- Dec 13, 2011
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I am finalizing design for an 8x10 coop for 12 hens that I will build for 3 grandsons this Christmas. Los Gatos CA location has no snow and almost never freezing weather.The info in this forum has been very very useful since I am starting w zero experience. Info I have read suggests open air design is highly desirable for healthy chickens. My thinking is have large screened windows approximately 6 feet long by 3 feet tall located high up on the 2 long walls (10 foot dimension)of my coop. The 4 foot section not open to air will be the roosting area. Don't want the girls exposed to drafts or wind driven rain at night!
Do you think it would be desirable to build the coop w extended eves.......perhaps extend them 18 inches from top of wall to minimize any rain penetrating into the coop.....or will this make the coop too dark. The coop will have an elec outlet and lights on a timer. There will also be an automatic door to chicken run on a timer.
I will build a roosting ladder w rungs at 4 levels and will place a poop collecting tray under the roost. Intend to cover this w 3 inches of sand and use kitty litter scoop every couple days.Remainder of coop will use deep litter approach. We have many red wood chips.........will these be good for deep litter in coop and run? Five nesting boxes in the roosting area will be accessible from outside the coop for egg removal
The run will be A-frame construction 16 feet long and 7 feet tall. The end that attaches to coop will have 8 feet of shingled roof and additional roost ladder for birds that want to snooze in shade during the day. The run will be covered in heavy duty mesh as we have many predators to worry about incl fox,coyote and bobcat. I will mount the A-frame run on pressure treated 6x6s and lag them together so as to be immovable. Will also put hardware cloth under 6x6 that extends 18 inches outside the run to totally thwart all burrowing predators. Plan on a heavy duty 5 foot access door to run built w 2x4s and hardware mesh. My daughter plans to let birds free range during the day for a couple hours several times a week. She has lots of acreage and will probably add Premier electronet fencing that is about 150 feet long to corral birds during free ranging outings. She is getting Americauna (sp?) hens that lay blue eggs. There will probably be some interesting times when hens fly over fence or don't return to coop at dusk. Will dim red light in coop attract hens to return to roosts in coop at sunset?
To finish it off, we will add a dutch door to coop and flower boxes under the window. I will post pictures during construction Christmas week. Any comments or suggestions before I get started will be appreciated. I leave Florida for CA on 12/20
Do you think it would be desirable to build the coop w extended eves.......perhaps extend them 18 inches from top of wall to minimize any rain penetrating into the coop.....or will this make the coop too dark. The coop will have an elec outlet and lights on a timer. There will also be an automatic door to chicken run on a timer.
I will build a roosting ladder w rungs at 4 levels and will place a poop collecting tray under the roost. Intend to cover this w 3 inches of sand and use kitty litter scoop every couple days.Remainder of coop will use deep litter approach. We have many red wood chips.........will these be good for deep litter in coop and run? Five nesting boxes in the roosting area will be accessible from outside the coop for egg removal
The run will be A-frame construction 16 feet long and 7 feet tall. The end that attaches to coop will have 8 feet of shingled roof and additional roost ladder for birds that want to snooze in shade during the day. The run will be covered in heavy duty mesh as we have many predators to worry about incl fox,coyote and bobcat. I will mount the A-frame run on pressure treated 6x6s and lag them together so as to be immovable. Will also put hardware cloth under 6x6 that extends 18 inches outside the run to totally thwart all burrowing predators. Plan on a heavy duty 5 foot access door to run built w 2x4s and hardware mesh. My daughter plans to let birds free range during the day for a couple hours several times a week. She has lots of acreage and will probably add Premier electronet fencing that is about 150 feet long to corral birds during free ranging outings. She is getting Americauna (sp?) hens that lay blue eggs. There will probably be some interesting times when hens fly over fence or don't return to coop at dusk. Will dim red light in coop attract hens to return to roosts in coop at sunset?
To finish it off, we will add a dutch door to coop and flower boxes under the window. I will post pictures during construction Christmas week. Any comments or suggestions before I get started will be appreciated. I leave Florida for CA on 12/20