Need Ideas On Turning This Into A Coop Please

[thailand]

We are soon to move to a new property and I'll be inheriting this building as my new chicken coop. I need lots of ideas please on making this into something great I only have one chance to get this right.

It needs a LOT of prettying up of course....but basics first.
The total size is 18.70 ft x 6.56 ft. As the building is already divided into 3 'rooms' of 5.90 ft x 5.90 ft, should I leave this as is....or break down dividing walls and create one bigger 'room' instead. I would like a breed pen/broody area so I'd like to incorporate that idea.

I'll be adding a large covered run to the front of the coop, size roughly 20 ft x 11 ft. (See the photo with blue washing line....this will be the run area). I'm thinking of putting sand in the run area.

Because we live in such a hot/humid climate I'm thinking of removing the panelling on the 2 front doors and just having screen doors. Also, the panelling across the top front of the coop, and across all openings around the roofline, I'll remove and have just screening there. Does that sound like enough ventilation? Should I get some windows cut in walls too?

This is currently a toilet/laundry block and each end room has a toilet installed and a tiled water holding tank which you can see in the photos. This will all be removed to make more useable floor space.

The floors of the two end rooms are tiled as are the walls part way up, painted from midway to the ceiling. The central room is concrete flooring only and no tiles on walls.

My intention is to scrub everything then whitewash the walls and floors, then lay a deep litter of rice hulls.

What I need some help with is working out how to provide roosts and nestboxes and where to place pop doors?


Please...give me lots of ideas! Many thanks for your help.








The entire coop with the 3 sectioned rooms.




Inside roofline front to back.


Panelling on doors.


Water storage for toilet...to be removed.




Inside coop, panelling across front, to be removed for extra ventilation.


Ventilation across all of back wall of entire coop.




Potential run area to be developed outside front of coop.

 

[new 2 pfowl]

This looks like it has a lot of potential!

Well first I should say that I don't know much about chicken housing. But I have spent time in Chiang Mai and I'd guess that the more ventilation you have the better! It can't hurt to put in more windows. It would probably be good if the windows have some kind of overhang/awning/blinds, so that they let in plenty of air but not a lot of direct sunlight, though.

Also, since you already keep chickens you're probably already very familiar with the predator situation. But I'm guessing both snakes and rats will be very interested in eggs and chicks? So all of the ventilation openings might need to be covered with a fine mesh screen.

Sorry I can't be more helpful, someone with chicken nesting experience will probably show up with more useful advice soon!
Good luck!

 

[thailand]

Thanks for your reply. We have rice fields behind our property so I know I'll need to be really careful about snakes and rats. I'm not sure if I should keep the building divided into 3 rooms or knock down one wall and have just 2 rooms....or even knock down all the walls and have just one big coop? Would love help thinking through my options.

Another problem: We may not be able to afford high fencing straight away, and the neighbours chickens wander all over our property at the moment. So, guessing I may have to fence off my proposed run area fairly quickly so my chickens can be kept in there for a while.

They're used to free-ranging so not sure how they're gonna cope with being penned up for months.

 

[chiques chicks]

The roof ventilation is great. Cover it with wire to keep rats out. Add a few windows for light and ventilation, again, coveted with wire.

I would tear down one wall and make two pens, one large, one small for broodies or grow out. Just my thoughts.

 

[thailand]

Another question: In the 2nd photo you can see the round holes in the bottom of the wall. Each 'room' has these holes cut in the concrete walls (for water to drain out I guess). Would it be a good idea to keep these holes for ventilation at the bottom of the walls - covering with hardware cloth of course?

 

[chiques chicks]

I see no reason not to. You don't get really cold weather, do you? If you did, you could just cover them in cold weather to prevent drafts.

 

[thailand]

Another question please.....

The concrete area out the front of the coop, seen in the photo, I am wanting to enclose into a large run. I haven't decided yet if I'll put down sand over the concrete or rice hulls. But, (this is where I need some help), should I put down gravel first? Or would this not be necessary? The concrete is very uneven.

 

[chiques chicks]

The fact it is uneven should not matter.

In my opinion, gravel is not needed. You will need to clean the same or rice hulls out when they get really messy. In your location, I would imagine rice hills are cheap.

 

[TalkALittle]

Before you go all out and tear down those walls, make sure they aren't the only thing holding up the roof. You may be able to remove them but might need to replace them with support columns.

 

[thailand]

WOW! Thanks..... I hadn't thought of that. Whew...so glad I haven't ripped into tearing down walls yet. I'm considering taking down one wall so that I have one bigger section and one smaller. I want to open both sides up to a large run area just in front of the building. Within this run area I will put a smaller chicken house (have a spare one I may as well use).

I'm about to get 2 keets so I'm thinking of putting them in the main coop (enlarged area) with my RIR flock.
I currently have 4 RIR roosters (never intended to have that many....but you know how it is

) Then there are 10 RIR hens. I'm also hoping to get maybe 2-3 Barred Plymouth Rock pullets before the end of the year. So all of these would go in the enlarged coop. I know that may sound like a lot..but my chickens free-range all day and are only in the coop to lay or sleep at night. Side note: I am looking to plant a food forest over the next 2 years. I will have a chicken tunnel leading from the run, up the side of the property and into sectioned off the areas so I can rotate their pasture. I will over the course of time ensure to add to my hen numbers to bring more balance to the rooster/hen ratio.

The smaller adjoining coop will be for a small flock of Brahmas. I currently have 2 Brahma hens and 3 Brahma x RIR hens. I'm hoping to get another 2 x Brahmas and a Brahma rooster in a couple of months time.

The small chicken house in the run would be for broody hens/a breeding pen when needed.

With these plans in mind....does the above configuration of coops sound correct?

We are not moving onto the new property until October, so all this is just the important planning stage at the moment.

Really appreciate the wisdom of others