside makes sense for me.

 

[ruder ranch]

anyone have some direct instruction to make these external outside nest boxes, how to exactly do it and cost. It would be very helpful thanks.

 

[Judy]

What about egg doors? Much easier to build internal nest boxes, then add a door that opens from the outside . Lots less construction, less expensive to build. A roof overhang and maybe a strip of weatherstripping is all they would need -- other than a way to secure them against coons, of course. You could have one door for each box or one that covered a few boxes.

There are numerous plans for nest boxes on this site in the coop sections.