Need help with coop plan!

[jordan4911]

I have been researching, googling, drawing and redrawing a coop plan for months now and I'm really annoyed and frustrated. I really need some help! I've found a bunch of different info on how much space I actually need and what's actually necessary.

The coop in my head that I can't seem to draw up goes as follows:
Double sliding doors in front. Open up to an open area. Coop on the right for (30-40) chickens. 2 Coops on the left for turkeys (just a few) and then juvenile chickens. Along the back wall between the coops I would like to put my rabbit cages which need to be 3X3'. The rest of the open area and available wall space would be for a brooder tub, feed storage, etc... Off of either side and around behind the building would be fenced in run areas that are covered for yucky days and "just in case", other than that most of them except the juveniles would usually be free ranging.

Am I crazy? Is this thing WAY bigger than I'm thinking its going to be. Please help!

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I'm not sure how you'll keep seperate coops in one large building if they all use the same yard. Think your over thinking that part. Your basically looking at one huge coop that your providing a rabbit hutch and brooder area in. Other than that the birds will coop together. I know guinea hen and chickens coop together fine, not sure how folks do it with turkey and chicken mixed. I'd think they'd coop fine if provided enough space.

As for growing out small chicks without a broody hen then you'll likely want a caged area with roosts and sparate pop door for separate run area. They can see one another but without a hen and cock bird protecting them they will need separate area to grow out until introduced to flock.

So what are we looking at for a building? 16x16ft or 16x20? It's a big coop for sure.

 

[jordan4911]

Their will be walls in between. With doors into the separate coop areas. It will essentially be a chicken barn with several chicken coops inside

 

[jordan4911]

All runs will be separate for each coop

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Your plan is not to scale. That layer hen side should be something on order of 8x16 or 8x20. The path in middle with rabbit hutches at end 4 ft wide (less two interior walls more like 3.5 ft). That leaves a 4 ft wide from an overall width of 16' for the width of grow out coop and turkey coop. So grow out would be 4x8 and turkey 4x8 or if a 20ft building 4x12. This all seems a reasonable scale to me. Building 16x20 probably more suiting.

Your run space for that many birds is lacking. Perhaps that kind of area covered then more actual run going out to right for the large quantity of layers. Say posts out 8ft on all three sides for roof.

I'd talk with folks in turkey section to see what they do with chickens and turkeys together. If there is no need to separate then why do it? That way your getting rid of the topside run area all together for less construction. Turkey and chickens all on one side. If the rabbits are hutched 24/7 then they can be on far wall of grow out pen. Basically your door would be on left walking in to a door in front of you to grow out pen and the entire area left is layer hens and turkey. Or have a wire wall and door to right for that area keeping a clear 4ft walk way that feed storage and brooder can be placed.

 

[jordan4911]

I wasn't drawing to scale. Just a rough idea in my head.

 

[Framac]

I have been researching, googling, drawing and redrawing a coop plan for months now and I'm really annoyed and frustrated. I really need some help! I've found a bunch of different info on how much space I actually need and what's actually necessary.

The coop in my head that I can't seem to draw up goes as follows:
Double sliding doors in front. Open up to an open area. Coop on the right for (30-40) chickens. 2 Coops on the left for turkeys (just a few) and then juvenile chickens. Along the back wall between the coops I would like to put my rabbit cages which need to be 3X3'. The rest of the open area and available wall space would be for a brooder tub, feed storage, etc... Off of either side and around behind the building would be fenced in run areas that are covered for yucky days and "just in case", other than that most of them except the juveniles would usually be free ranging.

Am I crazy? Is this thing WAY bigger than I'm thinking its going to be. Please help!

Using generally accepted numbers of 4 sq feet per bird, 30-40 layers would require 120 to 160 square feet (and most would say that is a minimum. I have 20 birds in a 12X12 and think it is a little tight(500 sq foot run)). Turkeys will need even more space. Your grow out area size will depend on how many you plan on raising at one time. 10-20 you would like 40-80 square feet. Crowded conditions during growth can cause them to not thrive.

So on the high end, 160 for layers, 80 for turkeys, 80 for grow out, you are looking at 320 sq feet, (20 X 16) with out a place for the Rabbits or storage.

And you WILL want more. (See Chicken Math)

On the Low end (120 + 40+80 you are at 240, and 20X16 would give you 80 sq feet for all you needs. (My storage in my coop is 4X4 but I brood/grow out elsewhere.

Just some more to think about.