I'm glad you decided to build your coop. If this old biddy (me) can in the last 5 years build a green house, 2 tractors, and a cattle panel coop, I'm sure you can put a coop together with a little help from your friends. (I hear a song here!!)
Here's my advice to you, and it's worth every penny you pay for it: Build that coop as big as you can justify. A minimum of 4 s.f./bird in the coop (double that if you can) and 10 s.f. in the run (double that if you can) per bird. Make that coop tall enough that you can walk into it. That will allow you to stack living space, and your birds will be much happier. Remember that we are ground dwellers, while birds use all of the floor AND air space around them. You will want the perches to be ABOVE the nest boxes, and you will want the perches far enough from the back wall that they can't bump their tail feathers. You will want a minimum of 24" below, and 18" above the perch, 24" is better. And you will want enough space in front of the perch so they can fly down without smacking on the wall in front of them. While chickens can fly, they are not agile at flying. Cover all coop openings with 1/2" hardware cloth to make it predator proof. You will need windows, and extra ventilation. Plan on a bare minimum of 1 s.f./bird. A 4 x 8 shed roof style coop would be a good utilization of materials, and very economical and easy to build. You could even attach the run to the front of it, and make it into a modified Woods style coop. Perfect for cold winters.
Australorpes are a nice breed. Have you looked at Henderson's chicken breed's chart? Do so before making final decisions. I am a fan of a multi breed flock. Got kids? Might want to add an EE. Also, I'd plan on a minimum of 3 birds. If you get 2 and one dies, you will be left with one very lonely bird.
Here's my advice to you, and it's worth every penny you pay for it: Build that coop as big as you can justify. A minimum of 4 s.f./bird in the coop (double that if you can) and 10 s.f. in the run (double that if you can) per bird. Make that coop tall enough that you can walk into it. That will allow you to stack living space, and your birds will be much happier. Remember that we are ground dwellers, while birds use all of the floor AND air space around them. You will want the perches to be ABOVE the nest boxes, and you will want the perches far enough from the back wall that they can't bump their tail feathers. You will want a minimum of 24" below, and 18" above the perch, 24" is better. And you will want enough space in front of the perch so they can fly down without smacking on the wall in front of them. While chickens can fly, they are not agile at flying. Cover all coop openings with 1/2" hardware cloth to make it predator proof. You will need windows, and extra ventilation. Plan on a bare minimum of 1 s.f./bird. A 4 x 8 shed roof style coop would be a good utilization of materials, and very economical and easy to build. You could even attach the run to the front of it, and make it into a modified Woods style coop. Perfect for cold winters.
Australorpes are a nice breed. Have you looked at Henderson's chicken breed's chart? Do so before making final decisions. I am a fan of a multi breed flock. Got kids? Might want to add an EE. Also, I'd plan on a minimum of 3 birds. If you get 2 and one dies, you will be left with one very lonely bird.
