Setting Up a Coop: Ideas and Thoughts

[LCT19]

Buff Orpington

 

[nuthatched]

Are you asking our opinion on the article? Most of the information is either outdated or inaccurate but not too bad.

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC.

I've not read that article, but here are some basics:

The Usual Guidelines

For each adult, standard-sized hen you need:

• 4 square feet in the coop (.37 square meters)
• 10 square feet in the run (.93 square meters),
• 1 linear foot of roost (.3 meters),
• 1/4 of a nest box,
• And 1 square foot (.09 square meters) of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation, preferably located over the birds' heads when they're sitting on the roost.

Space and airflow are critical for health, sanitation, and behavioral reasons.

This diagram is from an article on cattle barns but the airflow principles are the same:

Climate matters tremendously in what style of coop best suits people's needs. For example, I live in a hot, humid climate and find that with the exception of a Monitor Roof design I have to have *at least* double or triple the recommended minimums OR deep natural shade to keep my coop under 100F on a 90F day.

People in bitter cold climates still need excellent ventilation -- a crucial component of preventing frostbite -- but need to take extra precautions to prevent drafts at roost level.

We often recommend generous roof overhangs, but the definition of "generous" varies based on the frequency and direction of wind-blown precipitation. For some people 6-8" of roof overhang above a 4-6" vent will be fine. For others they need 2 feet of overhang because their rain/snow often comes in sideways.

Other basics:

Roosts above nests to prevent chickens from sleeping in the nests.

Consider your own convenience in arranging things -- how you will get in there to clean it out and how you will reach an egg, chick, or hen that is in the most difficult to access back corner when it proves necessary.

Storage of feed and supplies -- make things easy on yourself if you can.

Feed and water in the coop vs in the run. Both have advantages and disadvantages.

 

[DobieLover]

What is inaccurate in your opinion?

Stating that the coop only needs to be 4 sqft per bird if you don't free range and mis-defining what free ranging is.
Stating that you should insulate in colder climates.
Stating that heat should be used in colder climates.
NOT stating that ventilation is required year round.

ETA: the article being reviewed

 

[3KillerBs]

Full ventilation in summer time and half ventilation in winter. So all vents/windows open in summer but only one area open winter.

That's a bad way to put it because the minimum is required year round.

I prefer to think of it as the permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation year round in all conditions plus the supplemental ventilation for hot weather.

For example, my brooder/coop is a 4x8 with 16 square feet of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation plus 10 square feet of supplemental ventilation.

The permanent ventilation is up top under the awnings, the supplement is on the door and on the pop-door end.

I would think insulation is appropriate in really cold climates.

The goal is not to keep chickens warm but to keep them dry. Dry chickens that are out of the wind keep themselves warm with their built-in down jackets at least to 0F.

Insulating the coop itself and adding heat is only really necessary in the extreme cold of subarctic areas, though in a cool, wet climate it can be useful to insulate the roof, especially if it's metal, to minimize condensation. The usual goal is to have the temperature and humidity inside the same as outside.

Here is an excellent article on cold-weather chicken keeping from a member in Alaska: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/cold-weather-poultry-housing-and-care.72010/

 

[DobieLover]

It did state that ventilation is required year round. Full ventilation in summer time and half ventilation in winter. So all vents/windows open in summer but only one area open winter. To better care for your birds, I would think insulation is appropriate in really cold climates. Free range during the day and the chickens would go in the coop at night.

I live in a "colder" climate. The lowest temp the flock experienced was -23F. No heat was added. They did fine.
My coop is not insulated and has 25 sq ft of year round ventilation, not just a window. One open window isn't going to promote air flow.
Free range means the birds are not at all confined and can go wherever they want.
But the coop should still be 4 sqft per bird in the event of a predator attack so that the flock can be secured for several days until the predator moves on. Or when the weather is not conducive for the birds to go out. Like this.

It also mentioned that nest boxes should be 3 ft or higher. That would mean the roosts would have to be higher still to keep the birds from roosting in the nest boxes That can be impractical for some large bodied birds.

 

[3KillerBs]

I live in a "colder" climate. The lowest temp the flock experienced was -23F. No heat was added. They did fine.
My coop is not insulated and has 25 sq ft of year round ventilation, not just a window. One open window isn't going to promote air flow.
Free range means the birds are not at all confined and can go wherever they want.
But the coop should still be 4 sqft per bird in the event of a predator attack so that the flock can be secured for several days until the predator moves on. Or when the weather is not conducive for the birds to go out. Like this.
View attachment 2950538
It also mentioned that nest boxes should be 3 ft or higher. That would mean the roosts would have to be higher still to keep the birds from roosting in the nest boxes That can be impractical for some large bodied birds.

I think of that picture to make me grateful when I'm going out to fork bedding in the summer when it's already 90F before Noon.

 

[DobieLover]

I think of that picture to make me grateful when I'm going out to fork bedding in the summer when it's already 90F before Noon.

Those temperatures make me cringe. I could never live in the south! Anything over 80 and I'm in full blown b!tchin' mode.

 

[3KillerBs]

Those temperatures make me cringe. I could never live in the south! Anything over 80 an I'm in full blown b!tchin' mode.

I never in my life thought I'd utter the words "It's not that horribly hot today; it's only 90."

Being able to plan on planting my peas tomorrow makes up for it.