new coop

[frodo]

i am i the process of building a coop,
this is to be the run, i guess thats what you call it...i need to make a roosting box.
i was thinking a box with wire on the bottom,,and a couple of poles for them to stand on...and a box to sleep in.....attached to the outside of this run,,,hinged top, and hinged back

any suggestions please aftr i get it built,,then i will be bugging ya'll on how to care for some baby chick

 

[DesigningLife]

Hi Frodo and welcome!

You have a basic start there.

Hens will lay eggs in nearly anything (a milk crate, bucket turned on it's side, etc). This is referred to as a "nest box". They prefer to have it "dark", and a bit "private". For the nest boxes, typically between 2-4 hens will use the same nest box - so you don't need a separate box for EACH hen that you have. You'll want to place it high enough that it is easy for you to get to the eggs and to clean it out without stooping.

Typically, they "sleep" on a "roost bar" - a 2x4 turned with the wide side horizontal to the ground works great for that. When they "roost", they will poop a LOT so many people put a "poop board" underneath the roost. This can be a sort of "litter box" to scoop out or a "tray" that you can either slide out and clean or scoop off.

There are several photos and descriptions on Backyard Chickens for coop designs to help you get some ideas. As far as hinging in certain places, you can find dozens of plans or even draw up your own after looking over some and jotting down your favorite ideas. Remember to keep it easy for YOU to access and clean also.

On the "coop" (enclosed house) itself, it is very helpful to be able to close the chickens in at night with a door - not only to protect from predators but also from adverse weather. The placement of the opening will depend also on your climate. For example, if you get a couple feet of snow or more in the winter, you won't want to have that opening real close to the ground or you'll be digging it out all the time so they can get in and out of it...too high and you'll have to build a ramp or something so they can get up into it.

I think the biggest questions you'll want to consider first, though, are your climate (wind, snow, rain, heat, cold protection needed), the size you will need, and predator-proofing. How many chickens will you have? This will determine the size of your coop as well. If too many chickens are kept in too small of quarters, they will peck each other and even become cannibalistic.

Also, some breeds are better able to handle extremely cold temperatures in winter.

I guess I could write several pages of "tips and ideas" but it would probably be better if people address your questions as they come up so as not to confuse or overload you with information.

Good luck! A word of caution: Having chickens can become addicting!

 

[frodo]

thank you for the kind Howdy.

..i understood all of your tips and will corperate them into my thoughts
you said a pop pan/board... how about wire and just shovel the pop off the ground...or will it stick all over the wire

 

[DesigningLife]

The droppings can be quite large and gooey...they do tend to get stuck in wire. I'm not sure where you're wanting to put wire that they would poop on. Do you mean the bottom of the nest boxes? If so, I would recommend pine shavings or straw for the nest instead. Typically, they don't make much of a "mess" in the nesting box itself unless they can perch over top of it or on the edge of it. Also, if you have cold weather, you probably won't want your chickens walking on wire as their feet can freeze to it.

Edited: I've been re-reading and I "think" I understand what you mean...sort of a wire floor in the "house" or coop? If so, I would again recommend against that, but that is just my opinion.

The floor of my coop is wooden with pond liner stapled over it (some people put linoleum over it but I didn't have any), then I just take two swipes with my square garden shovel across the pond liner, toss it in a bucket that I dump way out back, and voila, all clean