What do yall think

[jmbiker11]

I have been on the forums a few days now and asked alot of question and have been doing alot of searching. I have come up with a coop design and I just wanted to get some oppinions about it. Im only going to get three hens so Ill make it 4x4 right? The roof will be slanted to run the rain off of it and vents will be up there. In the back is where the roost will be and under them will be a "poop door" so I can just scrape the poop out the back. On the side will be the nest boxes conected from the outside to make more space in the coop. Then a door in the front that leads to the run. Im also going to elevate it for more room and shade under the coop, how far should it be off the ground? So what do yall think feel free to criticize.

Also what type of wood should I use? I have heard not to use treated wood.

 

[houndit]

We used treated wood for the bottom. It helps reduce the rotting. Is it portable? I would say put it pretty close to the ground.

 

[birdlover]

Hi,
I can only give you feedback on some of your plans. First of all, I would make your coop bigger for a couple of reasons. If you need to keep them in the coop due to weather or some other issue, 4 x 4 wouldn't be big enough for a long period of time. And cramped quarters lead to lots of behavior problems, not the least of which is feather picking. Another reason is you may decide to get more chickens - in fact, I can almost guarantee it!

You want to raise the coop up enough that you can get under it easily in case one of them decides to lay there, go broody or whatever. Also, if there's just a tiny space, rats and stuff can make their home under there!

That's all I have to say. Hopefully, others can make further comments. The plan for the roost, nest box and poop door sound good to me. Oh, one other thing. My first coop was only 4' tall and it was a bear to clean because I couldn't stand up in it. I'd recommend making it tall enough that you can stand in there. Believe me, it's sooo much nicer for YOU.

 

[JudyMcKinn]

I've got my coops about 2 ft off the ground. Gives them plenty of space to get in the shade, and out of the rain without going in the coop, in hot weather. They also enjoy dusting under my coops. Gives you quite a bit more pen room than if the coop is on the ground. Your other plans sound good to me. Good luck, and let us see pics as you build, if you have a camera.

 

[jmbiker11]

Thanks for the feed back. I dont think Ill make it portable. What if I made it 6' tall 4' deep and 4' wide?
Are could yall just give me the dimensions I need for 12 square feet (3 hens), and what kind of chickens could I fit in it?

 

[patandchickens]

Sounds like you've thought this out pretty well

The only things I'd add are, be careful which way the roof slopes. Ideally to the side away from the nest boxes. You don't want it dumping into the run; you don't want it dumping on the doors you access the coop thru (and if it slopes that direction it may also complicate door design, depending what you were planning); and you don't want it dumping on the nest box tops or on you when you're checking 'em.

Also, IMO it is not highly pointful to make the coop 6' tall if it is only 4x4. The chickens will not be able to use the extra vertical space very well, so unless you want this size/shape for future conversion to a garden shed or something like that, the top 2' or so is mostly wasted space/money. A 4' height would be just as good from the chickens' perspective. Possibly better, if you live in a cold-winter climate.

Have fun,

Pat

 

[JudyMcKinn]

Re my suggestion of putting your coop 2 ft off the ground, and Pat's comment about it not needing to be 6 ft high. My coops are built sort of like large rabbit hutches, but with solid floors, not wire, of course. Mine are 3 ft by 8 ft, with doors in the back. The coop is just about 2 1/2 ft high, inside, and you can do all the cleaning out at these doors, and you can reach anything inside from these doors, so you don't need inside. The chicken door is in the front, (high part of the slanted roof) and the doors at the back are used for cleanout, or any other reason you need in. With 4 chickens, you only need one nest box--they will all use the same nest any way, so that will save you the problem of building outside boxes. Then the pen is at the front, where the chicken door is, and there is a ramp up to the chicken door. And of course a gate into the pen, so you can get in there. There are a lot of great ways to build a coop. If you want a walk-in, 6 ft tall is good, but I would then make it bigger than 4 by 4. Just some suggestions, everyone has different ideas for their own coop.

 

[The Chicken Lady]

Take a piece of tape and make a 4' x 4' square somewhere on the floor (or lay out objects so that you know how big 4' x 4' is). Now stand in that space and visualize the location of nestboxes, roost, windows, door, etc. Then imagine wielding a tool in that space such as a shovel or a broom. What would you run into? (I'm a very visual person, so doing things this way helps me with my thinking).

My suggestion would be at the very least a 6'l x 6'w x 6'h coop, but with the height of the coop 7' on the side of the coop with the nestboxes. Have the roof slant from the 7' side to the 6' side, since a slanted roof is easier to build.

Of course, you have to think about your own height and the heights of any family members who would potentially help you with the chickens. I'm 5'11", so in a 6' tall coop I would probably hit my head on the eaves or have to walk around the coop with my neck bent -- ow.

 

[birdlover]

I agree, if you only make it 4' x 4', a 6' ceiling wouldn't be necessary but I was suggesting to, perhaps, make it bigger for in the future. I like Judy's description of her coops (hutches LOL). If you can clean them from the outside, then

 

[jmbiker11]

So a 4x4 coop with only a 4' height would be good for 3 chickens, and how do I make it water proof?