UltraCoop Build ideas.

[anonusername]

We’re going to build a large coop/run Coop will be a woods style, roughly 12x16 with an equal sized run adjacent that will be available daily and covered. I’m planning on a second attached run aprox 16x20 (or more) that will allow for spillover and will only be wire roofing not metal. I’ll have some plants in here well.

I’d like to build somewhere into this layout an area for 2-3 breeding coops/pens. Our current mix is completely random and living in a large Chickshaw and 100% free ranging. We want them contained and not pooping all over the porch. As our layers age out I want replacements being hatched and raised. The plan is 2-3 breeding pairs of whatever we decide on and putting the pairs in their own smaller enclosures and letting nature do it’s thing.

Anyone have a current setup at all like this ? what sort of pitfalls am I missing?

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC. Where, in general, are you located? If you put that into your profile people will be able to give better-targeted advice because climate matters.

A Woods Coop is a splendid option for a temperate climate and a recent thread had a discussion on how to use the Woods Coop design principles for a set of separate pens. @Ted Brown, do you have the link to that thread? I remember reading it but can't find it readily.

 

[anonusername]

I’m in Northern Georgia. We have some friends an hour or so north of us with the coop that’s inspired mine.

 

[3KillerBs]

I’m in Northern Georgia. We have some friends an hour or so north of us with the coop that’s inspired mine.

from Central NC.

Here in the Steamy Southeast an Open Air coop is more suitable than a Woods Coop. A Woods Coop isn't *wrong* -- it's just that we need extreme ventilation here to cope with our blistering summers and our winters are never really cold enough to even need to close the windows to put a Woods Coop into winter mode.

Here's my article on coop ventilation and my article on hot climate chicken keeping, which features my open air coop.

Repecka Illustrates Coop Ventilation

Hot Climate Chicken Housing and Care

And here are some Open Air coops for you to look at to help you decide.

Open Air Coops

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/jens-hens-a-southern-texas-coop.75707/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/my-positive-local-action-coop.72804/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/california-living.68130/

 

[That_australian_lad]

i would recommend an auto door if you do not like waking up at 5am and you have smaller chickens

 

[anonusername]

i would recommend an auto door if you do not like waking up at 5am and you have smaller chickens

An auto door is planned between the main coop and the main run.

 

[Ted Brown]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/suggestions-for-100-200-bird-coop.1560939/

FWIW:
- Prince Woods suggests footprints for a "small colony" 10' by 16' (for 40 chickens) or a "large colony" 20' by 20' ("comfortably accommodate 100 chickens and 4 or 5 males") in his book. Bigger he replicates side by side to the flock size desired.
- There is also discussion & diagrams late in Chapter VIII of a 6' by 10' footprint to be used as a brooder and of the small colony footprint being sub-divided for multiple brooder needs.

Happy to discuss.