seeking constructive critiques of my new chicken coop build

[jakes bayou]

i just built a chicken coop in preparation for our jump into egg ranching and would like some constructive critiquing from those of you that have been doing this awhile. the design is mine but I researched a lot on this website as well as others. thanks for looking at it and critiquing.

 

[mrchicks]

You've done an excellent job! Your gals will be quite happy and safe in your coop. What are you planning on putting down on the floor? I'm using PDZ and find it to be great for easy cleaning and very little odor.

 

[jakes bayou]

i was going to buy a linoleum remnant. but tell me what PDZ is. and thank you very much!

 

[mrchicks]

The linoleum is a great idea, I have it on the floor of one of my coops. But I put the PDZ over it. It's also called "stall refresher", it's a granular product similar to cat litter. It's scoopable and freshens the coop. When I do my morning coop cleaning all I have to do it take my kitty litter scoop and the floor is spotless in a matter of minutes. I also use a poop deck under the roost, making cleanup very fast. I'm done with cleaning in less than 5 minutes. Tractor Supply sells the PDZ.

I also have a coop where I tried the garage floor coating. So far so good on that one too.

 

[jakes bayou]

thanks for that! i've never heard of PDZ but will look into it PDQ.

ahhh, i crack me up!

 

[JackE]

Neat coop, how many birds are you putting in there? On the vid you were talking about making a screen window to place in that cleaning door opening for the warmer months. I think it would be a good idea to make the temporary screen window, permanent. Depending on how many birds you are putting in there, ventilation is kinda critical.

As far as your floor goes, linoleum as it gets older, it gets brittle, it will crack apart where you are planning of having it hinge open with your clean out door. Also, I've read on this forum where a guy used linoleum, and his chickens had a great time shredding it to pieces. I would HIGHLY recommend a product I used in my coop, that I got from Lowes.
Blackjack#57 rubberized roofcoat. Unlike linoleum, this stuff becomes PART of the floor, not just a covering. You pour this stuff in there and push it around with a roller, and you will have a sealed floor you can hose out if you want. It totally seals all floor seams, as well as the floor to the walls seam. It is practically indestructible. If it can protect a roof in all extremes of weather, protecting a chicken coop floor is nothing to it. I've had this stuff down in my coop going on 4yrs, and it looks as good as the day I poured it in there. I bought it in a 4.75 gal bucket, but I've seen that it is available in 1 gal cans. Pour a couple of cans in there, and do your floor right, and fugetaboughtit.

 

[jakes bayou]

that blackjack is a very interesting idea. i will look for it at my lowes tonight.

we are starting with 8 chicks but i wanted to build it large in case we decide to double that number.
the more i think about it the more i think i will make that screen door semi permanent.

thanks for the feedback.

 

[Beekissed]

With time you'll find that coop very cramped for 8 standard fowl birds, as well as the intended size of the run. I'd put no more than 4 birds in that kind of space and you'll find out when weather is extreme and they are confined to the coop for a matter of days just how valuable more space will be.

The ventilation at the top is great and you'll not want to cover that in cold weather...you'll need as much or more ventilation in the coop in the cold weather as you will in the hot weather, as the cold weather tends to create more humidity for warm birds in a small space than if the outside temps were also warm and humid. Anytime you have contained moisture on animals during cold temps, you are going to see problems with frost bite and possibly respiratory illness. Whoever suggested the permanent open, screened area at the bottom of the coop was right on the money....your birds need light and air to stay healthy and that coop has limited amounts of both, even with the pop door and ventilation you have already.

You'll need 12-18 in. of roost space for each bird, so keep that in mind as well.

Looks like a strong build, otherwise, and you'll soon see how it performs as far as space and air over time and you may be wanting to make some adjustments. The more air and light you have in a coop, the healthier that environment is going to be. Folks who have never had chickens tend to think they just roost and lay in the coop but they will be doing an awful lot of living in that coop since they are confined to a run as well. It's always good to start with a low stocking rate to err on the safe side in the first year and see how your coop and run holds up to that amount of birds.

I'd look into deep litter for an option on creating a habitat in your run and coop...it's something I always recommend to people who will be keeping birds in close confinement. It will help keep them occupied, help your run soils absorb all the concentrated feces, provide an additional food source, will cut down on flies and stench and will help keep the birds healthier.

 

[jakes bayou]

hmmm. i could add more ventilation and even thought about making the plexiglass window wire. thanks for the input.

i eventually plan on a tractor to get the birds out and around our 4 acres. and the run will be partially covered so im hoping they wont be in the coop that much in the day. but im a newbie so we will see.

thanks for the input...thats some good stuff to digest.

 

[The Lazy L]

I don't have audio capabilities so if this was addressed in your youtube then ignore the following:

1. No weatherproofing on the hinge edge of the nesting box lid. Wouldn't a driving rain run down the coop wall (even with your extended roof overhang) between the nesting box lid and wall into the coop?

2. Coop legs shouldn't be in direct contact with the ground. Even treated lumber will rot.