Requesting assistance to design the interior of my Coop!

[curlyp]

Hello BYC,

I am in the process of building my first chicken coop with run. Before I frame out the door and windows, it is probably best to have an idea of where everything will go, so I can maximize space.

The Coop is 8x8' with 4' porch and the run is 20x8. I am assuming I want the door to swing outwards to utilize more space inside? I was originally thinking a 42-44" front door. I wanted it wide to make it easier to clean out the coop. Is that necessary? Also, should I make it so I can grab the eggs from the outside (my original plan was to walk in and get them)?

@3KillerBs @NatJ @aart - you all come recommended for advice on layouts! Could I possible get your advice?

Thanks in advance everyone!

 

[3KillerBs]

The Coop is 8x8' with 4' porch and the run is 20x8. I am assuming I want the door to swing outwards to utilize more space inside? I was originally thinking a 42-44" front door. I wanted it wide to make it easier to clean out the coop. Is that necessary? Also, should I make it so I can grab the eggs from the outside (my original plan was to walk in and get them)?

That's a nice size.

There are 2 schools of though in re: door opening and it is one of those "climate matters" things. Open out for more room inside vs open in so that you don't have to shovel the snow away to get into your coop.

A door wide enough to get your wheelbarrow or garden cart through is a very good idea.

I like outside nest access because I do not always have the ability/desire to change clothing before and after gathering eggs. It also allows me to get eggs with minimal disturbance of my flock on blistering hot days when I don't want them getting excited and moving around too much. Some prefer to go inside for the eggs as a means of ensuring that they're eyes-on with their flock several times a day..

If you make outside access doors for the nests (I recommend front drop-down rather than a top-lifting lid), you don't *have to* gather from outside just because you have the option. Also, it's easier to find chicken sitters who will feed and water the birds and get the eggs if everything is arranged so they can fill and gather from outside without having to open the coop door.

 

[HausOfEggwards]

Hi I'm also a noob, but here are a few articles I've found helpful.
How high up to have things
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/coop-stack-up-how-high-stuff-works-well.73427/
Ventilation
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...-there-and-cut-more-holes-in-your-coop.47774/
Also heads up I've heard warnings about gravel in the run, so if you want to change that, do it before chickens poop there
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/gravel-base-in-run.1401030/#post-22991496

 

[DobieLover]

I am assuming I want the door to swing outwards to utilize more space inside?

I like them to swing out. You have to shovel your way to the coop regardless so it doesn't matter if the door swings in. Unless you live IN the coop. Which hopefully you do not.

I was originally thinking a 42-44" front door. I wanted it wide to make it easier to clean out the coop. Is that necessary?

I'd stick with 36". I only open one of my 24" clean out doors and park my wheelbarrow in front of the opening. There's another good reason to have the door swing out; so you can clean all corners of the coop with nothing in your way.

Also, should I make it so I can grab the eggs from the outside

That's my preference. I would slant the top of it and have the front drop down to collect eggs. Remember to flash where the bump out roof meets the coop wall.
I like this construction design for bump out boxes.

I like windows all the way around at roost height for nice cross breezes during hot weather and lots of light year round.

Add lots of ventilation too. Between the rafters with complimentary gable and/or ridge vents work great.

 

[curlyp]

A door wide enough to get your wheelbarrow or garden cart through is a very good idea.

Exactly! I need to measure my wheelbarrow to see how wide it is. Do you ever bring yours inside?

I like outside nest access because I do not always have the ability/desire to change clothing before and after gathering eggs. It also allows me to get eggs with minimal disturbance of my flock on blistering hot days when I don't want them getting excited and moving around too much. Some prefer to go inside for the eggs as a means of ensuring that they're eyes-on with their flock several times a day..

Great point. Can quickly grab the eggs. Are you supposed to change clothes when you go inside the coop?

Also, for 12 chickens, how many nesting boxes do I want and how high should I place them?

If you make outside access doors for the nests (I recommend front drop-down rather than a top-lifting lid), you don't *have to* gather from outside just because you have the option. Also, it's easier to find chicken sitters who will feed and water the birds and get the eggs if everything is arranged so they can fill and gather from outside without having to open the coop door.

Thank you.

I was thinking of keeping their food and water inside the run since it’s enclosed. That way, they sleep and lay eggs inside the coop and drink/eat outside of where they sleep/lay. What do you think about that idea?

Hi I'm also a noob, but here are a few articles I've found helpful.
How high up to have things
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/coop-stack-up-how-high-stuff-works-well.73427/
Ventilation
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...-there-and-cut-more-holes-in-your-coop.47774/
Also heads up I've heard warnings about gravel in the run, so if you want to change that, do it before chickens poop there
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/gravel-base-in-run.1401030/#post-22991496

Thank you very much for chiming in and providing these links. I’ll read them tonight!

