New coop ideas.

[3KillerBs]

Well, at least now it's firmly attached and not going anywhere.

It healed so easily!

I'm now the world's biggest fan of surgical staples.

 

[CKfarm22]

The floor is bare OSB. I screwed down a second OSB layer on top of the subfloor with the intention of replacing it if it gets too gross. It's held up okay for 5 years and is just now starting to warp a little. I think when I do replace it I will paint it with some kind of waterproof paint. I live in a dry climate, but the floor gets damp under the waterer.

I mostly use straw or hay bedding. Occasionally I use shredded pine needles and twigs from my yard when we've been running the chipper. I try to clean it once a month.

Okay, we used the same thing. I covered it in a waterproof paint. So far it’s held up and it makes cleaning the coop so easy!

 

[CKfarm22]

Best idea I can give you is this: Build it twice the size you think you'll need or larger You can thank me in 2023...

Set it up for electricity for fans (direct wired or using a plug), automated doors, lights, etc. In the first photo, you might notice the pullout drawer that my boyfriend pulls out once per week to clean and put new shavings down. In the 3rd photo, you'll see a small door and another entrance. This was a "re-model" of the coop about 3 years ago to reduce the size of the storage closet and add a 2nd chicken entry via a tunnel under the storage area (gained a nest box beside the tunnel too) to create 2 coops within one for when we have young birds that aren't ready to mix with the adults, but need to be in the coop (we have separate runs too).

With just a removable divider door inside and a short section of fence outside, we can create two separate coop/run combinations and can switch back and forth between them in about 15 minutes by removing the interior divider (pictured in photo #4) and open "hatches" in the divider fence. When everyone is living as a single flock with the interior divider removed and two hatches in the run dividing fence are opened, the birds can go in either entrance and make a circle around the coop by going in one door out the other, around the coop, then back in the 1st door. It's worked out REALLY well.

Here is a 5x8 my bf built five years ago, and he wishes he had built it to something like 8x12:

What did he use for the “siding”

 

[CKfarm22]

View attachment 2818798

How much area do you have under this trap door? Do you put anything under the hole to collect the used bedding?

 

[Happy hen lover]

The lumber at 4 foot is a good point. I loved your use of pallet lumber. Mine is a 4x8 raised coop since it's raised it increases run area. We used a lot of leftover lumber off of other jobs. We backed up to fence to save siding on 2 sides.

 

[Happy hen lover]

I divided off 3 x 5 area inside of coop for my storage area separated by chicken wire. The 1st picture is the chickens side of coop. We made a screen door to keep chickens out but ventilate in summer. We also have a pulley on chickens lift door that goes to outside of run so can be opened in winter from outside of run( no poo on shoes ) I also like idea of electricity to have fan on timer in summer. I have a block to keep bedding in till cleaning time once a year as I use the deep litter method.

This picture is looking back into storage area. When they were little we had a curtain to keep heat on their side. I now have a box that fits under roost lined with recycled strips of feed bags etc. that catches poop at night . About once a week I crawl in coop on a runner rug and scoop poop off of plastic bags till they're really nasty then I just toss them. I throw in more shavings as I need to maintain 6" to 12" deep litter in winter months. IMO having a raised coop is the best because my girls love being outside all the time . Cool earth to dig in summer and shelter if storm comes and we're not home. I had a thought a few people have combined 2 coops and made their run in between them , just a thought.

 

[CKfarm22]

One important thing to remember is that lumber and sheet goods come in multiples of 4 feet -- so that 5-foot dimension is a bad idea -- you'll cut off and throw out 3 feet of every 8-foot 2x4 you buy.

Better to either go 4x8 or 6x6 (buying 12-foot boards and cutting them in half).

10 staples in my scalp last month testify to the desirability of a walk-in height in addition to the benefits to the chickens that @cavemanrich mentioned above.

Generous roof overhangs, generous access doors, top-hinged windows, good lips on all the doors to keep bedding in ...

We decided to go for the 6x6 but i’m running into the problem with plywood, i can only find 8’x4’ pieces. Which means for each side i need two pieces

 

[3KillerBs]

We decided to go for the 6x6 but i’m running into the problem with plywood, i can only find 8’x4’ pieces. Which means for each side i need two pieces

I'd run it vertically, that means 1.5 pieces per side.

Make sure you get exterior grade plywood. There's no savings in buying lower-grade plywood that you'll have to replace in a couple years.

Alternately, Hardieboard if you have the necessary tools to cut it.

Or metal.