suggestions needed on coop design plan

[Anny]

Ok so let me tell you alittle bit about my plan.

The actual coop will be inside of my garage, with the run out side the garage. I am only planning on getting 2 chickens, although I want to coop to be large enough for 4. (since I know my self I will end up with 4 haha)

I live in michigan which has long cold winter, and hot summers.

I want to keep my coop simple, yet easy to clean. I'm using alot of found object and wood to build it as well.

I've made a very rough sketch of my ideas, but I could use any tips, pointers and advice.

Some features I would like to have in my coop include:

*attached nesting box (for easy egg collection, and more space inside the coop)

*Openable window

*double open door in the front for easy cleaning

*possibly a pull out floor for easy cleaning but I don't know how to do that...any tips?

* I would like shelves under my roost to collect scat

*possibly a home made feeder if I can figure out how to make one.

I'm still not entirely sure how the inside is going to look...suggestion would be awesome!

Here is what I put together this morning:
(sorry they kind of look like a 4 year old did them haha)

This is the front, the top will have ventilation. the square on the right is a window. The door exiting the coop will be on the right.

This is a side view looking a the nestingbox, the small door will be to check food levels...I think...I might take that out though, havn't decided.


Thanks any suggestion would be wonderful.

 

[GallowayFarms]

This is going to be inside the garage with a hole cut through the wall to the outside of the house? does your garage stay warm in the winter?

The plan sounds great, just trying to figure out what you need and don't need. If you are keeping the garage warm in the winter you might not need to make it completely walled like that.

If you make two doors on the front that go from the top all the way to the bottom, like french doors, you wouldn't need a pull out floor. You could just open the too doors and sweep it out.

How much room do you have in your garage for this coop? If you give me some sizes I will be glad to draw something up for you.

Cheers

Nick

 

[Anny]

To be honest the garage doesn't stay very warm at all. The garage is not attached to the house, it's aout 10 feet away from the house, and it not heated or insulated.

The main reason I wanted it in the garage is, safety for the chickens from stray dogs...and people. I live in Detroit, so it's a big city, yet country like at the same time since there are so many vacant lots and such.


Also I'm not legally allowed chickens were I live (although some one two houses down not only has chickens but has a rooster (and has had them for more then a year now) ! And people on the other side of my block have GOATS!


Edit: more info on the garage, it's a 2 car garage that we never park cars in, although it is full of other stuff, and a work area....and my boyfriend does not want the chickens to have free roam of the garage.


I can have about 1/4 of the garage for the coop I believe probly more if I really wanted it.

I guess you are right about the double doors....would the coop need a support piece of wood between the two door??

I'm thinking of making it about 4ft wide at least...not sure how deep. Height doesn't matter to me right now, although it would be nice to have more space since the winters are cold and they will be cooped up a lot.

Any ideas on what measurement would be good and still easy to clean. (for housing 4 chickens)

Thank you so much for all your help Nick, I would love to see some of your ideas! I'm very new at this designing and building thing, I've never build anything in my life haha.

 

[GallowayFarms]

Ya i have been up there for the auto show, so i know what you mean about the dogs etc.

Well give me a min or two and i will draw something up for ya.

 

[Anny]

Do you live in Michigan??

 

[maggie2187]

Hi Anny, I live in Michigan as well! I would say for only 2 chickens you should maybe find a way to make it a little warmer for them, or get a few more birds so they can huddle for warmth. It does get COLLLLDDDD here. Otherwise looks good to me!

 

[Anny]

I've been thinking about adding that thin board insulation to in the inside of the coop. And putting thin wood over it to avoid peaking.

Would 4 birds be good to keep each other warm? (I can use that as my excuse to get more birds hahah)

What do you do for your coop to keep the ladies warm?

What part of Michigan are your from?

 

[GallowayFarms]

I live down in TN, but i like drawing plans. And don't worry i will show in the plans how to do the insulation.

Nick

 

[patandchickens]

Here are some ideas that might be useful.

1) Raise the coop up at least 2' above the ground. This will reduce the chance of rats or mice that might get into your generally-unused detached garage trying to gnaw up thru the floor of the coop. It will also make it MUCH more comfortable for you to reach in and clean etc the coop.

2) You could actually put insulation board on the OUTSIDE of the coop, as long as you don't mind it looking a little odd that way. You can get away w/this because it'll be indoors, and that way you do not need to worry about buying/installing a whole nother layer of panelling or whatever to prevent pecking. (Of course, if the looks would bother you, install it more traditionally instead).

3) For a reach-in coop like this, I would not go any deeper than 3' deep. Four feet deep is doable, but uncomfortable and sometimes unpleasant. For four chickens (but warmable by just 2) you might consider 5x3 (it's not THAT inefficient in its use of plywood sheets, since 5+3=8).

4) I don't know whether you'd be best off with a coop just 3' high (roost only 6" above floor), which would concentrate their body heat better, or whether (because this is inside a garage) you already have enough thermal buffering that you could stand to go 2 stories tall, like 4-5' (which is nicer for the chickens but more volume to keep warm). I don't suppose you've ever left a max/min thermometer out there in the winter, or have enough experience with the garage to guess how well it holds temperature on cold days? If it has a cement floor and is not real drafty, it may actually stay noticeably warmer than the outdoors...

5) I second the suggestion of double doors. Yes, you will need an upright in the middle. You can have a removable sill so that little doesn't spill out when you just open it, but you can still take the sill out and brush the litter out easily to clean. Take a look at my tractor https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1642-tractor for some ideas in that department.

6) You want a really nice spa-like chicken habitat? Consider making an 'indoor run' chamber, between the coop and the outdoor run, with transparent or translucent panels around the door to the outdoor run. This way, in the winter when the weather is too cold and horrible for them to go outdoors, just leave them access to the (naturally-lit) indoor run. It will also give them somewhere cooler, and bigger than just the coop, to hang out on hot summer days. Not *necessary*, but might be a nice feature if you could swing it.

Just tossing those out there as food for thought. Have fun,

Pat

 

[Anny]

Thanks pat for all the great ideas. I was actually tossing around the idea of an "indoor play area" with my boyfriend since our winters are long and horrible. It might be nice for the girls.

I think raising it off the ground is a good idea. I havn't had to many issues with mice or rats since getting my cats but it's still a great idea...now I just have to figure out how to do that and make sure it's wont fall over hahaha (i've never built anything before )