Transitioning to the new coop

[Momma-Hen-Misti]

This new coop has been under construction for about 13 months. It's 6×12 & there's more space. The coop they were in my husband & I built in the summer of 2020. Shortly after we got chicks. It is 4×8. A few things need renovated after almost 4 years of use. (We aren't builders by any means but we did pretty freaking great on it.)

We moved my flock of 13 from the roosts at bedtime Tuesday evening into the new coop one at a time. We kept them cooped all day Wednesday & decided to let them back out to free range our large backyard Thursday afternoon. So far they seem to be adjusting well. Several haven't figured out the ramp yet & couldn't jump to the droppings box last night while we were having dinner & I found 4 of them in the nest boxes & 1 on the perch for the nest box. I put them on the roosts. I've put them on the ramp Wednesday & Thursday night hoping they would start using it. I'll keep working with them.

The coop isn't completely finished. We need to put hardware cloth on the window screens & add nest box curtains. I still need to paint the outside as well & of course I have some decor to add to the inside.

 

[Debbie292d]

That sure looks so functional and pretty snazzy!

I don't see any ventilation but I saw high rafters so presume that might be where it is. They need some draft-free ventilation to keep the humidity and ammonia down so they don't get URI's (upper respiratory infections).

Love it though!! Very nice!

 

[Momma-Hen-Misti]

That sure looks so functional and pretty snazzy!

I don't see any ventilation but I saw high rafters so presume that might be where it is. They need some draft-free ventilation to keep the humidity and ammonia down so they don't get URI's (upper respiratory infections).

Love it though!! Very nice!

The "ceiling" is hardware cloth & the overhang from the roof has hardware cloth as well. It's not enclosed with soffit. Do you think that is enough proper ventilation? I can take pictures of it tomorrow to add for a visual reference.

 

[Debbie292d]

The "ceiling" is hardware cloth & the overhang from the roof has hardware cloth as well. It's not enclosed with soffit. Do you think that is enough proper ventilation? I can take pictures of it tomorrow to add for a visual reference.

It sure sounds like it would be enough! A rule of thumb is 1 square foot of ventilation for every 10 square feet of coop.

 

[Ted Brown]

I have also read 1 square foot for each chicken.

 

[K0k0shka]

I have also read 1 square foot for each chicken.

That's what I've read too. More is always better, there's no such thing as too much ventilation as long as it's overhead (in the cold season) and doesn't allow rain/snow to get in. Missouri is hot so I would double the recommendation, at the very least. More if possible for the summer, including open windows and a screen door. My coop has 12 square feet of permanent, year-round overhead ventilation for 7 chickens. In the summer, I open both windows as well (with HC on them) and replace the solid human access door with a screen door, to bring it up to 24 square feet of ventilation for 7 chickens, and it's still hotter in the coop than outside. Coops retain heat and can turn into ovens. Bigger coops are better than smaller coops, but they still get hot (mine is 5x7).

Several haven't figured out the ramp yet & couldn't jump to the droppings box

Ramps are overrated. I gave up and don't use ramps anymore, except for the first week when I have chicks. I use several stumpy logs in a step formation instead. Ramps are unnatural for chickens and freak them out at first, and they take up a lot of space. Chickens know to hop up to and down from things, so steps are much easier for them to use. And you can make steps out of anything - logs, bricks, cinder blocks, buckets, etc.

This is my ramp-less setup outside the pop door. Inside, I have two intermediate roosts between the floor and the top roost. The chickens use the intermediate roosts to get up and down, and only sleep on the top roost.

 

[aart]

Ramps are overrated.

Depends on if they are needed and who builds them.
They've worked very well here.

 

[KyCoop]

Our ramp is steep but covered with a rubber mat. Works like a charm.
We had the ramp with the treads but the girls slipped on it and didn't like it.

 

[Momma-Hen-Misti]

The entire "ceiling" is hardware cloth as well as the eaves of the roof. We will mount a fan to help move air during the heat of the summer.