post your chicken coop pictures here!

[BertieBott]

You of course have a better view, but based on the 2nd photo I'm not seeing a 2" gap under the soffit, it appears quite solid, same with the front soffit in the 3rd picture...

Maybe the pictures are deceptive? Either way I would consider additional ventilation...

I know you feel that the coop is large, but truth is when 6 birds are in there panting away and pooping away the ammonia and humidity will saturate that volume of air in no time...

The soffit is attached to the roof overhang. The venting is where the walls don't quite meet the roof which is a good foot (at least) back from the soffits.

I know the coop is large. It needed to be about 1/4 of the size it actually is. I've seen tons of coops the size of rabbit hutches so I'm quite confused why mine is so inadequate.

 

[med1pilot]

I think your coop is not only adequate, but very well done. When it gets cold, just watch for any moisture on the inside of your windows. That would be an excellent indicator of too much moisture. Otherwise I think some of the suggestions for leaving your windows open in the dead of winter might be a little over the top. Take all information gleaned on a site like this with a grain of salt, as there are almost as many opinions as there are grains. What works for some could be detrimental to others. Google a few of your questions, and look for any of the professional sites to see what they are suggesting, and maybe even ask at one of the hatchery sites about your design and layout. Good luck.

 

[Beekissed]

I'm curious where you come up with needing that level of ventalation when using deep litter?

Just picked it up out of the litter.

 

[bruceha2000]

I know the coop is large. It needed to be about 1/4 of the size it actually is. I've seen tons of coops the size of rabbit hutches so I'm quite confused why mine is so inadequate.

Yours is NOT "so inadequate", the "rabbit hutch" coops are. Look at almost any commercially available coop. They are very cute, built with substandard materials and will claim "houses 6-8 chickens" in about 9 sq ft, 3' high. It is pretty much impossible to have adequate ventilation without drafts on the birds. The roosts might be off the ground, barely, so the birds don't even have 9 sq ft to walk around. Marketing (ie MONEY) is driving that, not ANY experience with raising chickens.

The generally stated minimum floor space (meaning USABLE space not areas where there are waterers, feeders or roosts robbing floor or headroom) is 2 sq ft/chicken. But consider that a large fowl is a foot or more from beak to tail. Envision packing birds in that tight unless they are NEVER confined to the coop except when they are sleeping (on their minimum 1 linear foot per bird roosts). Consider YOU living in a space twice your width. And doing it with others. Tensions mount. A "common accepted minimum" is 4 sq ft/bird. Even then, plot that out on the floor, 2'x2', it still isn't a lot of room when they decide to flap their wings. A "commonly accepted minimum" for run space is 10 sq ft/bird.

Take advice from whomever you like but consider how long they have had chickens and how their climate compares to yours. Do they have personal experience or are they just repeating something they read? And consider that "popular" doesn't mean right. Feeding them cracked corn, whole oats and bread will NOT yield an egg a day from each hen. Nor does poop on an egg mean your hen has worms. You will adjust your operation as you see fit based on how your chickens are doing.

 

[Beekissed]

Not wanted, not needed.

 

[BertieBott]

Yours is NOT "so inadequate", the "rabbit hutch" coops are. Look at almost any commercially available coop. They are very cute, built with substandard materials and will claim "houses 6-8 chickens" in about 9 sq ft, 3' high. It is pretty much impossible to have adequate ventilation without drafts on the birds. The roosts might be off the ground, barely, so the birds don't even have 9 sq ft to walk around. Marketing (ie MONEY) is driving that, not ANY experience with raising chickens.

The generally stated minimum floor space (meaning USABLE space not areas where there are waterers, feeders or roosts robbing floor or headroom) is 2 sq ft/chicken. But consider that a large fowl is a foot or more from beak to tail. Envision packing birds in that tight unless they are NEVER confined to the coop except when they are sleeping (on their minimum 1 linear foot per bird roosts). Consider YOU living in a space twice your width. And doing it with others. Tensions mount. A "common accepted minimum" is 4 sq ft/bird. Even then, plot that out on the floor, 2'x2', it still isn't a lot of room when they decide to flap their wings. A "commonly accepted minimum" for run space is 10 sq ft/bird.

Take advice from whomever you like but consider how long they have had chickens and how their climate compares to yours. Do they have personal experience or are they just repeating something they read? And consider that "popular" doesn't mean right. Feeding them cracked corn, whole oats and bread will NOT yield an egg a day from each hen. Nor does poop on an egg mean your hen has worms. You will adjust your operation as you see fit based on how your chickens are doing.

Thank you, this is some of the more helpful advice I've gotten thus far.

I went back pages and pages and none of the coops have gotten the reaction that mine has, so you can imagine my distress.

When finished, the ladies will have the PVC pipe feeders and a hanging waterer, so basically every sq ft will be usable to them.

For those who mentioned being defensive, I really haven't. I have just been trying to explain my set up and ask the proper questions.

Someone mentioned a pop door. The pop door is in the back which leads out to their fenced run. A lot of the time they will be free ranging in our backyard (which is also fenced, just a lot larger) though.

I am not new to chickens. I have raised hundreds. From the time I was a tiny child until I got married, it's just been several years. I took chickens as 4H and FFA projects for many years. I am new, however, to these more advanced techniques. Our chickens lived in the metal building with the dirt floor, as I mentioned, and free ranged during the day. That was pretty much the extent of it. All the new techniques are a bit overwhelming to say the least.

 

[Beekissed]

.

 

[TJordan]

Thanks!


You can't really see it here, but there is ventilation under the soffits. Enough to vent, but not too much for our cold winters. The windows all prop open for warmer months.

One idea for vent is what I'm doing in this new build. We will have it 6-10" off the ground allowing under vent and we have put a 3" gap between the 2 floor boards. This we covered with a sturdy hardware cloth and then took some wood striping and covered the edges of the HC to protect feet and stop anything from trying to push up through it. We will also add HC around the bottom and skirt it out and down. I want to get some cinder blocks to put over this in areas but leave the openings up. This way I can plant chicken friendly herbs and sprouts for treats without compromising the underside.

 

[BertieBott]

That's because we like you a lot and want you to have a good experience! I generally don't use up a lot of time on someone who doesn't want to learn nor appreciates the time spent...not anymore. I used to dish out advice to any who asked but have learned better. You seem to honestly want advice on chickens and that's something everyone responds to...it's rare nowadays.

Thanks

I am trying, but like I've said, it's so much more complicated than the way I raised them growing up. LOL.

 

[BertieBott]

Hubs and I have been discussing more venting. I do like the idea of the house floor vents since they look nice. We will see what happens