Second floor in the coop? Covered run?

[Arielle]

DH is building a 12 x 12 coop and wouldn't listen to me when I said I wanted a bigger coop. He doesn't understand chicken math! Help! I've already ordered 14 more chicks and want more. How can I alter the 12 x 12 coop? He already bought the lumber to frame the floor.

 

[teach1rusl]

Buy more lumber...go 12 x 16. Personally, I'd LOVE to have a 12 x 12!! Is that the housing by itself???

 

[TigerLilly]

Shoot...me too!
and just so ya know...we expect pictures!

 

[Arielle]

I read over and over about chicken math!! IT's so true! He(DH) re-looked at the area based on huge rocks and multiples of four to best use std lumber and increased the coop from 10 x 10 to 12 x 12. Yeah! But he doesn't know about the other14 chicks. AND DH frowns when I talk about a 'bator!

 

[jnkir7]

chicken math gets me in trouble, better go bigger now save time later

 

[Arielle]

I can't make the footprint bigger! He all ready has the lumber. Can I make a bump out--like how a bowed window is placed outside a concrete foundation? Or build a 2nd floor by dividing the height in half(on just one side of the coop)? Any suggestions?

 

[ericsplls]

It would be easier to make the footprint bigger than to make something similar to a bay window. The bump out has to be framed also so not any real savings. The split level would work but it could be difficult to clean the two levels. If you can't go bigger my suggestion would be to try to put as much as you can on the outside of the coop so no floor space is wasted. For example feed and water can be outside the coop as well as the nest boxes. Chicken math in general is just a guidline. You can stretch the numbers a little but you'll also have to take extra measures to stay clean and mite free. If that is just the coop and you build an attatched run it will hold alot of chickens. You may not have any problem.

 

[wolfandfinch]

How tall is it? That really determines if the split level thing is manageable. i also agree with moving everything you can to the outside.

 

[kittycooks]

If that is the coop it's plenty big just for sleeping. Are the birds going to free-range? Or can you add a chicken run or tractor for the daytime?

 

[Arielle]

12 x 12 is the coop; planning to have a run and free range each day. THe height is about 6 feet on one side and 7.5 on the other. A bit odd. Dealing with limitations of attaching to the back of an existing barn and lots of big rocks raise the floor up some. New England! Want to prevent over crowding. Maybe some will be boys and I will need DH to build another coop for the them. Yeah right! That won't happen! May do it myself though.

If I can't alter the coop , does a covered run help? Only rarely is the winter bitterly cold and occassionally super high winds. Times when they should be locked in. ANy other ideas?