What do you think is the best chicken coop listed on BackYardChickens?

[MidnightChickenLover]

I'm looking to build a new chicken coop for my chickens. I want it so I have a storage area and then another door inside it to lead to the chicken coop area. I have loved all the designs, brilliant jobs! But which one do you think is the most practical? i want a nice size one (medium-large). What I mean by pratical is good ventalation, insulation, easy access, etc. Thank you for your opinions!

 

[Judy]

How many chickens are we talking about? And where are you, in general terms?

 

[MidnightChickenLover]

Being General, North East...
I have 7 chickens at the moment, but I am going to get more (ranging from 5 to 20 more)
The 5 to 20 depends becuase I'm going to get a few bantams and the number of males I get are going into the rooster coop.

 

[BantyRooster]

Quote:
I guess you could say North East is pretty general...lol.

There are so many considerations...

What is your carpentry skill level?

How much does your budget allow?

How much area can you use on your property?

Could you be a little more specific?

 

[MidnightChickenLover]

hehehe... I guess My budget is anywhere but a thousand dollars and up.. I have a whole farm! So space is not an issue. Skill level doesn't count, i have people in my family that are experts! So I kept things general because i just want to know: "What's the Best?!"

 

[#1California Chick]

The "BEST" is what works for you and your chickens in your environment (temps, pedators, space) and neighborhood!!!

I made a list of my IDEAL 'wants" and then crafted a requirements list from there.

What is BEST for me in California won't work in Montana or Florida!!!

Stay on the site and do some more research. Pretty soon you will know what is "BEST" for you!!

Good Luck!
Cindy

 

[Judy]

I'd think in terms of at least an 8x8 coop. Utilizes standard lumber sizes well. 4x8 costs nearly as much and gives no storage or room to maneuver. If you want to be able to separate different types, like bantams from heavy breed, I'd go up to at least 8 x 12. It is so much cheaper to build what you will need than to build more coops or add on. And you will never regret the extra space. Plan to include water and electric. They are not that expensive for a simple household level, and well worth the effort and investment, IMO. You want to be able to store feed in the coop, and this needs to be in addition to the sq footage for the birds; at a minimum, room enough for a large galvanized trash can, but more for other supplies is welcome. Extra space to brood new chicks or separate broodies, or new or injured birds, is always a plus.

8x8 is comfortable space for 16 chickens, unless you are in a very snowy location, in which case you will want more, for them to stay in on bad winter days without feeling crowded. If you want 20 chickens and this will include a few separated bantams and roos, you may want to consider 16x16, or at least 8x12 or 8 x 16. Think of the recommended 4 sq ft per chicken as a minimum -- or you will be looking to expand or add on very soon.

Simplest design is one that has a slanted roof from one side to the other, maybe 8' tall side and 5' or 6' short side. Hardware cloth over the gaps between roof and walls provides good ventilation. Metal roofing has many advantages. Many on here use OSB for siding, but it is not intended for outdoor use, and several coats of paint will only extend its life for a few years; I would use plywood instead. It can be thin. Even folks in Canada have successful coops without insulation.

I have a metal coop because it happened to be available and economical. In this climate, it would appear to be a problem, but it is really not. I have large sections of wall that are hardware cloth, and I hose it down on hot days. Do read Pat's ventilation page and include plenty of ventilation, as much to prevent frostbite in winter as to provide comfort in summer:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1642-VENTILATION

Hope this helps.

 

[cmom]

#1California Chick :

The "BEST" is what works for you and your chickens in your environment (temps, pedators, space) and neighborhood!!!

I made a list of my IDEAL 'wants" and then crafted a requirements list from there.

What is BEST for me in California won't work in Montana or Florida!!!

Stay on the site and do some more research. Pretty soon you will know what is "BEST" for you!!

Good Luck!
Cindy

I agree. What may be best for someone else may not be best for you. Each place is unique as well as everyone's situation.​

 

[GardeNerd]

I think the "Best" one is mine

, but that is because it is ideal for my situation. I'm in SoCal so my needs are probably very different than yours. It is in the coop pages under Medium Coops and the first one on the Top Left. I have storage under the coop area for my feed and supplies. I use the top of the run as my potting table for my garden, and it doubles as shade for the covered run.

Recommendations: I have a friend across the street that got chickens shortly after me. I recommended the playhouse coop to her, the kind like the index picture for small coops. https://www.backyardchickens.com/coopdesigns.html
She adapted it to fit her needs and put a huge storage space under the coop box. It was built adjacent to an existing shed. Here is a picture of my friend's coop. It is not in the coop pages.

Just today she recommended the same basic style for inspiration to another neighbor down the street. And she told him pretty much the same thing-"adapt it to fit your needs." He is considering extending the run longer than most of playhouse designs.

editing because my spelling and grammar are awful.

 

[kathyinmo]

It is difficult to answer, as far as, "best," but I am happy with mine. I started out with 44 chicks, so needed a larger space. I built a 16' x 12' coop. In it I have a 4' x 4' storage area for supplies and feed. I used a "shed type," roof (slopes from front to back), with a tin roof (over OSB). I wanted to be sure to have enough ventilation, so I left the ends (triangular shaped from the roof slope) open and covered in double layer of hardware cloth. When it rains I just pull a tarp over it. You can see mine on my BYC page. It is nothing special, but I like it. Hope this helps.