Square Foot Chicken Coop

[bills]

I am just a little confused.. course maybe it's just age..

Is the plan for this to use the lower area for a run during the day, and the upper area for an enclosed coop for at night? You mention using it to fertilize the garden, but also mention putting in a vinyl floor?

If the top area is going to be the coop, before you finish enclosing it, you should put in the framing supports for roosts, and any nest box. As well framing for an access door, and opening window, or vents. Will be a cute little hen house..

 

[Sillystunt]

huummm 4 chickens @ 4sqft per coop calls for 16 sqft total for coop.Than 4 chickens @ 10qft per run = 40 sqft . The run will be attached to something right? Then you have to factor roost to sleep and boxes to lay.

 

[Freeholder]

If you plan to move this around, make it as light as possible. I would suggest using fiberglass panels or something similar (and light) to enclose the sides, rather than using T-111 or similar. Ditto for the roof. I made a couple of chicken tractors a few years ago that were far too heavy for me to move easily by myself -- it took me weeks to inch them to their current location, where one houses the feed bins for all my animals, while the other shelters three hanging rabbit cages (these are 4' X 10' tractors, but very little plywood on them -- the weight was mostly from the framing).

Otherwise, it looks good.

Kathleen

 

[bfeusner]

We made a lot of progress today and the coop is nearing completion...Here are some pics from today's construction:

The new chicken coop with lower door and flooring complete

The vinyl flooring inside the coop for easier clean up

The front of the new chicken coop...I am still working on a few ideas to help make it looking a little more appealing but I really like the look of the wood I used

The side of the new chicken coop with the wall board up and the ladder from the coop into the run complete

The view from the back of the new chicken coop without the back and other side wall complete

I do plan on using this coop with square foot garden beds...I will be finishing the back and other side wall tomorrow...The back wall will contain the door for me to access the top portion of the coop...I will also add a roost along the back wall and an exterior nesting box tomorrow...I will also be placing one row of vinyl tiles along the bottom of the walls all the way around the coop to help prevent any poop from sticking to the side walls...I am starting to wonder if this chicken coop is going to be a little nicer than my house...lol

JUST A COUPLE QUESTIONS FOR ALL THE EXPERIENCED CHICKEN KEEPERS:

- Should I cover the front window of the coop with plastic during the winter to help keep the coop a little warmer?
- If I am looking to both heat the coop for the chickens and stimulate light for laying reasons should I use two different bulbs and if so what type?
- Should I place a feeder and waterer inside the coop or just leave it outside in the run it will be attached to?

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions!

 

[bfeusner]

I also was wondering if I can allow my chicken and ducks to access this coop or will the ducks even be interested in going inside the coop? They currently share the same outdoor run and are getting along fine after some initial anxiety...I am working on building an area for the ducks to have on their own as they are definitely messier than the chickens and tend to knock the feeder and waterer over...Also I never got any answers to the following questions:

- Should I cover the front window of the coop with plastic during the winter to help keep the coop a little warmer?
- If I am looking to both heat the coop for the chickens and stimulate light for laying reasons should I use two different bulbs and if so what type?
- Should I place a feeder and waterer inside the coop or just leave it outside in the run it will be attached to?

 

[bfeusner]

I spent a little more time today working on my new chicken coop...Still have a few things to work on such as hanging some type flower box on the front of the coop...

View from the front with all four walls in place...Hopefully adding a flower box on front of chicken coop

View of back wall before being finished...You can see the outline where the door will go on the back panel...

Thanks for all your suggestions!

 

[bills]

Quote:
Better in my opinion if the ducks have thier own shelter. They seem to prefer a more open type of shelter.

-If you haven't put in any vents, I would not close off that window. You could have a condensation problem in the coop otherwise. You should keep it faced away from the wind, so there is a not a strong draft blowing into the coop. You might be able to rig up some sort of way to control the size of the opening as well.

-For a coop that size a regular incandesent bulb should do both jobs. Even a 60 watt bulb can generate quite a bit of heat in a small enclosure. Chickens generate heat as well in a coop. Now you probably don't want a bright light running 24 hours a day, as I think a little dark time is good for the birds, so you could have a second bulb simply for heat, that is a tinted red type.(Not a heat lamp)

In a large coop, a red heat lamp is good for sub-zero temps, to keep the water from freezing solid, and a 60W bulb for light stimulation. I think a heat lamp in a coop that size would cook them..

-I would have both feed, and most importantly water, available to the birds in the coop. They will likely be up earlier than you, (to let them out of the coop), and may want a drink, and a snack. If they have free access to the lower area at all times, in other words there is no chicken door to keep them in the coop at night, than I wouldn't bother. They can head down stairs for a drink in the morning.

HTH Bill

 

[Fanny]

Just wondering how many garden beds you have? I like the design, but would think you'd need to put the coop on beds that weren't going to be in production that season. What do you have planned?

Also some of your winter questions depend upon your location and how cold it gets where you are, what kind of birds you have, etc - do a search for 'winter coops' and you'll find lots of information, including a wide variety of opinions!

 

[bfeusner]

I finally got a chance to get back to work on my square foot chicken coop today! It is almost complete with the exception of adding the roost, putting the quarter-round trim into place, adding some 2" holes around the top of the sides and covering with chicken wire for extra ventilation and transporting it to my back yard! Here's what we have so far...

Here is a front view of the coop...

Here is a side view of the coop with the nesting box in place...

Here is a pic of the inside of the nesting box...

Here is a pic of the back of the coop with the access door open...

Here is another view of the front and the other side...

QUESTIONS:
* Should I leave the nesting box area completely open as one large nesting box or try to block it off into to smaller boxes? It is currently 12" deep, 9-12" high, and 24" wide...

* I live in Louisville, KY and the average temperature this time of year is high in mid-30's to low 40's and low in the mid 20's or high teens...Do you recommend that I put any kind of lighting inside the coop area? The total size of the coop is 4'x4'6'...

ANY COMMENTS OR RECOMMENDATIONS ARE HIGHLY APPRECIATED AS I TRY TO MAKE LIFE MORE COMFORTABLE FOR MY CHICKENS!

 

[Kovalciks Chickens]

VERY VERY NICE. Is it light enough to pick up and move around?