Simple chicken run and coop design

[ChickenCanoe]

I don't know what you mean by illegal but that may be big enough to hold two chickens, like the dog house suggestion. But I see lots of problems with it.
It isn't about legality, it is about properly caring for your chickens.
First of all, the nest is the highest thing in the hutch. That will entice the chickens to sleep in it. That means all your eggs will be covered with feces.
The run itself is covered with chicken wire. That will keep chickens in but won't keep predators out.

 

[HenDude]

Then show me some examples! Any photos you can provide?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/categories/chicken-coops.12/

 

[Punkybrewster]

This is a lawnmower shipping crate i got for free on craigslist.

Its around 4x6
Im on a hill so i used cinder blocks to get it off the ground, screwed fence boards all around and put a roof on.
Less than $100.00.

It may not look like enough ventilation but the 2 sides you cant see in this picture have all the upper boards replaced with hardware cloth.

 

[3KillerBs]

This is a 16 square foot coop that originally had a 4'x10' run attached (Tip, make the run full walk-in height -- cleaning it was a royal pain).

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/renovating-the-little-monitor-roof-coop.1382615/

 

[Punkybrewster]

This is interior. You dont have to build external nesting boxes, just attach boxes to the floor within easy reach.

 

[paintedChix]

Where are you located? That would help us to show you some good ideas. Weather, predator loads all tie in to to build coops or tractors. Then there is ease of build, learning curves to building (for me anyway! LOL) and expense. I have had bolt cutters to cut the panels forever - LONG before I ever had chickens - since we use them for the ponies. I've had some other tools that I purchased specifcally to use while building some of the coops.

Our easy to build coops are structured mainly from cattle panel. Our first 3 utilized chicken wire and were on wooden frame bases w/ wood framed doors. They did great at previous property, but not here. They are now permanent 8x8 coops in our pony pastures that are getting ready to be retrofitted into permanent 10x8 coops.

Here are some pics of a 4x8 "coop" that is tall enough to walk in. It does have a roost, somewhat low (I can put it higher, haven't though) . The nest box is lower than the roost. We live in the sandhills of NC, so this open design works well with our weather. The chickens are actually free ranging now during the day - our small dogs, out multiple times per day, seem to be keeping most predators at bay.

This coop consists of a cattle panel from TSC ($22 - it's 16' long by 50"tall). 2x4 wire - 100' roll w/ tax at TSC was/is $70. This coop doesn't use all of it - I've used the wire for other projects and need to finish two runs connecting the two 4x8 coops together. The pallets were $2-5 each, a few were free (I don't know which ones are which). The tarp - an in-expensive one. The feeder - a 5 gallon bucket from TSC (I don't remember cost - I bought a bunch on sale. 2 buckets holds 50# of feed or one bag). The trash can lid under the bucket was one I had - seems trash cans wear out but lids last forever! The water tub is again from TSC - $5-7. 2 of the t-posts were in the fence line. Purchased the other 3 - $5.49? - 7' - U guessed it - at TSC. I didn't put a base on this one, so it's a bit shorter than I like, but still works. The "gate" or "door"is also from CP - I utilized 3 to build 2 coops this size. I covered it w/ wire, then the top front has the wire zipped to the gate & it folds up and gets clipped into place to close it.

The 2x4 wire is zip tied to the panel. 1000 zips on Amazon - $9.98 Have no idea how many I used (no where near 1,000). The wood pallets & panel are attached to each other with haystring. We were using 10 round bales a month, now, not. But have LOADS of string. It does break down in the sunlight, as does the tarp and the zips. For chicks, would need HC - 1/2". Have it now, haven't used it yet. The pallets now 2x4 wire on them, too.

I don't have any wire aprons on the ground. The year that I built these, I DID lose chickens. An apron around the coop and HC over the pallets would have prevented that. Due to the size of my pallets, each door/gate is a different size.. I would have to measure each one to tell you about what I spent on them. Bedding & nest boxes - natural materials from our property; wood chips and shredded paper/bills/cardboard.

