Our new coop for our disabled and rehected chick

[clint_and_laura]

I built this 38"x 38", low to the ground coop for two of our hens. One is a new full grown that was rejected by the flock; the other broke her femur which did not heal correctly.

Since it is low to the ground I made the side door go below the floor of the coop and the top removable for easier cleaning. The nest "box" lifts out. The back of the coop faces the direction winter storms generally come in and I'll be adding some trim so the top slides on and off and to cut down water leaking in from the side door.

We'll probably get one or two more hens for the new area. Tonight will be the ladies first night in their new home!

 

[WingsysRoost]

This looks awesome! Thanks for sharing!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Not a bad idea, but it needs a lot more ventilation (and natural light) than those small holes at the top provide. Is there larger vents on the other sides?

 

[clint_and_laura]

Not a bad idea, but it needs a lot more ventilation (and natural light) than those small holes at the top provide. Is there larger vents on the other sides?

They aren't going to live in it during the day; it is only for roosting at night. The automatic door opens when it gets light so they can run, or hop for Ms Gimpy, around the yard.

I could add more holes but I was concerned about it getting cold in the winter. We don't have really cold winters like the mid-West but it is frequently in the mid-30s and 40s.

 

[clint_and_laura]

P.S. there are three 2.5" holes

 

[fowltemptress]

They aren't going to live in it during the day; it is only for roosting at night. The automatic door opens when it gets light so they can run, or hop for Ms Gimpy, around the yard.

I could add more holes but I was concerned about it getting cold in the winter. We don't have really cold winters like the mid-West but it is frequently in the mid-30s and 40s.

Cute. How hot does it get where you are? Mid 30s to 40s is warm enough that you could get away with having a roof with no walls and your birds would be fine. With winters that mild, I'd be more worried about warm weather than cold weather.

 

[ChickyCh00k]

This is very cute! Also, definitely needs more ventilation. Even in the coldest of winters (negative temps), plenty of ventilation (along roofline) is imperative - even if the chickens are only in the coop to sleep (which is the case for the majority of chickens here).

A chicken's body temp is about 104°F, so you don't need to worry about 30s and 40s in the winter there. The summers are much harder on them. Poop and the chickens' exhalations, coupled with the size of the coop and too little ventilation, is a recipe for an ammonia filled sauna inside, which is not super healthy for the chickens.

Here's a great article on ventilation:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/repecka-illustrates-coop-ventilation.77659/

 

[clint_and_laura]

Cute. How hot does it get where you are? Mid 30s to 40s is warm enough that you could get away with having a roof with no walls and your birds would be fine. With winters that mild, I'd be more worried about warm weather than cold weather.

It doesn't get very hot here either. Daytime temps rarely get over 90 and typically run in the mid 60s to mid 70s. Nighttime temps generally run in the 50s and 60s. Summertime temps.

Chickens that live in our store bought coop don't stay in it during the day. They prefer to exit in the morning and just go in there to lay eggs.

I could remove a side and put hardware mesh on but really don't want water getting in when it rains. Storms can come with high winds that get everything inside wet. We have trouble with water soaking the screened areas of the store bought coop despite putting up temporary sides to block it. Water gets in the enclosed part too.

 

[clint_and_laura]

This is very cute! Also, definitely needs more ventilation. Even in the coldest of winters (negative temps), plenty of ventilation (along roofline) is imperative - even if the chickens are only in the coop to sleep (which is the case for the majority of chickens here).

A chicken's body temp is about 104°F, so you don't need to worry about 30s and 40s in the winter there. The summers are much harder on them. Poop and the chickens' exhalations, coupled with the size of the coop and too little ventilation, is a recipe for an ammonia filled sauna inside, which is not super healthy for the chickens.

Here's a great article on ventilation:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/repecka-illustrates-coop-ventilation.77659/

Thank you for the article on ventilation. I could add blocks to raise the roof some in the front, drill more holes and make covers for winter, or cut out a window in front and make a winter cover for it. I really don't want openings on the windward side.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Thank you for the article on ventilation. I could add blocks to raise the roof some in the front,

This would be ideal IMO, gives you nice open vents high up. You really don't need to cover it in winter unless you have a storm moving in (maybe adding some angled pieces over the edge of the roof would help mitigate some of the rain intrusion. My chickens still choose to sleep up against open windows down to the low teens in winter.