I like them to swing out. You have to shovel your way to the coop regardless so it doesn't matter if the door swings in. Unless you live IN the coop. Which hopefully you do not.

Haha, I hope I’m not sleeping in there! Lol

I like windows all the way around at roost height for nice cross breezes during hot weather and lots of light year round.


I like that idea. What size windows would you recommend?

Also, what about setting up the inside? Do I want a table all the way around? Just a few nesting boxes, etc? Not sure how to design the inside.

 

[NatJ]

I am assuming I want the door to swing outwards to utilize more space inside?

I agree about swinging outward, but for a different reason:
you don't want to be shoving the door open against a pile of bedding. The chickens WILL kick a pile of bedding against the door sometimes.

It is unlikely for a chicken to sit against the door and refuse to move, but if it does happen with an outward swinging door, no problem.

I would actually build three human sized doors:
one into the coop
one into the run
one between the coop and run

That way you can get to any part from any other part.
I would make the door between coop and run open into the run (out of the coop).
I would make the other two open outwards.

I was originally thinking a 42-44" front door. I wanted it wide to make it easier to clean out the coop. Is that necessary?

Make it wider than you are, and wide enough for the biggest thing you ever expect to move through it. That might include pushing your wheelbarrow inside to dump new bedding. Other than that, I don't have a specific size to recommend.

I would put a board across the doorway to keep bedding from spilling out. Attach it with one screw on each side, and take it off at cleaning time. Even if they only have 1" of bedding, they will throw it around. And of course if you like to pile on new bedding until it's a foot deep, you really need something to keep it in! You can add a second board above the first if you pile the bedding deeper than the first board.


I didn't see you mention a poop board, but I suggest you think about it before you finalize the interior layout.

Some people love to have a poop board, and they scoop the droppings every day, so their coop stays nice and clean and does not smell.

Some people prefer to have no poop board, and the droppings land in the deep bedding where the chickens scratch it all around and mix it up. More bedding is added at intervals, and every year or so the whole thing gets cleaned out. Done right, that coop doesn't smell either. This is the style I prefer.

There are plenty of middle options too (although I think an uncleaned poop board is probably a bad idea: that would leave the droppings sitting right underneath the roosting chickens, not buried in bedding.)

As long as the coop does not stink and the chickens are healthy, any method you like is fine. But it is something to consider as you plan the inside of your coop.


You may want to be able to divide the coop later, which is easier if you think about it now. Even if you don't think you'll want to divide it, you could make sure you know where the studs are, and have a pair that are exactly opposite each other, so you have the option to attach a divider to them in future.

Reasons you might want to divide the coop: brooding chicks, broody hen, separate a bully or victim or sick chicken, divide different breeding groups, and so forth.


I see you already got advice on ventilation, and egg-collecting. I have nothing to add on those points.

The only point I would add about windows: glass windows can be nice in cold weather when the chickens have to stay inside, because they let in natural light, and if you place them right the chickens can also look out. They can be in places that you do not want ventilation, like at the level of the roost.

Glass windows do not need to open, if you have sufficient other ventilation.

 

[NatJ]

You posted again just as I was finishing a response to you first post, so here are some comments on your more recent post:

Are you supposed to change clothes when you go inside the coop?

If you get chicken poop on your clothes, yes.
If your clothes are dusty and/or smell like chickens, yes.
If you are able to go in the coop and come out completely clean, no need to change clothes. But that may not happen very often.

for 12 chickens, how many nesting boxes do I want and how high should I place them?

Probably 3 or 4. They will choose a favorite one and mostly use it, but they should have a few choices for the times when several need to lay at once.

If you end up with a lot of broody hens, you can add cardboard boxes for temporary extra nests.

If you have raised nests, provide somewhere for the hens to land before they step into the nest. If they try to fly straight in, they may break eggs when they land.

I was thinking of keeping their food and water inside the run since it’s enclosed. That way, they sleep and lay eggs inside the coop and drink/eat outside of where they sleep/lay. What do you think about that idea?

Quite a few people do that. Apparently it works pretty well in most climates.

Also, what about setting up the inside? Do I want a table all the way around? Just a few nesting boxes, etc? Not sure how to design the inside.

There are many options.

One of the simplest: nestboxes along part of one wall. Two roosts running all the way across the coop, at the same height as each other. Nothing else. I would make the roosts removable if you do that, so you can get them out of the way when cleaning. Or run one along each side of the coop, so you can walk in the middle and reach everywhere easily.

If you want poop boards, they often end up looking like a table most of the way around, with the roosts above that.

The chickens will all want to sleep on the highest thing, so make sure that is a roost long enough for all of them. You don't want the nests to be the highest thing.

