Where do I begin with a coop?

[speedy2020]

I got a plywood shipping box about 12 years ago and make a coop from there. It was free. As far as the size go, it depend on you. The 3' x 4' x 6' can keep 12 chickens at night without any issue. My coop sat on 5 stacks (3 front 2 back) of 6" x 8" x16" cement block 20" high above ground. The bottom covered with rabbit wire and use for hide out during rainy day, mother hen with chicks, rooster, sick chicken, temporary supply storage area, etc..

 

[aart]

I got a plywood shipping box about 12 years ago and make a coop from there. It was free. As far as the size go, it depend on you. The 3' x 4' x 6' can keep 12 chickens at night without any issue. My coop sat on 5 stacks (3 front 2 back) of 6" x 8" x16" cement block 20" high above ground. The bottom covered with rabbit wire and use for hide out during rainy day, mother hen with chicks, rooster, sick chicken, temporary supply storage area, etc..

@speedy2020 Are you still using it?
Got pics?
What is your climate?

 

[Krugerrand]

@speedy2020 Are you still using it?
Got pics?
What is your climate?

I'd like to see some pics too.

Here's what I could find:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/english-ixworth-rooster.1384307/post-23130342
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/run-yard-roof-question.1393275/page-2#post-22878878

 

[speedy2020]

I'd like to see some pics too.

Here's what I could find:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/english-ixworth-rooster.1384307/post-23130342
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/run-yard-roof-question.1393275/page-2#post-22878878

Yelp! That is my coop and still working just fine. The threader feeder failed 2 years ago because the chicken step on/off few hundred times all day and I didn't feel like fixing it. Since I have the automatic door open/close now, I could put a feeder box open/close as the same time. I am in Washington and the temperature do get down to -15F sometime. Here is another link relate to the new automatic door purchased few days ago because the issue with the old ChickGuard Premium.
Hope this help you making decision.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/reviews/kastty-automatic-chicken-coop-door.12113/

 

[NatJ]

Hi
I'm wondering what size coop I need to start with ? I am planning on only getting enough chickens to sustain us with fresh eggs I'm not sure how many I would need ? Totally new to everything about chickens so please I'd appreciate any help we can get thank you !

I agree with other posters that it is good to do research, then build the coop, then get the chickens. You can brood young chicks right in the coop. Remember to check for zoning restrictions and HOA rules. Some places say no chickens and some places let you do whatever you want, but there are many places that let you have just a certain number of chickens, or say you have to put the chicken coop a certain distance from the property lines, or some other kind of restriction. Checking those things while you are doing research can save a lot of bother later!

Since you asked for basic information, here is a starting point:

For number of hens, it often works well to have 2 hens for every one egg you want each day. Hens lay more eggs at some seasons than others, so sometimes you will have extra eggs, and sometimes not enough, but storing the extras can help tide you over the not-enough times. Some breeds of hens lay more eggs than others, so actually getting 365 eggs in a year might take just one exceptional hen, or 4+ of the kinds that are really poor layers. Chickens do not like to live alone, so I would consider 3 or 4 chickens to be about the minimum number to reasonably have.


Once you have an idea of how many chickens, you can start designing a coop.
Some basic rules of thumb about size:

4 square feet of floor space per hen inside the coop. (That does not count space taken up by feeder, waterer, nestboxes on the floor, etc.) The "coop" is the sheltered space where they sleep, and where they spend daytimes in bad weather.

1 linear foot of roosting space per hen, also inside the coop (this is usually a bar above the floor, so it does not affect the floor space. People argue about how wide the roost should be, but the range is usually from 1.5 inches like a closet rod up to about 4 inches like the wide side of "2x4" lumber.)

1 nestbox for each 4 hens (they usually pick a few favorite nestboxes and take turns using them and ignore the rest, so building one per hen would be pointless.) People often mount the nestboxes outside the coop with just an entrance inside, or above the floor, or both. That way they don't take up floor space inside.

