Newbie Needing To Build 4x8 Coop

[FiireChicken]

Hello All,
We are new here, as well as to the chicken farming life. We have 12 chicks (5 Ameraucanas, 3 Blue Laced Wyandottes, 2 Delawares and 2 Marans). I have been wandering around here for a couple weeks and have seen some GREAT coops that have been built and would like to know if someone here has a plan set for the Purina Mills Coop, only 4x8? Our chicks seem to be growing at a Super Chicken rate and I am now under the gun to get a coop built fairly quickly. Any help, direction or links to the Purina Mills in 4x8 would be GREATLY appreciated!

 

[Primo]

Just increase the coop plan dimensions to 4x8. plywood sheets are standard 4x8 anyway. I am just finishing up my 4x8 coop. Loosely based on the purina plans. Im not much of a plan guy anyhow. I just built the 4x8 floor base 1st and just started adding to it. good luck

 

[Neddie]

Welcome. I'm pretty new here myself. Someone correct me if I am wrong, but I think I remember it is suggested 4 sq ft per bird. Your girls might be a little crowded in that coop. I'm no help with the Purina Coop. We kind-of made things up as we went along while building ours. I am very jealous of your wyandottes. I would love to have a couple, but I have reached the limit on number of birds in our coop. Looks like we will have to expand next year. That gives me time to prepare my husband. Good luck with your girls and I hope someone here can help you.

 

[Nosaj]

I built a 4 x 8 which really has an inside dimensions of 3.5 x 7.5 due to the walls. I have had 8 non aggressive birds in there with out problems and could probably get away with 1 or 2 more if they were not aggressive. This amounts to about 3' per bird. I also have a large enclosed outdoor area for the birds during the day and they spend most of their day's free which makes a difference. When there is snow spend most of their time in the coop or under the coop where there is no snow. If I was going to do it all over again I would have built an 8x8 coop. As it is now I am planning on adding a 4x4 addition onto my 4 x 8. I do not know what the plans you are talking about look like however there are a few things you want to keep in mind. You want good cross ventilation for the summer and you want to be able to keep drafts off the birds in the winter. I have 20" x 20" windows on 3 of the walls that I can open and close. Keep the roosts at the same level so they are not fighting for the highest roost I have a 2x4 across the long wall so they can all fit on it. I have the 2x4 positioned so that they can perch on the wide 4" side so they can keep their feet under their feathers in the winter. You want the nesting boxes to extend out of the coop so that they do not take up precious floor space. My best advise is to build it 8x8. Here are some pictures of my 4x8. I also used a 4x8 sheet of frp on the floor which makes clean up a breeze.