New coop!! Ideas? Suggestions?

[Bakbuk]

Well, turns out dad doesn’t understand chicken math and he won’t build it that big. Oh well, maybe I can convince him to build it big enough for 15-16 birds.

 

[mowin]

Our chickens really don’t spend much time in the coop, (they free-range on our four acres almost all day) so I think we could get away with a little smaller than that (coop size, I mean). I very much doubt that dad is going to build an 80 sqf coop if he doesn’t need to.

In the winter when it's nasty outside, your going to need that 4sqf per bird. Overcrowding when they just won't go outside is going to lead to issues.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Our chickens really don’t spend much time in the coop, (they free-range on our four acres almost all day) so I think we could get away with a little smaller than that (coop size, I mean). I very much doubt that dad is going to build an 80 sqf coop if he doesn’t need to.

RETHINK THAT.

There will be times when your chickens are forced by weather or other circumstances into the coop for protracted periods. More space will reduce behavior problems, make the coop itself more flexible for later (and inevitable) design changes, and make it easier for you to work within.

That said, a coop need not look like a shed, either - you have the potential to buid a coop whose back wall faces your prevailing winter winds, and whose front wall is wide open, ensuring plenty of ventilation. Search here on BYC for "open air coops". You might also consider an extended "Hoop coop" if finances are a concern. I will say however, that hoop coops are narrow, which creates the potential for a dominant hen or rooster to "control the space" by preventing birds from getting past it.

Typical materials are wood (lumber for framing), plywood walls (exterior grade) or hardieboard, NO insulation, NO interior "wall" (reduces area, crates hiding spaces for rodents, mites, etc). Metal roofing is typically the cheapest right now, very durable, AND easiest to install correctly for a weekend warrior. 1/2" Hardware cloth (chicken wire keeps chickens in, it keeps NOTHING out) is getting pretty expensive per sq ft right now, too - in some cases, its cheaper to have a solid wall than it is to have a lot of HW cloth, as long as ventilation needs are met.

You also need to think about your predators, and how protected you intend it to be - which will be informed by your tolerance for potential losses.

Even so, it need not be fort knox. Granted, I have a much higher risk tolerance than most, but this might offer some inspiration. Its a starting pount at least. Most of the changes I've made since have been due to the goats sleeping in there, and the damage they do to the walls, not any action by the chickens.

 

[Bakbuk]

RETHINK THAT.

There will be times when your chickens are forced by weather or other circumstances into the coop for protracted periods. More space will reduce behavior problems, make the coop itself more flexible for later (and inevitable) design changes, and make it easier for you to work within.

That said, a coop need not look like a shed, either - you have the potential to buid a coop whose back wall faces your prevailing winter winds, and whose front wall is wide open, ensuring plenty of ventilation. Search here on BYC for "open air coops". You might also consider an extended "Hoop coop" if finances are a concern. I will say however, that hoop coops are narrow, which creates the potential for a dominant hen or rooster to "control the space" by preventing birds from getting past it.

Typical materials are wood (lumber for framing), plywood walls (exterior grade) or hardieboard, NO insulation, NO interior "wall" (reduces area, crates hiding spaces for rodents, mites, etc). Metal roofing is typically the cheapest right now, very durable, AND easiest to install correctly for a weekend warrior. 1/2" Hardware cloth (chicken wire keeps chickens in, it keeps NOTHING out) is getting pretty expensive per sq ft right now, too - in some cases, its cheaper to have a solid wall than it is to have a lot of HW cloth, as long as ventilation needs are met.

You also need to think about your predators, and how protected you intend it to be - which will be informed by your tolerance for potential losses.

Even so, it need not be fort knox. Granted, I have a much higher risk tolerance than most, but this might offer some inspiration. Its a starting pount at least. Most of the changes I've made since have been due to the goats sleeping in there, and the damage they do to the walls, not any action by the chickens.

Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate that.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

and if you have an existing building you can build off of, sharing that wall, you can save time and money that way as well. Think "hoop coop" and combine it with this image:

I'll see if I can't find the final picture, with the raised bed filled. This is the existing wall of a 10' wide shed, 2 cattle panels, and a raised bed for some plantings. The distance from the wall of the shed to the "wall" of the cattle panels is 10'. Accounting for the overlap of the cattle panels, they are almost exactly 8' long. There's 80 sq ft right there. Enclosing this area with additional cattle panels, plus tarps and/or hardware cloth would give you a lot of what you want, with minimal construction efforts.