These small coops are far from perfect or pretty, but they work. They are relatively in-expensive and quick for me to build myself (well the granddaughters helped w/ all the zip ties). When it is hooped, the 2x4 wire is inside the coop. The other one has a base of different sizes of lumber that was left here when we bought the property. It allows for deep litter that doesn't automatically "spill out" of the wire (about 6", could be LOTS deeper).



The 2nd pic above - where hen is on the roost. That outside "wall" has 3 different wires on the lower portion as it's butted up against the field fence of the pony pasture. During the winter or during hurricanes, I tuck cardboard boxes, flattened, in between the fence and the coop. It protects the birds while on roosts. When the cardboard "soppy wet", I remove it and use it somewhere or toss in a compost heap (have several). Could also tarp it or attach tin.




I have made some changes to the actual "coop". The bottle walls were removed and wire put in it's place. A pop door hasn't been done yet. I don't have some pics done yet - that show the changes. This small coop is permanent - it's not a tractor. Eventually, I will have a run built between the two "coops". Will let chickens out every other day - coop 1, then coop 2. Currently, coop 1 has 2 Lavender Ameraucana hens, 1 roo; Coop 2 has 2 Lavender Orpington hens & 1 roo. The orps free range. The ameraucana go out in dog pens only for now... I have also done a movable pen that has no top for the Orps. It has grass in it now, but these pics show it w/o. The "trash" on the lower part of the fence was feed bags stitched on when the orps were chicks in 2018. Kept them in their fenced paddock.



So, 8x4 = 32' square. So could have 8 chickens. But the way I have it configured, w/ feed, water and nest box - that's too many for me. Having just 3 in these works well. I bet it would work fine for your girls.

There are many styles of tractors similar to the one you have pictured above. I also used CP & 2x4 wire to make A-frame tractors that hold from 4 to 6 chickens. They are moved all around our front yard. Ideally, they should move every day. Right now, they are going several days in one spot. The birds seem happy enough. Laying eggs and dust bathing just fine. Those are actually 5x8' at the base... They have a roost , a couple have two roosts.

Each has a gate on each end. Again, ideally they would have 1/2" HC on it instead of just the 2x4 wire. Currently they are fed feed loose on the ground - they scratch. The water buckets work OK, working on other arrangements for water, but this again, works for now.



Um... Haven't finished Tractor #2... Never expected it to go this long before getting it on a base and making the top triangle ends permanent, cut and attached... I have 6 of these tractors in our front yard - all but 55 Flowery Hen Tractor #2 are on bases (BIG yard).



I don't want my 55 Flowery's to free range. They are spooky and fly very well - even w/ one wing clipped (so do the Cream Legbars). The last ones to free range took to sleeping in the trees every so often - didn't take long - they disappeared. I will eventually get these tractors finished, but for now they do work.

Our coops and tractors are based on others that use plenty of wood, are pricey and take time to build. Ours, again, might not be the prettiest, but they make my heart happy when I get up in the morning and when I arrive home from work. They won't work, pretty sure, in an HOA neighborhood. We live at the end of a dirt road and are surrounded by trees in a rural area of two counties on 21 acres. The chickens in some of these always greet me and check to see what scraps or fruits & veggies I might have.

 

[aart]

Can I follow these examples I found on google or are these small sized coops illegal?

What do you mean by "illegal"?
Are you allowed to have chickens in your area?
If you live in the city, suburbs, HOA, etc there may be restrictions on having poultry and also the size of housing and setback from property lines.
Better find out the rules before you go any further.

Oh, and ...Welcome to BYC! @HenDude
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[mapurcel]

That depends on where you live.
It may be necessary to keep rodents out. Removing the food is a good practice but rodents will still come in for food remnants.
It will probably be essential to keep raccoons, foxes and coyotes out (depending on where you live).
It doesn't have to be buried, however an apron laying on the ground outside the run is sufficient.

What do you mean by apron? I am going to start building a coop soon in a suburb of MA with fringe forest area behind the house so I’m curious.

 

[rosemarythyme]

What do you mean by apron? I am going to start building a coop soon in a suburb of MA with fringe forest area behind the house so I’m curious.

Good example of an apron here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/new-coop-project.1169916/page-2#post-18481100