Need ideas for a Chicken coop for 50 plus chickens for hot summer and very cold winters in Northern

[Doug25or624]

Hello like i said before I have friends and other people asking me when I'm going to start raising chickens and selling eggs. I have been told i would need a egg cooler for transporting to farmers markets etc. But what I'm really worried about is the coop. I need something easy to clean out and big enough for at least 50 chickens to meet demand. I was looking for a dual purpose chicken. I'm orried about the designe and the ventilation since that is important and what flooring to use to make clean out easier. Will i need heaters? I have heard aboutthe nesting boxes where the eggs roll out so no need to disturb the chickens. auto doors etc. Please help looking to get this up and running so i can add Chickens next spring

thank you

 

[RJSorensen]

Hello Doug, welcome to BYC.

I see you are a fan of Chicago music, me too. About your coop, standard rule of thumb is four square feet per bird in the coop and ten square feet in the run. So a ten or twelve foot by twenty feet would get you there. I would use cement for a floor in a building that size for the easy clean out you desire. You will not need a heater for your coop, the chickens will do it for you. Fifty birds will need a lot of ventilation. Read this thread for the current thinking on that topic ~ https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...-go-out-there-and-cut-more-holes-in-your-coop

Planning now for next spring is wise, and the startup costs for your enterprise would be something you would want to look at carefully. Not many BackYard Chicken owners are able to turn a profit. Some think it good if one can cover the feed bill. But I suppose you have a handle on all of this and are aware of what you will need to make it happen.

Best to you and your future birds,

RJ

 

[thomasboyle]

Sounds like an ambitious plan! I would start small, so you can learn and determine if raising chickens is something you will enjoy. Chickens can be easy or hard, based on where you live, how much space you have for them, how close your neighbors are, what type of predators you have etc. Most people learn by trial and error to determine what the best method is for them. I know I re-built my coop 2-3 times, each time adding new features to make it easier for me to care for them. So what works for someone else may not work for you.

Tell us a little about your situation. How much space do you have for the coop, for the run? Will they free range at all or always be fenced in? Do you have an unlimited budget or are you looking to build everything from recycled materials? Do you know what breed(s) you want? Where are you located? All of these will help us make suggestions.

Good luck!

 

[drumstick diva]

You may need to find out what is required in your town, in order to sell eggs to the public.
Since you are hoping it will be a large amount, I would think you might need inspections of your birds and coop etc. and a permit.

Hope this all works out for you, welcome to BYC

 

[Doug25or624]

Thank you all

 

[Doug25or624]

Sorry more aboout my yard.. I want to let them roam but in a fenced in area. I have an acre and a half of free vacant land I can use. I also have access to tons of wood to build a coop. I was hoping to let them roam the fenced in area all day and put them in the coop at night. As for breeds im not sure... I have talked to people who have raised chickens before and they told me to use a dual purpose bird since they are good egg layers for 2 maybe 3 years then when production starts to fall you can sell them as meat birds. Any help with a dual purpose chicken tht will survive and do well in the hot humid summer days and the long very cold winters of Northern Illinois would help.