some questions, probably repetitive.......haha

[emjay]

Hi all.
New here, a few questions. I am sure all the answers are here somewhere, so many many pages to go through, I thought I'd cheat and just ask on a new thread.

Just about done finishing the inside of the refurbished hay shed, soon to be a chicken coop.
My daughter wants to have a dozen egg laying hens.
and she also wants a couple of fancy hens and a rooster so she can see them brood etc.

the coop is divided, 3/4 for laying hens, other 1/4 of the coop for the fancy's. seperated by half wall, screen and door.
(hopefully, this is okay -disease speaking if one should get sick on either side.

Is three nest boxes sufficient for 12 hens?
How do you keep the hens from sleeping/going to the bathroom in the nest boxes.

curious as to floor layout for the interior, besides nest boxes, roost, is there anything else to put in the interior, sleeping area??? or do hens sleep on the roost?
I haven't had chickens since I was a youngin', so a bit rusty, but, I don't recall it being too complicated??? haha. let's hope not.


I am hoping to find some cheap lino to put on the floor, easier to sweep etc.
Are wood shavings and stall mate a good floor covering as well?

sorry many questions. yikes, how can you tell I'm new?

How high up should the roosts be? I read that a 2X4 is a good size roost to get.

okay, that's enough questions for now. Thanks in advance, I am so glad I found this site!!!!!!!

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

cheap lino - yes
stall mate and shavings - yes

nest boxes low roosts higher will keep them from sleeping (and pooping) in nest boxes . . . somewhat.

size sounds good.

3 boxes 12 hens - yes

2X4 for roost - yes

 

[emjay]

okay, umm, hubby made the hole in the wall to access the nest boxes from outside, and it's not low to the ground, it's just above waist height. it's too late to change that now, big hole in side of coop.
Hubby is a definite rookie at this farming thing, haha, but, he's trying.
so........I guess I must make roost higher then. hmmm, I guess I'll need to devise a ramp of sorts to get to the nest boxes then.

is there a good place on this forum that has the interior layout pics.
I like pictures, haha.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

they love ramps and also if you mount a pole (sort of like a towel bar) in front of the hole they will most like likely fly up to it and then go in to the nest boxes, they love that sort of stuff.
I made the same mistake in my first coop, I put the nest boxes at my head level . . . LOL they sat in them and pooped ALL NIGHT, it was sooo gross.

 

[emjay]

haha, let's hope they prefer pooping somewhere else, other then the nest boxes, not sure how my daughter would feel about reaching in and grabbing the eggs out with that going on, haha.
I will try and make the roost more appealing for pooping. and I like the pole idea.
Can you have the roost semi attached to the nesting box for easier access and can you, should you, build a seperate bedding area?
I wonder if perhaps I'm thinking too hard to make the coop way to fancy.
I know the coop we had when I was little was very basic.

it's my hubbys first coop, it's looking not bad, birds should love it I hope.
it's taken him four days so far trying to square things up as the old hay shed was way out of whack.

how high should the fence be outside?
I do plan on putting a mesh type cover over top to keep them from escaping or birds of prey, coons climbing in during the day.

anyone have links to some good pics of the interior design of a coop?
and how have you designed their feed areas?
I hope I'm not asking too many questions.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

Oh your not asking to many questions! but I think you will find answers and pictures just by viewing some of these threads . . or do a search say . . . for fencing.