OK, Can't rebuild, what are my options (Realistic Please)

[EggWalrus]

Better ... but still gonna be a tight squeeze inside for 23 LF RIR'S ...

Don't forget about vents up high.

Vents up high AND vents at floor level to draw fresh dry air in as the hot air rises.

 

[Buckeye2002]

Better ... but still gonna be a tight squeeze inside for 23 LF RIR'S ...

Don't forget about vents up high.

Thanks everyone...here is my plan:

I am going to take out the nesting boxes...cut holes in the back wall (which are about 4" thick), insert the nesting boxes into those newly cut square holes and fasten them with "L" brackets so that they are removable for cleaning (great suggestion @EggWalrus ), I am going to put a hinged door on the back of the boxes for egg retrieval. Then I am going to remove the lower fence completely, remove the lower ramp and put a trap door there and use is as my clean out hole. I am going to put another set of roosting boards at the end where my large door is now and also cut a hinged door just opposite of the front chicken door for access. Attached to this door on the inside will be my feeder/waterer. From both ends I will push the soiled straw to the middle and then use the back door to push it down the trap floor door into my wagon below. I am also going to get some sort of ventilation venting on both apexes of the walls at either end. In the spring I will pull out the section where my back door is (where the water and feed is attached) and create a separate space for them to eat and drink.

Am I getting close to getting it better? Thanks

 

[EggWalrus]

Thanks everyone...here is my plan:

I am going to take out the nesting boxes...cut holes in the back wall (which are about 4" thick), insert the nesting boxes into those newly cut square holes and fasten them with "L" brackets so that they are removable for cleaning (great suggestion @EggWalrus ), I am going to put a hinged door on the back of the boxes for egg retrieval. Then I am going to remove the lower fence completely, remove the lower ramp and put a trap door there and use is as my clean out hole. I am going to put another set of roosting boards at the end where my large door is now and also cut a hinged door just opposite of the front chicken door for access. Attached to this door on the inside will be my feeder/waterer. From both ends I will push the soiled straw to the middle and then use the back door to push it down the trap floor door into my wagon below. I am also going to get some sort of ventilation venting on both apexes of the walls at either end. In the spring I will pull out the section where my back door is (where the water and feed is attached) and create a separate space for them to eat and drink.

Am I getting close to getting it better? Thanks

Sounding a lot better!
Here is what I meant about using "eyehooks" to hang the boxes on the outside wall. You could just lift the boxes of without having to unscrew any thing. If there is a small gap brwn the box and wall, as long as birds can't get out, that will just be more ventilation. Make sure to put a pitch in the box "roofs"so water runs off and away from coop. You can hinge the roof/top so you can just lift and grab eggs.

 

[123RedBeard]

Vents up high AND vents at floor level to draw fresh dry air in as the hot air rises.

IF OP lived where it never got cooler than +40f ... then I'd agree with you ... but ... Omaha gets quite cold, and WINDY too ...

While heat does rise ... vents up high (above roosting birds heads) will vent the warmer moist air, and amonia laden air out ... if both a low vent and high vent are used ... the wind will blow from high to low, or vice versa, right across the chickens ... not good when they are trying to keep their down comforter snuggled down in to keep warm.

 

[Compost King]

I want to see if I understand...I think I do on one point. I should take the nesting boxes out of the coop and basically attach them to the exterior of the back wall and put a hinge door on the back for access to the eggs? What about cold weather? Will they get too cold if they are in the boxes?

Thanks

as long as your roosting bars are above the nesting boxes you will be fine. Someone suggested poop boards, I hate the idea for myself but it might fit you perfectly, if you do use them the best place to stick a nesting box is under the poop boards, great space saver.

 

[feathermaid]

Ok I see you've been having some troubles and started quite a few threads and have received lots of helpful advice already, but please do read the posts by aart and Ridgerunner regarding your chicks... very knowledgable chicken folks.
Maybe all this info and opinions are overwhelming

You have a good start on your coop, don't stress, you can easily make some modifications. I also have a very narrow coop, but my space was limited and if I had a choice I would have made it square. But I guess we will both just have to do the best we can with what we have right?!

So here's what I would do:

if you want to brood your chicks outside in the coop

• Remove the nest boxes... they wont be needed until they're 4-6months old. Because you especially don't want them learning to sleep in the nests --that will lead to poopy eggs and poopy butts, and epsom salt baths to remove the poo for that many birds would not be fun.
• As others have said, put heat only on one end. The chicks need to experience some cold to be able to feather out quicker. I prefer using other heat sources, but a lamp will work.

