The ideal coop build

[Ninjasquirrel]

Good morning everyone. I hope everyone is staying safe in these trying times. I'm stuck at home today as I am sure most of us are and I was thinking about my dream coop plans. My current coop is just too small for my ambition. We are working on our property to get some trees down so we can have a massive expansion on our operation. I have been perusing through the coop designs and I have yet to see what I would want ideally. If anyone has some ideas I'd greatly appreciate it. Here's what we are looking for:

• Ability to house both meat birds and egg layers in one single coop and keep them separate
• Comfortably fit at least 50 birds
• Storage for feed and bedding in the coop
• Possibly in the storage area, a place to incubate or store a brooder
• Attached rabbit hutch on the side to keep rabbits separate and raised on wire
• Must be a walk in and must be tall enough
• Easy cleanup ability
• Attached run with separation to keep meat birds separate from egg layers

These are just a few of the things we would want. I'm thinking we're almost going to have to build a shed to do this. If anyone has an tips or ideas that I might be leaving out for a "Dream Coop" please add them here. Our first coop was kind of a spur of the moment quick decision and is nowhere near capable of any of these things. We are thinking of keeping it and using it as a "bachelor coop" when we start raising meat birds. I'm not a great wood worker, nor a great "designer"of woodworking projects. Ours was a design from "This Old House" but, knowing what we know now, it is not efficient and quite frankly it sucks. Every time we have to do any maintenance in the coop we have to clean everything out and literally climb in because it sits at wheelbarrow height. This SEEMED like a good idea for easy clean out...but in retrospect it is not. This time around we want to do everything right because I want this to be the 2nd and LAST coop we build. Maybe I'm being unrealistic but I think if we plan it out juuuuuusssst right, we can have the perfect coop. We did not plan enough for what we have and have had to add on things gradually: electricity, lighting, more room, etc.

 

[BantyChooks]

Personally, something I've always wished I had was an area for juvenile birds that was built into the main coop.

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

Personally, something I've always wished I had was an area for juvenile birds that was built into the main coop.

I think without one I'd be a nervous wreck worrying about the older birds picking on them. Thats why it would definately be in my dream coop

 

[aart]

I'm thinking we're almost going to have to build a shed to do this.

Yup, a big one!