New Coop

[Party_Chicken]

I recently got new chickens from a friend and its getting a little crowded. In April I am going to get three new chicks so we are going to need a new coop. We want to build it or refurbish an old shed. Dose anybody have coop plans or ideas. I am not a talented carpenter so it cant be to complex. I would really appreciate it

 

[nuthatched]

You've come to the right place.
If you're on mobile, there's an icon at the top of the page that look like a dog eared page and there's a coop section there. If you're on a computer, the icon says 'articles'.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/categories/chicken-coops.12/

How many chickens all together?
Also check Craigslist for old sheds, they're fairly simply to convert but sometimes they're hard to move.

 

[Party_Chicken]

You've come to the right place.
If you're on mobile, there's an icon at the top of the page that look like a dog eared page and there's a coop section there. If you're on a computer, the icon says 'articles'.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/categories/chicken-coops.12/

How many chickens all together?
Also check Craigslist for old sheds, they're fairly simply to convert but sometimes they're hard to move.

15 right now 18 in the spring

 

[nuthatched]

15 right now 18 in the spring

OK, so you'll want the large coop section. :]

 

[Party_Chicken]

Thank you

OK, so you'll want the large coop section. :]

 

[Ridgerunner]

I recently got new chickens from a friend and its getting a little crowded. In April I am going to get three new chicks so we are going to need a new coop. We want to build it or refurbish an old shed. Dose anybody have coop plans or ideas. I am not a talented carpenter so it cant be to complex. I would really appreciate it

What are the dimensions of the old shed. Photos would really help, photos inside and out. I find it a lot easier to make suggestions if I know what you are working with.

15 right now 18 in the spring

Above you said you are getting 3 new ones? As best you can, how many total chickens will you have and what will be their ages and sexes? Will they all be in the same coop?

Where are you located? I'm mostly interested in what your winter weather will be. Space requirements in winter are often different than in summer. But not always. Some coops are better suited to certain climates.

What does your current coop look like? Especially when you are integrating it is often beneficial to have two coops. Again, dimensions and photos could be helpful.

Do you have any runs? Again, dimensions and photos of how the runs and coops and shed tie together could be helpful.

You are not just building a coop, you are creating a system for chicken keeping. That includes all of your facilities.

 

[Party_Chicken]

What are the dimensions of the old shed. Photos would really help, photos inside and out. I find it a lot easier to make suggestions if I know what you are working with.


Above you said you are getting 3 new ones? As best you can, how many total chickens will you have and what will be their ages and sexes? Will they all be in the same coop?

Where are you located? I'm mostly interested in what your winter weather will be. Space requirements in winter are often different than in summer. But not always. Some coops are better suited to certain climates.

What does your current coop look like? Especially when you are integrating it is often beneficial to have two coops. Again, dimensions and photos could be helpful.

Do you have any runs? Again, dimensions and photos of how the runs and coops and shed tie together could be helpful.

You are not just building a coop, you are creating a system for chicken keeping. That includes all of your facilities.

We haven't found a shed yet we are concerned about prices.

I will have 15 1 year old's this spring 14 hens and one Rooster. They will all live together.

We live in virginia our winters are relatively mild.

I don't know the dimensions but here are pictures of our current setup

 

[Ridgerunner]

I misread that, I thought you were saying you had 15 now and would have 18 new ones in the spring. You were clear, 18 total, it was me misreading it. In Virginia they should pretty much have access to the outside all year. That helps a lot. And I thought you already had a shed. If you get a shed from a big box store you can put it together yourself and you have to provide a foundation but they can get expensive.

The simplest way would be to buy one of those kits and build it yourself or pay someone to assemble it. You can get metal or wood, either can work. To turn it into a coop you need to add nests, roosts, a pop door, and ventilation. Doing that isn't that hard if you know the techniques. Hopefully we can help you with that. You may need to buy some tools though.

Another possibility is to find someone giving away a shed on Craigslist. Usually you have to tear it down and transport it yourself. That can be a lot cheaper but involves a lot of work. You probably can't transport the size you need unless it is disassembled.

The minimum size I'd want for 18 chickens is in the range of an 8' x 10' coop. That gives you enough room for nests, roosts, food and water inside, room for the chickens to not be overcrowded, room for you to move and work in there, and leaves you some room in case you want or need to add something inside. Stuff happens and I really like having the flexibility to be able to do things if I need to. I'm thinking of stuff like a broody buster, a brooder, a place to isolate a broody hen or an injured hen.

If I were building one from scratch I'd probably build an 8' x 12'. Most building materials come in 4' or 8' dimensions in the least expensive sizes. If you plan for that you can reduce both cutting and waste.

For plans you can look in the coops section as already mentioned. But you are basically just building a shed. You might find books at Home Depot or Lowe's that tell you how to do that. Your local librarian may be able to help you find books you can check out, ether to use to build it or to see if you want to buy it.

I'm not a cabinet maker or any kind of fine carpenter. But what we are talking about is rough carpentry. You can handle that.

 

[Party_Chicken]

I misread that, I thought you were saying you had 15 now and would have 18 new ones in the spring. You were clear, 18 total, it was me misreading it. In Virginia they should pretty much have access to the outside all year. That helps a lot. And I thought you already had a shed. If you get a shed from a big box store you can put it together yourself and you have to provide a foundation but they can get expensive.

The simplest way would be to buy one of those kits and build it yourself or pay someone to assemble it. You can get metal or wood, either can work. To turn it into a coop you need to add nests, roosts, a pop door, and ventilation. Doing that isn't that hard if you know the techniques. Hopefully we can help you with that. You may need to buy some tools though.

Another possibility is to find someone giving away a shed on Craigslist. Usually you have to tear it down and transport it yourself. That can be a lot cheaper but involves a lot of work. You probably can't transport the size you need unless it is disassembled.

The minimum size I'd want for 18 chickens is in the range of an 8' x 10' coop. That gives you enough room for nests, roosts, food and water inside, room for the chickens to not be overcrowded, room for you to move and work in there, and leaves you some room in case you want or need to add something inside. Stuff happens and I really like having the flexibility to be able to do things if I need to. I'm thinking of stuff like a broody buster, a brooder, a place to isolate a broody hen or an injured hen.

If I were building one from scratch I'd probably build an 8' x 12'. Most building materials come in 4' or 8' dimensions in the least expensive sizes. If you plan for that you can reduce both cutting and waste.

For plans you can look in the coops section as already mentioned. But you are basically just building a shed. You might find books at Home Depot or Lowe's that tell you how to do that. Your local librarian may be able to help you find books you can check out, ether to use to build it or to see if you want to buy it.

I'm not a cabinet maker or any kind of fine carpenter. But what we are talking about is rough carpentry. You can handle that.

Thank you. I have zero experience in carpentry you have helped a lot.