Topic of the Week - Building a Chicken Coop

[aart]

Aart, someone, don't remember who stated that you should have a couple small vents low in the coop so the air will be drawn up and out. What do you think of doing that? Based on that previous advice I was thinking of using my hole bit and just doing a couple 1" holes under the nest boxes on the east side (it is rare that we have any wind from the east) of my coop of course vents up by the ceiling.

Pop door and windows usually take care of lower venting.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Aart, someone, don't remember who stated that you should have a couple small vents low in the coop so the air will be drawn up and out. What do you think of doing that? Based on that previous advice I was thinking of using my hole bit and just doing a couple 1" holes under the nest boxes on the east side (it is rare that we have any wind from the east) of my coop of course vents up by the ceiling.

Warm air rises if it is displaced by cooler air. That cooler air has to come from some place. If the air inside the coop is warmer than the air outside the coop, cooler air will come in from high or low ventilation. If the air outside the coop is warmer than the air inside the coop, the air in the coop will go out low ventilation but not out high ventilation. If the temperatures are the same inside and out, there will be no air movement from warm air rising. That's all powered by gravity.

In summer probably the coolest place to get air from is the shady side of the coop. In the northern hemisphere that's usually the north side. South of the equator that's usually on the south side. If your coop is shaded by another building it could be in that shade. A low vent on the sunny side usually is not going to have cooler air. Look at your coop and the area around it and decide where the coolest air will be. We are all unique.

A couple of 1"holes are going to do almost nothing as far as letting air in. The reason is physics, the air trying to come in will lose so much energy from friction at the edges you won't get much air movement. Larger holes covered with hardware cloth will do you a lot more good. Don't worry about breezes in warm weather, they feel good. In the winter you might want to block them off.

 

[Leihamarie]

We inherited an old 8x8 chicken coop with 8x16 ft run in the yard when we rented this old farmhouse and was thrilled when the landlord said we could use it if we wanted. It only had 2 4 ft roosts and no boxes so I used 2 milk crates in on the floor, which was fine for my 4 hens. Now my question. We doubled the roosts and added 8 more feet to the run, as we got 10 chicks this spring for eggs in the fall. I still have the 2 milk crates as nest boxes, BUT, how many nests do I need for 12 laying hens?

The rule of thumb is 1 nest box for every 3-4 hens, buuuuuut.... I have 2 nest boxes for 3 hens (I was planning ahead for chicken math) and there's squabbles when they're both full and the 3rd hen wants to lay or if the "favorite" nest box is currently occupied (whether or not the other one's available). it works out fine but there is sometimes nest box wars and loud complaining at 5:30 in the morning, lol! For 12 hens, I'd recommend at least 4 nest boxes.

 

[lazy gardener]

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Pic by @bgchicken​

Many of us found that building vs buying a chicken coop can be a better option for economic and other reasons. And with summer in full swing (for most of us anyway!) and spring chickens moving outside, it's the time of the year when many new chicken owners start thinking "coop". So this week I'd like to hear you all's thoughts own coop building. For starters:

- Do's and don'ts - What did you wish you did differently, or knew, when you built your coop?
- What materials would you recommend (or not) and why?
- Coop size(s)?
- Money saving tips for coop builders?
- Anything you'd like to add?

Excellent topic, Sumi.

The first coop I built was a cattle panel with an enclosed loft section. My flock absolutely LOVES that coop, and when ever I let them out to range, they go running back to that CP. Cattle panels are super easy to build, and IMO the greatest advantage to a CP coop is that it lends it'self very well to a deep litter management style. The down side is that most folks cover them with tarps which degrade quickly due to UV, and those tarps must be replaced frequently. To make them predator proof, they need to be covered with hardware cloth, and have a good skirt installed.

Second coop is 10 x 12, with steeply pitched metal roof to shed snow. Standard construction, designed by DH who has done building design for decades. Wood floor with vinyl overlay does not lend it'self well to DL, but... I continue to DL in the new coop.

- Do's and don'ts - What did you wish you did differently, or knew, when you built your coop?

- What materials would you recommend (or not) and why? What ever you can get that is affordable. We used wafer board. Not my first choice, but, it allowed us to build desired size while maintaining budget. Lots of windows for natural lighting, lots of ventilation. (I have soffit vents, gable end vents, a floor level vent, and 3 good sized windows. 1/2" hardware cloth over ALL openings that you could push a quarter through.

- Coop size(s)? Minimum of 4 s.f./bird. Allow extra room for integration, extra room for broody activities, and rooster management. People tend to forget the necessity of adequate height when designing a coop. Birds need vertical space just as much as they need horizontal space. Perches should be at least 2' above floor. (keep in mind that your DL may be 12" deep!) Perches should be ABOVE nest boxes, and there should be 18" between perch and ceiling. 15 - 18" away from back wall helps keep bird's tail feathers in good shape, and helps prevent poo spatters on the walls.

- Money saving tips for coop builders? Scout out free building materials before you even start designing. I got free: thermopane windows, steel door with full sized thermopane glass. I collected hinges and other hardware from Habitat for Humanity. Good sources of material, Habitat, roadside dump days, local contractors, especially roofers and remodelers. Craigs list, and other advertisements.

- Anything you'd like to add? Electricity is a must. It allows: heated waterer in winter, fan in the summer, heating pad brooder in spring, automatic pop door, ability to run a couple of hot wires around your coop and run, lighting for improved laying. I've even put a radio in the coop to help deter predators. I'm not sure if the radio kept the coons or hawks away, but my flock loves listening to Christian music.

