I have 6 full-size hens and 2 bantam hens in an enclosed 4x6 meter run and a crummy prefab 1 square meter coop forsleeping in. They do fine, have had no behavior issues outside normal pecking order behavior, but the crummy prefab coop has many nooks and crannies that hide spiders and mites (mites are a constant issue).
I decided I was fed up with the prefab coop and went about researching and designing a new one. It'll be the same size, about 1square meter, amd will feature a slope roof instead of pitched. Husband owns a kitchen contracting business with his father and mother so lumber will probably cost us nothing. We decided on a clear courrogated pvc roof to let in light and cut cost on the roofing. The plastic's wavy nature will hopefully also help with venting. The plan is two nest boxes and roosts for the hens, and the whole coop up on either bricks or stilts.
We live in Belgium so light and heat are at a premium. We want plenty of light to get into the coop (hence clear plastic roofing) and we aren't concerned about overheating. I'll have the drawn plans up to see in the morning, since it's late.
I decided I was fed up with the prefab coop and went about researching and designing a new one. It'll be the same size, about 1square meter, amd will feature a slope roof instead of pitched. Husband owns a kitchen contracting business with his father and mother so lumber will probably cost us nothing. We decided on a clear courrogated pvc roof to let in light and cut cost on the roofing. The plastic's wavy nature will hopefully also help with venting. The plan is two nest boxes and roosts for the hens, and the whole coop up on either bricks or stilts.
We live in Belgium so light and heat are at a premium. We want plenty of light to get into the coop (hence clear plastic roofing) and we aren't concerned about overheating. I'll have the drawn plans up to see in the morning, since it's late.
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