Need Input on my Coop Idea...

[Bleenie]

I REALLY need a new coop. I've got my new layer chicks in the brooder already but I also have Bantam Cochins, no more than 10 though. I will have about 12 laying hens after I pick out the roos & non-keepers.

I want ONE coop, but seperated into two on the interior, make sense? How big should the main building be to give enough space for each flock inside their seperate coops?

Here's a quick sketch of what I think would best fit my needs and be good for the chickens too. just not sure how big it needs to be.

"Interior view" from above

The runs would be covered with (probably) metal roofing to keep them dry & fully fenced with chicken wire. I am not sure how the inside should be done.. I was thinking the lower 2-3' of the interior walls(walkway) should be plywood & then chicken wire to the top. just to keep the walkway cleaner & roos in opposite pens from stressing out at eachother through wire. Not sure about nesting box & roost placement yet either. or even if I will have room for feed storage space!

Welcome all input!

 

[patandchickens]

If you want metal roofing on the runs, it would be simpler and probably make more sense to just have it be a contiguous extension of the coop roof. So you would just be building a WIDE building, only the center third (or whatever) of which was actually walled, with the outer thirds done up as runs. The only time this would not make sense is if each half of the roof would exceed 12' (the largest standard size of roofing sheets), i.e. if the entire thing -- run/coop/run -- were over 20-22' wide, ish, depending on slope and overhangs. But it does not sound like that would be the case in your plans. So you might consider the single roof.

You almost certainly do not want a walkway all the way in between the pens. Waste of space. WOuld only make sense if the building were long enough that there were MORE pens back there you had to access from the aisle. Under the circumstances -- small bldg, just 2 pens -- all you need is a little sort of entry vestibule that can double as storage. It can be squareish or triangular, as you prefer (depends somewhat on how much storage you think you need).

If you did something like this:


________________________________________________
| | : | |
| | : | |
| | : | |
| | : | |
| | : | |
| | : | |
| | pen : pen | |
| | : | |
| run | : | run |
| | : | |
| |........ door.: door.........| |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
--------------------------------- door ------------------------------------

it would still give you a considerable amount of storage (or space for isolation cages etc), or if you do not think you need that much storage you could extend one of the pens forward to the front wall.

As far as size, you know what the answer is... build it as large as you can afford or stand to. Really really. You will NOT regret it.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[dsqard]

I can only comment on size. Make it bigger than you think you will need because you will wind up with more chickens than you expected too! Been there, done that two coops ago! Love your ideas though!

 

[Bleenie]

Thank you pat, I really like the idea of eliminating the walkway.. gives the indoor coops more area which makes for happier birds!!

I think a window in the front is a must for each pen, to give natural light to the inside, any suggestions on how it should be set up as far as nest boxes and roost placement? i am not sure about the roosts by the windows...

 

[dsqard]

I wouldn't put the roosts near the windows unless you have pretty mild winters. For the nest boxes, you could use milk crates at least to start to see where they would work the best. Easy to move around. They probably would work best against the long wall in each pen.

 

[oldchickenlady]

4 square feet per bird in the coop and 10 square feet per bird in the runs (minimum).

 

[patandchickens]

I'm not sure how much difference it makes whether the indoors pen is right up against the window vs separated from it by a storage area... but if you wanted to have each pen come up to the front, you certainly *could* (possibly angle it), it'd just reduce your storage space or result in funny-shaped elongated pens.

The nestboxes would ideally be along the back wall of the coop, or along the sidewall of the coop towards the back. Note however that this would require you to go into the pen to access them. If it were important to you to have hatch access to the nestboxes without entering the pens, they will pretty much *have* to be somewhere towards the front, and the entry/storage area possibly a bit odd shaped.

Personally I'd put the roosts towards the back of the coop, at least assuming that the front is also the S side. You can certainly have vents back there TOO for summertime use, so the birds are still roosting near a nice cool fresh breeze in summer. But you know what, if you want to put the roosts in front near the window I do not think it makes much of a difference either, unless you were in a very cold winter area which you're not. So I'd say "suit yourself" on that one

If you want ample natural light in there, remember you can also have windows looking out into the roofed run.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[BWKatz]

I like ur original sketch. The storage area at back could later be used for roosters or brooder or hospital if needed. The nest boxes would need to be under the windows at front. A long roost up high the length of each coop would work and a shorter lower one in front of each window so they could look out. U could put a poop board on top of the nest boxes for easy cleaning.

 

[thedeacon]

do not let the sun shine directly on the nest box. Hens prefer a darker bos to lay in.