post your chicken coop pictures here!

[Spartan22]

Nice! How big is the coop

Nice!!! how big is the coop?

 

[Cockon Candi]

14' x 12'.

 

[Cockon Candi]

I'm in Coventry, not very far from you.

 

[Chicken5555]

Here is our little coop/run. It is 16 by 24 with a 16x16 add on in the works. It isn't beautiful or impressive when compared to the commercially designed coops and such, but I am proud of it because it was a family effort that the whole family helped to make. The entire thing is fully enclosed with wire, including a foot of rabbit wire below the ground and there is another foot of wire that juts out from the wall about 2 inches below the surface. A little at a time we have been working on closing in parts of it with plywood for rain and wind protection.

 

[junebuggena]

Here is our little coop/run. It is 16 by 24 with a 16x16 add on in the works. It isn't beautiful or impressive when compared to the commercially designed coops and such, but I am proud of it because it was a family effort that the whole family helped to make. The entire thing is fully enclosed with wire, including a foot of rabbit wire below the ground and there is another foot of wire that juts out from the wall about 2 inches below the surface. A little at a time we have been working on closing in parts of it with plywood for rain and wind protection.

Chicken wire isn't the greatest at keeping predators out...

 

[Gundawg]

I have a question this wall is where the nesting boxes are going I plan to be able to access them from the outside so they will be part outside part inside. I was going to use the first 2 bays and save the furthest bay to the left for later if I needed to add some as the flock grows in numbers. I planed to put in 1 row of 3 nest boxes that will make each nest box about 12"-13" wide in each of the first two bays but now I am thinking maybe I should stack the nest boxes and only use one bay. The thought on the double row is it gives more room for roosting. What do you think? I have been thinking about it since I framed the openings but with no real experience with chickens I am not sure which way to go. I need to get the nest boxes done so I can start siding that wall. The nest boxes will sit on the horizontal cross members you see in each bay.

Thanks Mike

 

[Chicken Egg 17]

Thank you for the input Ed.

I greatly value the experience and know-how of others. I'm not new to forums though and many people don't read the original post, take only certain points out of it, and then when you don't agree with their suggestions, tend to become argumentative. For isntance - I appreciate the specs on size per bird you gave. However, I've read and been personally told much to the contrary. In all of my research I side with the belief (because I've seen this with my own two eyes) that chickens need LESS space than people often think. I have seen them huddle together in VERY small areas of large coops. My own chickens don't utilize anywhere near the amount of space that is available in my "too small" coop. Maybe that's not textbook but that is real. Also, many claim that if your coop is larger the birds don't come out of it as often and then end up with less exercize and are therefore less healthy. Lastly, my buddy down the street has a HUGE coop with 5 nesting boxes (mine has 3) for 7 hens (I have 7 + my boy Dutch). His hen's lay in only 2 of 5 boxes. So far my hens only use 1 box out of 3.

As an example - of which I could find many, here's a 3x4 coop that is suggested for 6-8 hens - and mine is larger than this.
https://www.dutchcrafters.com/Amish-Made-Urban-Cottage-Chicken-Coop-Kit/p/43552

Again, the ammonia is not really a problem for me because I keep my coop clean - probably abnormally so but again...my research is that chickens largely get sick when their in unclean environments.


I will definitely work on the ventilation - had always planned to and I mentioned that in my OP. Was just worried (unnecessarily so, I know) that every hole = colder when it's zero here. I had already resolved to making everything "closeable" with hatches and doors. That said, when I had a small night lamp in their 3x2x2 "coop" inside the house when they were all just chicks the temp never rose beyond about 85 degrees or so at night (I know, should've been 95). Point being, a small heat lamp - not a huge 300watt jobber couldn't possibly raise the temp all that much in 64sqft vs struggling to make it 85 in 12sqft. Now, maybe they don't need it at all (it's just the papa in me that wants to keep em warm) but nevertheless....there's no way I'm overheating that space when it's normally between 0 and 30 here in the winter vs 68 inside my house. Seems like common sense to me - and I have a thermometer to test/prove out that theory. All-in-all I was just looking to take off the cold edge somewhat. I'd also bet I'd find all my hens huddling together under it but time will tell.

As you said, it's a continual work in progress. Thanks again.

I have clicked on the link and and had submitted a question about this coop which was how did you determine how many chickens you can keep in this coop and they had spoke with the people who make the coops and said it was made for bantam sized chickens not large fowl. So I agree that your coop may be a little small for 7 large fowl. I am not trying to be pushy or anything I just want to help you and your birds. I am glad you posted pics and I hope I can help if you have any questions.

 

[the poppster]

I have a question this wall is where the nesting boxes are going I plan to be able to access them from the outside so they will be part outside part inside. I was going to use the first 2 bays and save the furthest bay to the left for later if I needed to add some as the flock grows in numbers. I planed to put in 1 row of 3 nest boxes that will make each nest box about 12"-13" wide in each of the first two bays but now I am thinking maybe I should stack the nest boxes and only use one bay. The thought on the double row is it gives more room for roosting. What do you think? I have been thinking about it since I framed the openings but with no real experience with chickens I am not sure which way to go. I need to get the nest boxes done so I can start siding that wall. The nest boxes will sit on the horizontal cross members you see in each bay. Thanks Mike

well I can tell you what I did....I built a set of 9 nest boxes in the form of shelves, three by three, twelve by twelve inches by thirteen inches deep,with hinged doors opening into each box, from the back side ....them I took the whole thing and attached it to the inside wall of my garage...opposite of the coop I built on the outside....then I cut holes in the garage wall into each one of the nest boxes. Best coop remodeling project I've done yet! Gives the birds more room inside the coop and I don't have to disturb the birds while I collect the eggs. A "win-win" situation in my book.

 

[Chicken5555]

Chicken wire isn't the greatest at keeping predators out...

We were thinking of using welded 2 x 4 inch wire 3 ft tall around the outside walls. Do you think that will keep predators out? We have hawks, owls, raccoons, possums, stray dogs and that's about it here.

Edit: we aren't particularly financially endowed, therefore we build what's needed first and fortify a little at a time.

 

[junebuggena]

I'd layer that chicken wire with the welded wire all the way up and all the way around. It's cheaper to use the right materials, the first time around rather than having to constantly reinforce things. And welded wire is a much stronger and safe choice over chicken wire. It doesn't cost much more either. If the birds will be spending nights in the run, you will also need hardware cloth.