 

[Bakbuk]

and if you have an existing building you can build off of, sharing that wall, you can save time and money that way as well. Think "hoop coop" and combine it with this image:

View attachment 3007390

I'll see if I can't find the final picture, with the raised bed filled. This is the existing wall of a 10' wide shed, 2 cattle panels, and a raised bed for some plantings. The distance from the wall of the shed to the "wall" of the cattle panels is 10'. Accounting for the overlap of the cattle panels, they are almost exactly 8' long. There's 80 sq ft right there. Enclosing this area with additional cattle panels, plus tarps and/or hardware cloth would give you a lot of what you want, with minimal construction efforts.

And we’re already building it to accommodate less chickens than originally planned.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

And we’re already building it to accommodate less chickens than originally planned.

Start with what you can do, give it a try. Maybe your dad gets the chicken bug and goes big later. My original flock was 18 birds. I grew it (briefly) to over 80 in a single season, and have culled my way back to current numbers (my flock is in my signature, below) this winter. STILL culling, in fact, for the table.

Mine free range about 1.5 acres of pasture, plus another roughly 3.5 acres of woods, which I'm slowly opening up to them. Which is what I should be doing, instead of typing this. Very best of luck to you and your family in this new adventure!

 

[Iluveggers]

I know you said you weren’t thinking hoop coop, but it would definitely get you more space for less time & money, which your dad will probably appreciate!

 

[Bakbuk]

I know you said you weren’t thinking hoop coop, but it would definitely get you more space for less time & money, which your dad will probably appreciate!

Maybe I could make an inclosed run (in preparation for AI possibly hitting Kansas) out of the hoop stuff!

 

[3KillerBs]

The Usual Guidelines

For each adult, standard-sized hen you need:

• 4 square feet in the coop (.37 square meters)
• 10 square feet in the run (.93 square meters),
• 1 linear foot of roost (.3 meters),
• 1/4 of a nest box,
• And 1 square foot (.09 square meters) of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation, preferably located over the birds' heads when they're sitting on the roost.

12 hens

• 48 square feet in the coop. 6'x8' is more practical than 4'x12' since a long, skinny coop like that would be difficult to work inside.
• 12 feet of roost
• 120 square feet in the run. 10'x12' or 8'x15' -- 8'x16' means fewer odd cuts than either of those. 6'x20' is possible, especially if your run is an open-topped, fenced area instead of fully-enclosed with a solid and/or wire roof but risks social problems because subordinate hens need to be able to pass the dominant hens at a respectful distance.
• 12 square feet of ventilation.
• 3 nest boxes.

15 hens

• 60 square feet in the coop. 8'x8' is easier to build than 6'x10'
• 15 feet of roost
• 150 square feet in the run. 10'x15', 12'x12' or 8'x20'
• 15 square feet of ventilation.
• 4 nest boxes.

20 hens

• 80 square feet in the coop. 8'x10' is the most practical because 7'x12' or 6'x14' require a lot of weird cuts.
• 20 feet of roost
• 200 square feet in the run. 10'x20', 12'x16' or 8'x25' as suits the land available.
• 20 square feet of ventilation.
• 5 nest boxes.

It might be best to find out the biggest building your Dad is willing to build and then plan the number of chickens to fit than to plan to crowd the birds -- especially with Avian Flu lockdowns and living in a harsh-winter area.

Here are some good coops to use as inspiration:

Medium Coops

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/my-barn-red-and-white-coop-complete-build-photos.75458/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/my-coop.74322/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/egg-song-music-factory.74019/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/perkolators-modern-chicken-estate-2019.75345/

Large Coops

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/alaskan-woods-coop.75752/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/my-coop.76267/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/post-and-beam-styled-coop-run.76181/reviews
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/le-palais-de-poulet-the-chicken-palace.67196/
https://countryliving.blog/2021/06/15/my-coop/

Shed Conversions

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-mulligan.74743/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-coop-page.65912/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-scoop-on-a-rubbermaid-big-max-coop.76444/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/toy-shed-conversion.64879/

Hoop Coops

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hoop-tractor.69336/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hoop-coop-brooder-with-roll-up-sides.75720/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-biddie-bordello-a-hoop-coop-run-combo.72189/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/permanent-hoop-coop-guide.47818/

When looking at coop plans look first at the ventilation -- you need to think square FEET not square INCHES and it is best located over the birds' heads when they're sitting on the roosts.

The easiest coops to build are shed conversions and hoop coops.