If possible, build your coop so that you can easily divide it to allow flock division. (I missed this, but have built in a broody cage)

Clean out door behind perches. Makes litter management much easier.

Outside nest box access.

 

[jeria]

Thanks on the ventilation question. I will have vent's available on all sides including the south and east sides under the run's roof. The west side will have a window that can be opened in the summer and closed for winter and storms. The north will have vents at the top that can be sealed in the winter. Sounds like small low vents don't matter much.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Low vents can help a lot in hot summers if they are coming form a cool spot. Larger ones help a lot more than small ones. Mine is about 4' long and 8" high.

 

[BYChickenAl]

- Do's and don'ts - What did you wish you did differently, or knew, when you built your coop? Wish I would have been a member of BYC prior to starting. So many great ideas and so many people with a plethora of knowledge on this site.

- What materials would you recommend (or not) and why? Chickens don't care much about what you use. They just want a place to scratch, eat, poop, lay, and roost. Keeping them healthy and happy so they can produce is my job. Materials that make up my coop and run are mostly second-hand purchases or stuff I found for free on Craigslist. I'm pretty handy so I can make just about anything work for a chicken. I found some old shelving units on Craiglist that make individual cubes. Great nesting boxes! There are a ton of free entertainment centers on Craigslist because nobody has tube TVs or stereo systems any more. Most are easily converted into combination roosting and nesting centers.

- Coop size(s)? There are a couple of good reference sites posted on BYC and bigger is better in most cases. Keep your girls happy and avoid potential conflict.

- Money saving tips for coop builders? Buy second-hand or find stuff for free. I've found enough free lumber, windows, doors, and other building materials on Craigslist to build a house!

- Anything you'd like to add? Like others have already stated...taking care of chickens is a commitment. If you can't devote the time and energy that's necessary for the job, you can't be a chicken farmer. Do your due diligence, be prepared, and then get your birds. I enjoy this endeavor immensely and I hope you do too!

 

[jeria]

Low vents can help a lot in hot summers if they are coming form a cool spot. Larger ones help a lot more than small ones. Mine is about 4' long and 8" high.

We have hot summers here in MO. The pop door will be on the south covered side. Maybe add an extra lower one on the west side where our winds come from for extra breeze for hot days. sealable of course as winter winds come from there as well. Cool spot? none when hot it's hot everywhere and my back yard gets the afternoon sun.

 

[Welshies]

Sadly I don't have a picture of my coop up here, but it is beautiful, IMO. I am fifteen, and built it 6' by 8' by 6' tall- completely by myself. It is not as hard as many of you fear!!!! I definitely suggest building your own.

- Do's and don'ts - What did you wish you did differently, or knew, when you built your coop?
Do: Make it walk in!!! My first coop was only 4' tall-- and omg, is it ever a pain to crouch while cleaning or checking injured or broody birds. Make it adjustable for all poultry types- I have tried ducks, quail, guinea fowl, chickens, and now have a rabbit with my chickens. Always plan it bigger than you want, because chicken math. Make the roosts movable, so you can remove them to clean, or for young birds or non-roosting fowl.
Don't: Forget ventilation! Do not! This is important and personally, I suggest at least half of the vents to be closable (I live in Northern Alberta, so this is important.) Don't forget a window, and don't make it too big.
I wish I had known that one of my chickens may be unable to roost, and made a removable roost close to the ground for her- I feel for her constantly. I also wish I had made removable nest boxes- trying to catch little chicks cornered up in a box is difficult.

- What materials would you recommend (or not) and why?
When building, I suggest using paint rather than treated wood, it is cheaper and paint allows you to be creative. My birds also enjoy seeing how dusty they can make my white walls before I clean them. I also recommend stick with one material, as it will make cleaning and maintenence easier. Use 1/2'' or 1/4'' hardware cloth over all vents, and I like my Dutch door (two-piece), a lot, because it is less work and easy for my brothers to collect eggs.

- Coop size(s)?
My coop has adequate square feet for 24 birds, if the roosts are managed well and they have all-day access to free range (I 'free range' my birds in a fenced area of about 500 square feet, soon to be more.)
When building your coop, double the square feet you want for the amount of birds and try to average at about 3 or 4 square feet a bird. That depends on their living situation, for example, birds cooped up all the time should have 8-10 square feet. You should plan your coop for twice the amount of birds you want. Keep in mind, ducks- 3-4 sq ft, geese- 6-8 square feet, chickens- 2-4 square feet, quail- 1-2 square feet, etc.

- Money saving tips for coop builders?
Use paint instead of treated wood. If you still wish to use treated wood, keep in mind it does not paint as well as other types of wood. Always double measure your wood too, so you don't waste anything!

- Anything you'd like to add?
Make sure your coop fits your budget. With time and commitment, everyone can make a plan that suits them and their budget. And when you do move those chickens in, they will absolutely adore it!

 

[Bogtown Chick]

I will say that I don't like deep litter. It doesn't work in prolonged temps of below freezing which is what I'm at in the winter. And I'm not going to stick a heat plate in the layers of litter and poop. . I like clean bedding. I know the chickens don't care about poop on their feet but in the winter wet poop on feet looks cold to me. . Lol. Anyways jeria that's just me. For now I put cut open feed bags under the roost and pop the frozen poops off in the winter into compost pile. Summer time is free range time... so less poop to deal with.