New Coop Advice

[jmcoburn]

I've decided to build an enclosure after my second attack this month. Thankfully, my hen made it out unscathed but I've decided that I don't want to free range anymore.
I have a bantam rooster, 1 full size hen (EE) and 3 pullets- Barnevelder, Wyandotte, and Light Brahma, so they're going to be fairly large hens. My current plan is a L16'xW16'xH6' pen with their coop inside of the enclosure. I know they say 10 square foot per bird and this gives them more than that...but is it really big enough? I feel bad copping them up but I don't want them to die. Right now they have the nott of the bank barn which is avout 800-1000 square foot (pullets) and I was letting the adult birds free range when the weather was nice (until yesterday).
Here are my thoughts for the pen. I rent so it has to be temporary/moveable. Any suggestions welcome!

The pavers are to line the bottom in order to prevent digging under the fence. I will roof half of the top and part of the sides for wind/sun/precip shielding. I was thinking of putting the tire with ashes for dust baths and various roosts and things to help keep them occupied. (Please give other suggestions!) I might let them out for a little while on the weekends while I'm around to watch them but this will be where they will spend the majority of their time.

 

[Molpet]

Good information. Are you certain these are 20 feet? They might have those in Texas........everything is bigger in Texas.......but around here, the standard length is 16 feet. BTW, I semi screwed up. When hauling 16 footers in a standard 8' pickup bed, they do not have to hang out. They can be arched and bent to fit inside the tailgate. They will look just like the finished hoop. WARNING! DANGER! DANGER! If you haul them like that, be extra special careful when you get them home. When you drop the tailgate to let them out, if they are wedged in like that they will explode out of that truck in your face and take your head off. That is why I haul mine flat and let them hang out.

But again, knowing the base is 8' wide, a builder can then take whatever size panels they find and group them together. It could be 2 or even 3 or 4 if the ground is flat enough.

I did six 50" x 16' so I ended up with a coop about 24' long and 8' wide... it's divided in 2 so the chickens have some where to get away from the turkeys...built it around a prefab coop I got for$25, it was falling apart and they bought it 9 months earlier for $500 LOL.. good huddle box in the winter though, they use the nest boxes on one side... the other side nest boxes self destructed before I got it.

 

[aart]

Is coop raised, so they get the entire 6 x 16 run 'floor'?
(post above says 16 x 16, you can edit it to correct)
With 5 birds that's almost 20sqft per bird, sounds good to me.
Might need more bracing across roof for snow load on tarp, but the 1x1" mesh will be good for that.

 

[jmcoburn]

The coop is one of the tsc coops. It has raised coop and they have access to the underneath so yes technically access to all 16x16. Bracing the top is a good idea. Thank you!

 

[aart]

The coop is one of the tsc coops. It has raised coop and they have access to the underneath so yes technically access to all 16x16. Bracing the top is a good idea. Thank you!

Your typing 16 x 16 but your sketch shows 6 x16 run and 6 x 6 coop....not sure a TCS coop is 6 x 6.
Things are not adding up.

 

[jmcoburn]

16'x16' 6'tall...

 

[jmcoburn]

https://jet.com/product/detail/f924...iBO2PPWbK5L-26FXbySLSJQ8IufQ_Gpm_HRoCdGHw_wcB
This is the coop going in it. The door will be open for them but idk if they will use it unless going into coop

 

[jmcoburn]

Oh and the 6'x6' on the front is a door

 

[aart]

Oh and the 6'x6' on the front is a door

Ohhh, now I see!!.... my bad<blush>
I misread, or rather did not read, the labels on your drawing views.
I'm a drafter by trade and thought the top view was...well, the 'top view'.
Now I see you don't have a 'top view' on your sketch.
Hahaha.... am laughing at myself here!!

16 x 16 is plenty of run space for 5 birds, tho building the mesh roof may be a challenge......
.....but that coop is not big enough for 5 birds, even if one is a bantam.
Though you may already know that, so maybe are going to build a new, and larger, coop too?

 

[TalkALittle]

Don't waste you're money on that tiny prefab. Five birds will never fit, especially those breeds. Not without serious crowding issues.

If you've already got that coop I suggest a remodel. Drop the floor and enclose the entire thing with plywood, (leaving some openings for ventilation) making the entire structure a coop.