Show me your coops! I need ideas!

[AtRendeAcres]

"Also what would you do to make a great coop? Any tips to make mangement easier?
And what would you like to avoid when making a coop?"

think about how you will clean! you want this to be EASY!

how will they get out if snow or rain (covered coop) I also put a tarp on run to protect from rain or snow coming in!

do you want electric (hens need 14 hours of light to produce an egg)

do you want storage to keep food, wood chips, etc..
you want to use hardware cloth on your run to make it preditor proof!

Joanne

 

[LynneP]

You're in Manitoba? Check link below for winter-wise coop, medium size! Ours is built inside existing barn with run added (roofed).
Ours is working well...

Remember that your working space will be as critical as the health/safety of the birds in winter. Also helps to build in an isolation area in case you have a sick bird. Can be part of storage area, must have way to offer heat unless you are prepared to bring bird to house. Keeping water liquid is prime concern, so electricity important. Heated dog bowls work beautifully.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

This is one of my spring breeding pens. I took an old shed, and converted it. It has 3 sections inside, and 3 sections to the outside run.

 

[AppleCrisp]

Thanks. I'm thinking I want a coop off the ground, with a run I could walk in and that the run would also go under the coop. I'm thinking I might go with nest boxes on the out side with flap so I can collect them from the outside. How big for about ten hens? Square feet wise?

 

[kick'n chick'n]

minimum 40 sq ft.( 4 sq ft per bird )

 

[Omran]

Here are some pictures.



















I hope you like them.

Omran.

 

[muddler6]

Quote:
Mine is elevated, makes clean up very easy. I put plastic runners like you would use in a hallway over the carpet, I grab the far corners and pull them toward the door, all the bedding and other "stuff" comes out, then I take a long handle garden hoe and pull the leftovers from the edges, oh and I have a large plastic tub that I catch all of this in (got it at Lowe's in the cement section), my next coop will be similar. My nest boxes are removable also. I use the space under the coop to store supplies.

 

[wookiee]

Hi, my coop is also off the ground. I got lucky and someone built it that way 15 years ago, but seeing how the hens use it, I would definitely build the next one the same way.

They can get under the coop to dust bathe even in the snow, they have shade in the summer, and protection from predators. Critters stay out of the coop as well because it's hard to get in, since only the back edge is at ground level. I just have to make sure they don't nest under there since they love it. On warm days, when they are free ranging, the underside of the coop is "home base" where they return to relax and rest. They only go into the "upstairs" at night when I put them up.

 

[birdbrain2]

here is an updated pic of what i have done.
you can walk in the run, and there is room underneath for hens. also i ended up moving nest boxes outside.

you can see the run better in the first pic on page 1

 

[Preservation Acres]

If you want to be innovative, there's some great nesting boxes posted on this site that were made with 5-gallon buckets. I never would have of that one, but it's a great set-up, and it's super easy and cost efficient.