1 square foot of ventilation per hen, with more in some seasons (hot summer) and some climates (humid, or hot all year). Arrange the ventilation so it does not blow on the chickens while they are sleeping on the roost at night. Putting the ventilation up high, so the air moves above the heads of the hens, is a method that works well for many people.

10 square feet of space per chicken in the run. This is an outdoor space where they can spend time in good weather.

Those rules of thumb are a good starting point, but they are not exactly right for every situation. Examples:

Chickens are always happy to have extra space, so feel free to go bigger if you want. A bigger coop & run also mean you can get more hens later if want to (especially useful if you do not know exactly how many chickens you want.)

In some climates (warm or hot all year), you do not even need a "coop" at all, just a run with a roof, plus a windbreak on one or two sides. Then you put the roosts and nestboxes in the end or corner that has the windbreak. For those cases, ignore the coop measurement, and just allow 10 square feet per hen (like any other run), then add the right amount of roosts and nestboxes.

In some climates with nasty winters, the chickens will need to spend large amounts of time indoors (weeks or months.) It is a good idea to build their coop larger than the minimum, so it is more like an indoor run. Chickens do not like to be alone, but they do like their own personal space. So having room to get away from each other can make a big difference in how happy and peaceful they are, as compared with crowding them into a small area.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Keeping chickens safe from predators is a primary consideration. Chicken wire fencing is not adequate to do this. It will keep your chickens IN, but it will not keep predators OUT. Dogs, coyotes, foxes and raccoons can go right through it. Use hardware cloth instead. This is stout metal mesh with 1/2" or 1/4" openings. Most will even keep snakes and mice out. Use this from the ground to a height of about 4'. In addition, lay mesh on the ground around the perimeter of your run, and tack it down with ground staples and/or throw a layer of gravel over it, to prevent predators from digging under.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Also, think about how you are going to clean your coop. For me, a coop I can stand up in is essential. For a smaller coop, think about the logistics of cleaning the coop, or of accessing a sick bird that's hiding in a corner.

 

[aart]

Yelp! That is my coop and still working just fine.

Would be nice to see more pics that show more, inside and out.

 

[speedy2020]

Would be nice to see more pics that show more, inside and out.

It is nothing special beside low cost. There are 2 access door at the bottom (inside coop run and outside the run). I think I spend under $100 for the project without the automatic chicken door. There are several 1/2" holes on top the coop for ventilation. The bottom is cover with large linoleum floor sheet for easy to remove waste and extent the life of the wood floor. I clean the coop once a year around August/September for compost and add dried grass, other materials to retain heat for winter months.
For those that want easy cleaning the coop, you could move the door hing to the bottom frame and cut the back way down floor level I have my about 12" high to retain heat at lower floor for winter months and for raising baby chicks.

Correction: There are only 3 stacks of cement(9 blocks total = 24" high).
Tips: 1) If you are going to build one with raise bottom, make sure there is enough room at the corner so the hen/duck can get out.
2) Buy 24" high rabbit wire so no cut bottom cover require.
3) To hold the rabbit wire in place, use big galvanize washer and galvanize screw.

 

[aart]

It is nothing special beside low cost. There are 2 access door at the bottom (inside coop run and outside the run). I think I spend under $100 for the project without the automatic chicken door. There are several 1/2" holes on top the coop for ventilation. The bottom is cover with large linoleum floor sheet for easy to remove waste and extent the life of the wood floor. I clean the coop once a year around August/September for compost and add dried grass, other materials to retain heat for winter months.
For those that want easy cleaning the coop, you could move the door hing to the bottom frame and cut the back way down floor level I have my about 12" high to retain heat at lower floor for winter months and for raising baby chicks.

Correction: There are only 3 stacks of cement(9 blocks total = 24" high).
Tips: 1) If you are going to build one with raise bottom, make sure there is enough room at the corner so the hen/duck can get out.
2) Buy 24" high rabbit wire so no cut bottom cover require.
3) To hold the rabbit wire in place, use big galvanize washer and galvanize screw.

View attachment 3673450
View attachment 3673452

That's rough, not something I'd recommend.