Seeking comments on my 2-3 chicken coop design

[DonGallina]

I'm a new member looking to have a local carpenter build a chicken coop that fits my needs. I've read over some material and looked at the coop designs and have come up with the following design. Please let me know if you have any suggestions!

Specifications:

• Must be no wider than 30" (due to doorways it must go through)
• Ideally for 2-3 chickens
• Chickens will have access to an open grassy area of about 10' x 25'
• Not shown in the drawing, but the lower area will be screened in with a door

What I need help with:

• Is there a good angle for the ladder?
• What is a good size for the hole in the bottom for the hens to enter the coop?
• What is a good floor material? Wood? Linoleum? Tile?

Any thoughts, suggestions, or comments would be great!

Thanks!

DonGallina

 

[Vicky2479]

Looks great and I wish I knew how to do things like that with me computer, the only thing i can think of is where are you putting the roosts?

 

[LoneOak]

What is the purpose of the divider in the inside middle? You really don't need the double doors one will be sufficient. Raise the bottom of your nest box to where it is about 16" high and put a hinged door on top of it to gather your eggs, you may want to put the divider in the nest box and have two boxes side by side with the same hinged door on the top.

If you go to the SketchUp 3-D Warehouse and search for chicken coops you will see many designs to help you determine what size you need. You could also use one of the templates and just adjust the measurements to meet your needs. I too wish I knew how to do it but I had to find a friend to draw up my tractor in SketchUp and he is near to finishing it, I build on it and send him a pic and adds it to the design. I first drew up a basic design I wanted and he did it in SketchUp and adjusted the measurements to make it work.

Yours is looking fine so far just needs a few adjustments.

LoneOak

 

[Krazzy]

you need a roost and i dont think you need a divider. i also worry about the wind blowing it over in strong storms since it will be so top heavy. i would use a wood floor and have 1"x1/2" wire floor under the roost. angle of ladder doesnt really matter. as far as the door gos it would be easier to put it on the side of the coop and if you do that it only needs to be 1'x'1' for most chicken breeds. just try and stick with hens that dont get bigger than 7 pounds or so. i would suggest getting no less than 3 chickens because they are very flock oriented.

 

[chynasparks]

Perhaps using the lower section on the side for 2 nest boxes, take the decider out of the middle put roost bar in. I agree with top heavy but I'm not a builder. Maybe locate it next to a shed. What are your plans for ventilation. Need some vents or window covered with hardware cloth. Ammonia smell builds up and harms the chickens.

 

[chynasparks]

Sorry, I do see some small long openings on your diagram. I assume those are the vent openings good luck on your coop.

 

[DonGallina]

Great comments everyone, thanks!

I should have labeled my pictures. The divider is actually in the nest box which is on the left side of the main drawing. It has a hinged top to access the eggs. I put the divider in to make two separate spaces for two nests. I wasn't sure it would be necessary to divide the space, so I thought the removable divider would give me the option of having one big nest box, or two smaller boxes.

I think I'll run a roost along the middle of the inside starting in between the nest boxes and running length-wise - maybe halfway up the side.

I thought about the top-heaviness of it as well. It'll be right next to a wall and contained within a walled off area (10' x 25') so wind blowing it over is not an option. Although, an earthquake toppling it would be more likely. I'll consider putting some extended feet stabilizers on it in case that happens.

For those of you who have not used Sketchup, it really takes some practice and getting used to. But once you get the hang of it it's a lot of fun!

DonGallina

 

[DonGallina]

Here's a better shot of the topless view (when I still anticipated the door on the front). You can see the nest boxes on the bottom, and the rest of the space on the top.

 

[Vicky2479]

The other thing is with only 2 chickens (even 3 though unless they are going to free range during the day I would just stick to 2) You only really need 1 nest box, I have 9 hens and they all lay in the one box even though there are 5 to choose from. Don't know if it makes much difference , just a thought

 

[aart]

2 chickens maximum as main coop area is 2' x about 4'.
Make it longer if you can to gain coop space, especially I you have adverse weather or predator issues where they might need to confine them to the coop.

What do you plan for feeder and waterer? Need room for those too.

Not sure what your climate is like, but you need more ventilation...a lot more if you have high temps.
Consider making the those two access doors mesh with a solid panel that could be added if you have cold wind to deal with.