I have always planned on free ranging them every day.

If so, then why have the wire around the bottom of the coop? If you don't plan to let them out at the crack of dawn every day, they will need a lot more than that tiny space to wander around, otherwise pecking could become a bloody mess, literally, in some cases have led to cannibalism.

Please use hardware cloth instead of that field fencing (I would think chickens could get their heads caught in there, yikes! And predators can fit through pretty easy too). You could just extend the run area to your back fence and add some more area to one side. That way you could sleep in late
Amazon has the best price for HWC
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015PD9JX0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I built my coop on the side of my house and only had to build a gate to keep them contained to the side yard. My coop is 3'x6' with 2 attached runs also 3'x6' each.

• You may want to consider using your coop only as a roosting house. That means the chickens would only use it to sleep at night and lays eggs in the boxes. Mine is big enough for 4-6 birds and they never stay inside during the day.

• You could run the roost bars the full 13' length of the coop. Two parallel bars would be a tight squeeze but could fit 20+ chickens, as they need at least 1foot length per bird. Even though they may huddle closer and leave lots of empty space, they still need that room for wing space flying up there and getting settled. Both bars at the same height can eliminate pecking order competition for the highest spot.

• Nest boxes at floor level would deter the hens from sleeping in them, because they like to sleep up high... so make their choice easy. External nest boxes would be even better and I'm sure you have the skills to make them. Even if you just put the boxes on the floor and cover them with a slanted board that will keep them from roosting on top.

• Add ventilation on both ends at the peaks. Louvered vents would be easy and perfect. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/chicken-coop-ventilation-go-out-there-and-cut-more-holes-in-your-coop.47774/

I'm sure you'll do great. Besides, everyone's coop is usually a work in progress... for years!

*edit* I starting writing this post hours ago and didn't see all the new suggestions-sorry!

 

[ShannonR]

Please use hardware cloth instead of that field fencing (I would think chickens could get their heads caught in there, yikes! And predators can fit through pretty easy too). You could just extend the run area to your back fence and add some more area to one side. That way you could sleep in late
Amazon has the best price for HWC

I've used that exact same fencing to build my poultry pens for 5 years now. I have never had a chicken get it's head stuck, the holes are WAY too big for that. The only downside I have experienced is that rodents and snakes can get in. That's it. I have never had a predator reach through the fence to grab a bird, either. And, given the cost of hardware cloth along with the need for multiple pens for my own setup, That's a risk I am more than willing to take.
That size fencing won't keep chicks in them, but for adult birds it is quite sufficient. Some people just don't have an extra $2000 laying around to house chickens with.

 

[feathermaid]

Attached to this door on the inside will be my feeder/waterer. From both ends I will push the soiled straw to the middle and then use the back door to push it down the trap floor door into my wagon below.

Have you researched deep litter? Or poop boards? I use a tray under my roosts filled with Sweet PDZ (stall refresher) and just scoop the poop like cat litter. (They're removable so I changed the orientation in these pics)


Seems like water on the door would be very heavy, might be better with a bucket on the floor. Water also doesn't have to stay inside the coop. It can be outside on the ground. I use horizontal nipple waterers and they don't drip at all. And my diy PVC feeders don't waste any food either. My runs are fully secure so I keep all the food and water outside.

 

[CanadaEh]

Do I scrap the floor door/ramp underneath and pull the fence from around the base? Thereby just having the front door and just having the free-range door/ramp in the front? Get rid of some of the chicks I have, if so how many? I have 23 currently. Use the floor trapdoor as a clean out portal?

if you can build closer to the fence/property line without upsetting your neighbor, I would remove back wall and back roof sheathing and extended the coop 5-6 ft at the back putting new rafters on top of existing ones ad making the back roof slope less steep. Extending by 6ft would give you 13*9=117sq.ft. - enough for 29 birds.

 

[feathermaid]

That size fencing won't keep chicks in them, but for adult birds it is quite sufficient. Some people just don't have an extra $2000 laying around to house chickens with.

Yes, I suppose it's fine for larger birds. But I keep my food outside as well so I don't want other critters getting in there to steal it, even if they don't bother my chickens. I built my entire coop for about $700 and spent less than $100 on HWC for a run equivalent to 3'x6'x16' (not a very efficient size, I know, but it's the space I had to work with).
Just thought I would mention the option.