New Chicken Owner / Builder

[GeckoChickens]

Hello Fellow Backyard Keepers.

New Chicken owner here, and first time building anything like this. Have completed our coop and our mealworm farm is thriving.

Plan to add gravity fed feeder for pellet feed and large water supply with nipples to further automate care of the chickens (in addition to the automatic door).

These chickens are let out of the run to free range as well.

From the more experienced keepers, what else can I improve upon. Want to provide a safe and enjoyable time for our pet egg providers.

 

[ProudRedneck]

I know nothing about keeping chickens or building coops very much so I can't offer any assistance. What I can do is, tell you how much I love your Coop and you did a fantastic job on it, thank you for sharing it with us.

 

[DobieLover]

You did a great job on the construction and it looks wonderful.
But it appears you may need more ventilation.
Are the spaces between the rafters open and is there a vent space under your ridge cap?
I would also add some ventilation high on the wall that is under the run roof.
How many birds do you plan to house in it?
What will you use for run litter?
What else are you adding to the run space for enrichment?

 

[GeckoChickens]

You did a great job on the construction and it looks wonderful.
But it appears you may need more ventilation.
Are the spaces between the rafters open and is there a vent space under your ridge cap?
I would also add some ventilation high on the wall that is under the run roof.
How many birds do you plan to house in it?
What will you use for run litter?
What else are you adding to the run space for enrichment?

I plan on housing 10 hens in there. There are 3 roosts but they all huddle together on 2 of them (taking up half the space on each). They are outside in the run all day, except when I'm out there with them and they are free ranging (ultimately they will be out free ranging all day when I complete fencing and they are fully grown.

What's the thinking on more ventilation - I generally keep the two windows open with cross venting with the louvered vents on the opposite wall. There is no other source of ventilation - roof is closed.

I will have natural dirt and pine shavings in the run, pine shavings in the coop.

What enrichment items have you found work best? Looking to add.

Thanks for the thoughtful review and reply.

 

[rosemarythyme]

What's the thinking on more ventilation - I generally keep the two windows open with cross venting with the louvered vents on the opposite wall. There is no other source of ventilation - roof is closed.

What kind of temperatures (hi and lo) do you see throughout the year? If you live in a hotter climate I'd consider opening up part of the wall that faces into the run.

With this style of coop, one of the best places to add climate protected vents is under the roof like so: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/coop-modification-recommendations.1517556/#post-25543595

What enrichment items have you found work best? Looking to add.

Clutter: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/ - since the run is on the narrow side, keep things either scaled down or more open at the base so you don't form pinch points with the clutter. Even if the birds are mostly going to be free ranging, there may be times when they need to be confined, so best to have it set up to allow for that.

 

[DickMidnight]

that’s a great looking coop.

like everyone else said, ventilation would be the only concern. more is always better than less.

a minimum of 1sqft of ventilation per bird (so 10sqft in your case) should be open 24/7

that wall facing your run is ideal because it’s covered by the run roof. you could open a rectangle basically the length of the wall

another good spot is behind the light above the door. you could cut out a triangle and cover it in hardware cloth.

you mentioned the two windows. are they open 24/7? if so, are they covered by hardware cloth so nothing can get in?

 

[3KillerBs]

If you put your general location into your profile people can give better-targeted advice. Climate matters.

I agree with the others. One good place to add additional ventilation is on the wall into the run -- even replacing the siding on the entire wall with wire.

You also need top-level ventilation at the roof peak. Heat and ammonia both rise.

In a mild climate with little snowfall that can be as simple as replacing your regular roof cap with a ridge vent. The place where you got your roofing *should* be able to guide you to find one that's compatible with your build.