Chickens fly down from the roosts at an angle. However high the roost is from the floor, the chickens should have at least that much space to fly down without hitting a wall. So if you want roosts 4 feet high, be sure they are at least 4 feet away from one wall.

I forget the usual recommendations for spacing roosts, but the basic idea is that chickens should not bump their heads or tails on the wall, and should not peck chickens on other roosts. I'm thinking about a foot from the wall and about two feet between roosts, but I may be off a bit there.

 

[curlyp]

I agree about swinging outward, but for a different reason:
you don't want to be shoving the door open against a pile of bedding. The chickens WILL kick a pile of bedding against the door sometimes.

Good point! That didn't even cross my mind!

I would actually build three human sized doors:
one into the coop
one into the run
one between the coop and run

That way you can get to any part from any other part.
I would make the door between coop and run open into the run (out of the coop).
I would make the other two open outwards.

Thanks for the suggestion. I wasn't sure if I needed to get into the run from the coop, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to have just in case.

Make it wider than you are, and wide enough for the biggest thing you ever expect to move through it. That might include pushing your wheelbarrow inside to dump new bedding. Other than that, I don't have a specific size to recommend.

I am going to measure my wheelbarrow tomorrow and make the door big enough to fit it.

I would put a board across the doorway to keep bedding from spilling out. Attach it with one screw on each side, and take it off at cleaning time. Even if they only have 1" of bedding, they will throw it around. And of course if you like to pile on new bedding until it's a foot deep, you really need something to keep it in! You can add a second board above the first if you pile the bedding deeper than the first board.

Great suggestion! This way I don't have bedding out on the porch all the time.

I didn't see you mention a poop board, but I suggest you think about it before you finalize the interior layout.

Some people love to have a poop board, and they scoop the droppings every day, so their coop stays nice and clean and does not smell.

I think I might pass. In the event it is not cleaned everyday, I don't want to have an unsanitary place for them. I'll stick with the deep bedding!

Some people prefer to have no poop board, and the droppings land in the deep bedding where the chickens scratch it all around and mix it up. More bedding is added at intervals, and every year or so the whole thing gets cleaned out. Done right, that coop doesn't smell either. This is the style I prefer.

Wait, with deep bedding, you only have to clean it out once a year! Won't they be walking around in poop all the time?

As long as the coop does not stink and the chickens are healthy, any method you like is fine. But it is something to consider as you plan the inside of your coop.

Thank you.

You may want to be able to divide the coop later, which is easier if you think about it now. Even if you don't think you'll want to divide it, you could make sure you know where the studs are, and have a pair that are exactly opposite each other, so you have the option to attach a divider to them in future.

Reasons you might want to divide the coop: brooding chicks, broody hen, separate a bully or victim or sick chicken, divide different breeding groups, and so forth.

Good point, but I only have an 8x8' coop. Is there even enough space to divide it? I will mark the sheeting where the studs are.

The only point I would add about windows: glass windows can be nice in cold weather when the chickens have to stay inside, because they let in natural light, and if you place them right the chickens can also look out. They can be in places that you do not want ventilation, like at the level of the roost.

Glass windows do not need to open, if you have sufficient other ventilation.

How high do you recommend putting the roost? As far as the windows, what size do you recommend? Do you recommend buying them locally, or is there a website that allot of BYC users use?

If you get chicken poop on your clothes, yes.
If your clothes are dusty and/or smell like chickens, yes.
If you are able to go in the coop and come out completely clean, no need to change clothes. But that may not happen very often.

Noted!

Probably 3 or 4. They will choose a favorite one and mostly use it, but they should have a few choices for the times when several need to lay at once.

If you end up with a lot of broody hens, you can add cardboard boxes for temporary extra nests.

If you have raised nests, provide somewhere for the hens to land before they step into the nest. If they try to fly straight in, they may break eggs when they land.

Thank you!

Quite a few people do that. Apparently it works pretty well in most climates.

One of the simplest: nestboxes along part of one wall. Two roosts running all the way across the coop, at the same height as each other. Nothing else. I would make the roosts removable if you do that, so you can get them out of the way when cleaning. Or run one along each side of the coop, so you can walk in the middle and reach everywhere easily.

Do you recommend the nesting boxes be ground level or semi-raised? Any tips on how to make the removable roosts?

The chickens will all want to sleep on the highest thing, so make sure that is a roost long enough for all of them. You don't want the nests to be the highest thing.

Chickens fly down from the roosts at an angle. However high the roost is from the floor, the chickens should have at least that much space to fly down without hitting a wall. So if you want roosts 4 feet high, be sure they are at least 4 feet away from one wall.

Would I want the nesting boxes under the roost or on an opposite wall?

