New coop setup

[aart]

Good info @aart. Unfortunately, too late! I did debate going with a 6 x 4 foot coop, but I was seeing a lot of info that pointed to not exceeding 4 sq.ft. per bird, in climates with cold weather. So, 4 x 4 foot coop is purchased, assembled, and painted now. It's an ACC-44, which has the nesting boxes probably about 24" from the floor (I'll have to go measure tomorrow). The reason I went with a purchased unit, rather than building my own, is that I figured stuff like nesting box height was already figured out. Being new to this, and not knowing what's needed for a good coop design, I figured that was the way to end up with something more functional the first time around.

I did notice the door is only 1.5" above floor, which I did not like. I figured I'd just add a plywood lip to inside to keep bedding from getting tracked out and interfering with door closing.

I can install the roost bar at any height, or even have more than one. They show it going at same height as nesting boxes, but I could easily move it up. I'd just have to provide a means for them to get up/down, due to the shorter floor space. What do you think?

Webpage shows acc-44 nests up pretty darn high....maybe they've learned and lowered them?

4' is hard to work with, my coop partition is 4' x 6', the 6' roost with narrow(1') poop board is only 30" high and I put a 16" concrete block on floor for a 'step up'.
If I need nest in there I use a portable floor nest(14x16x16) that goes under the roost board. But I only use the partition coop for new chicks and sometimes 1-2 older birds that need to be temporarily isolated...my partition wall is removable. Sorry, all that doesn't really help your situation.

Usually a ramp is in order, not sure you could fit one in, but maybe a well placed 'step' could be devised.
Pics of your actual coop interior might help.

 

[EasterEggDrew]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[EasterEggDrew]

moved to another thread.

 

[aart]

Roost board thread?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1133324/roost-pop-board-design#post_17531442

 

[freesoul]

If your nesting boxes are that high you are going to get chickens roosting in them, and pooping in them. Makes for messy eggs.

We use vertical nipple watering system in 4" pvc with a birdbath heater that is located in the run, works fine here last winter just north of PHL. Just built a new coop across the yard and trying to figure out a watering system with bigger capacity, would like them to have access both inside and out. Thinking about a 15-30 gal drum with horizontal nipples for inside the coop and a horizontal nipple PVC connected for outside.

 

[EasterEggDrew]

Old thread. The nests were moved down a while back. See new photos here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1133324/roost-pop-board-design#post_17531530

 

[seanengler]

Setting up our first coop and run, and reading as much as we can on this forum to get close to right on our first try. Here's our stat's:

Location: Eastern PA
Population: 4 hens, all winter-hardy breeds
Coop: 4' x 4' x 7' high = 4 sq.ft. per hen
Run: 6' x 8' x 7' high = 12 sq.ft. per hen

Q1: Roost & poop board heights? I see some with poop boards on the floor, others elevated.

Q2: Feeder and water in coop only, or separate in coop and run?

Q3: Pref. on waterers for winter use? I'm attracted to a lot of the automatic / nipple waterers, but don't see them as practical for our climate, unless there are heated versions. We're generally below freezing Dec. - Mar., with occasional nights below freezing as early as October and as late as June.

We have no permanent electric to coop (yet), and location isn't fantastic for solar (shady sheltered location), so non-electric solutions are preferred. I can run extension cords, but would prefer to reserve that for the few exceptionally cold weeks (eg. < 10F), and not have them across the lawn for half the year.

Thanks!

Now that we are into cold weather...have you come up with anything? We had our first real cold night here last night, around 20F and the waterer I use (5 gallon bucket, with lid, nipple waterer on side) froze over. The layer of ice on top wouldn't have been too much to peck through for them if they had access to it, however the nipple/cup waterer I attached to the bucket froze up pretty good. I've thrown an open waterer they can peck through out there as a back up now for them until the nipple/cup waterer thaws out in the mornings. Anyway, curious to see what you came up with.

 

[EasterEggDrew]

Now that we are into cold weather...have you come up with anything? We had our first real cold night here last night, around 20F and the waterer I use (5 gallon bucket, with lid, nipple waterer on side) froze over. The layer of ice on top wouldn't have been too much to peck through for them if they had access to it, however the nipple/cup waterer I attached to the bucket froze up pretty good. I've thrown an open waterer they can peck through out there as a back up now for them until the nipple/cup waterer thaws out in the mornings. Anyway, curious to see what you came up with.

20F isn't cold!

It's been uncharacteristically warm here, so I really haven't had to do much. A few weeks with lows in the teens and highs in the 20's, but this week we're back into the 40's! Bizarre.

My solution so far has been a few chick waterers, which I swap out each morning. On days when the high will get into the 30's, I just set one in the run each morning, and figure it must stay liquid most of the day. It freezes up overnight, but the chickens don't care, they're up in the roost. On colder days, I put a second waterer in the coop. They don't seem to use it much, but with the dark color of the coop, I bet it stays liquid as long as the sun is up.

I bought a clear dome cover for a basement window well, which I have set over the waterer outside in the run one day, but the chickens jumped up on it and toppled their waterer. I need to come up with a way to make it more stable, so they won't tip it, before I use it again.

 

[seanengler]

20F isn't cold!  

It's been uncharacteristically warm here, so I really haven't had to do much.  A few weeks with lows in the teens and highs in the 20's, but this week we're back into the 40's!  Bizarre.

My solution so far has been a few chick waterers, which I swap out each morning.  On days when the high will get into the 30's, I just set one in the run each morning, and figure it must stay liquid most of the day.  It freezes up overnight, but the chickens don't care, they're up in the roost.  On colder days, I put a second waterer in the coop.  They don't seem to use it much, but with the dark color of the coop, I bet it stays liquid as long as the sun is up.

I bought a clear dome cover for a basement window well, which I have set over the waterer outside in the run one day, but the chickens jumped up on it and toppled their waterer.  I need to come up with a way to make it more stable, so they won't tip it, before I use it again.

Isn't cold?? This is California, we don't temps below 60 well

I like your multiple waterer idea. After Christmas I'm going to go buy a couple more buckets and make some to put out when I leave for work every morning, great idea!

 

[EasterEggDrew]

I recently added a clear plastic dome to keep cold wind off the water while providing some greenhouse effect. Seems to be working well at keeping the water liquid during daylight hours, but we've been relatively warm. It will be interesting to see how this works when temps are single digits.

These are made to cover basement window wells. They must be fastened down, so they don't tip if the chickens try to roost on them.