New coop?...Looking for ideas!!!

[cmom]

We recently finished building our new barn. Now it's about time to start the new coop. We want to wait a bit until it cools off a little. It seems we built the barn when it has hot, hot, hot and of course it rained more on then off during that time and now that it is finished we have hardly had a drop. Go figure... Now we are planning on a new coop. it will be 32 feet long. The width will be around 8-10 feet. It will be raised. I am considering a poop pit on one end with wire for the poop to go through and it will be easy to rake out. I have a poop pit in one of my other coops. I am open for any suggestions on building this coop to make it efficient and easy to keep clean. I am going to put one of the existing coops on an end. I haven't decided if I should make it as part of the new coop or not. Currently my hens are in that coop and my pullets are in another coop.

Here are pictures of the barn and the end that we will be building the new coop. Any ideas will be greatly appreciated.


Front

Back side

where the new coop will be built. We already have a lot of the wood.
The birds will have new runs and a fenced in yard approx ½ - 1 acre.

Here is the coop I'd like to use too. This is an old picture. Now there is another pop door under the window.

 

[faykokoWV]

Nice!! :d

 

[g_a_brand]

love the barn !!
and your old coop is really cute
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mom to 2 boys, 1 cat , 2 dogs, 7 white rocks, 6 RIR, 3 black australorps, 2 barred rocks, 2 dark cornish, and a huge tank of fish
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If You Can Dream it .... You Can Do It

 

[annie3001]

nice job!

 

[cmom]

Thanks everyone. I can't wait to start building. It's been so hot here lately mid 90's. DH wants to wait until the weather cools off some. We have two months before we will have to ger started on it.

 

[cmom]

I have been working on a plan for the new coop. It will be approximately 8x32ft. I have been looking at a lot of different designs. This is what I have come up with so far. This is also not to scale it is only a rough draft. Also and hopefully the old coop will be on the left side of the diagram. The nest boxes will be raised. The pop doors will be under the nest boxes and there will be at least one window over the nest boxes. The nest boxes will be built on the outside of the coop similar to the ones I have now only there will be two rows of 5 nest boxes each. The roosts will be on the end over a poop pit. The birds will have access to under the coop except the area of the poop pit (if I have a poop pit). I will have access from the outside to rake out the pit or to put drop boards in. I haven't decided whether to use wire like I currently have in one of my coops or to put drop boards under the roosts. The side of the coop with the waterer and feeder will be the backside against the back of the barn. Any ideas are very welcomed.

 

[mayden]

Sounds like you have it figured out. The way I understand it your run will actually be under the coop except for the poop pit area?

I would put a window at both ends. I see you have one by the roosts already. I'm just thinking with you being in florida the more ventilation the better.

 

[cmom]

I more or less know what I want. There will be vents all along the front side of the coop above the windows I would like to put in. I may be putting another screened door on the left side of the diagram instead of a window. The run will be partly under the coop. We are fencing in ½ to 1 acre for free ranging. We will be using electric wire around the run and free range area. I am always open for suggestions.