I forget the usual recommendations for spacing roosts, but the basic idea is that chickens should not bump their heads or tails on the wall, and should not peck chickens on other roosts. I'm thinking about a foot from the wall and about two feet between roosts, but I may be off a bit there.

Thank you!

 

[NatJ]

Wait, with deep bedding, you only have to clean it out once a year! Won't they be walking around in poop all the time?

It depends on how deep you let it get, and how many chickens you have in how much space.

They scratch it around and the poop gets mixed in.
And you toss in more bedding whenever you think it's needed, or just when it's convenient.

So yes, it can sometimes go a year or more, but not everyone does it that way. It's one of those things that different people do in different ways.

If it smells bad, you need to either get the poop mixed in (toss some scratch grains to encourage the chickens to do it, or turn the worst area yourself with a pitchfork), or else add more bedding over the top, or else clean it out.

If you're bumping your head on the roof, it's time to clean it out.

If it's getting fairly deep, and you know you don't want to clean it out next month, consider doing it this month.

Good point, but I only have an 8x8' coop. Is there even enough space to divide it? I will mark the sheeting where the studs are.

You could divide it into a pair of 4x8 coops (I've dealt with some 4x8 coops, and they worked well enough.)

Or you could divide off a 2-foot or 3-foot section. Two feet is wide enough for raising chicks, or for any one chicken that needs to be separated for some reason (broody, bully, sick, etc.)

Or make a right-angle divider that attaches to two walls, so the small place might be 2 or 3 feet square.

It's one of those things that can be done many ways.
Just marking the studs will mean they're easy to find, if you reach a point when you need to.

How high do you recommend putting the roost?

At least 2 feet up (so chickens can walk underneath) but not higher than 6 feet (because of needing enough space for the chickens to fly down.)

I'd probably decide on the nest height first, then put the roost a little higher than the top of the nests.

As far as the windows, what size do you recommend? Do you recommend buying them locally, or is there a website that allot of BYC users use?

I would go with whatever is available locally, that isn't too expensive.
So if one size is cheap and a slightly larger or smaller size is expensive, go with the cheaper one

Do you recommend the nesting boxes be ground level or semi-raised?

For broody hens, floor-level is good (but a cardboard box or wooden crate can be fine for a broody hen.)

For normal use, I prefer raised nestboxes for several reasons:
--they do not take up floor space
--deep bedding never blocks the entrance of the nestbox
--I don't have to bend over so far to reach the eggs

If the nestboxes extend outside the coop, I would go with any height that is convenient for you to collect the eggs.

If the nestboxes are inside the coop, I would make their bottoms at least 2 feet off the ground, so the chickens can easily use the space underneath. Or maybe 3 feet, if you intend to let the bedding pile up nice and deep.

Any tips on how to make the removable roosts?

You can use pretty much anything shaped like a U that hold the ends of the roost.

You can screw one board to each wall for the ends of the roost to sit on, with a smaller board on each side to keep the roost from sliding around.

You can use a wood closet rod, and attach the usual end pieces to the walls of the coop.
(Although that has a chance of the rod rolling as they sit on it.)

My favorite coop used 2x4s (skinny side up) hung with stud hangers.
Cheap metal pieces like this:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Simpson...anger-for-2x4-Nominal-Lumber-LUS24Z/100375190

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Simpson-Strong-Tie-Double-Shear-Hanger-Z-MAX/3006442

https://www.amazon.com/QWORK-Gauge-Galvanizing-Coating-Hanger/dp/B086L2PSR6/

Some people build the roosts as a stand-alone structure that is not attached to the coop at all. It may look like a ladder, or like a sawhorse, or any other configuration that seems to work.

And some people lay the roosts across some supports, then use one or two screws per roost to make sure they stay in place. Those screws can be removed if you want the roosts out.

Would I want the nesting boxes under the roost or on an opposite wall?

Chickens poop a lot while they sleep, so I would put the nestboxes on a different wall to keep them cleaner.

 

[Happy hen lover]

I use my chicken poop shoes only for the coop and run. I look for flat bottom soles for this. Then I come in and off they go at back door. With avian flu it's a good idea to have shoes that don't go to farm supply stores ( around new chicks , etc.) or in general public to make sure you don't bring any virus back to your flock.
I like the outside run to gather eggs( I wish I'd done that) . I am short so others can't stand in my run. They would have loved to have nest boxes access from outside run. .
I do like food and water outside coop in run idea.
Divided coop?
I started my new chicks in storage ( divided )area of my coop and I loved it. I gave it up to expand so I may regret in future. Even if it's a small corner wired off from rest but you have a big run so there's that.
Those are my limited suggestions as you have the "wise ones " chiming in here.