Who has a walk in coop?

[Scrambled Egg]

You can walk in part of mine. The chickens roost in the "A" frame part at night, lay eggs in the walk in part and wander throughout the whole pen all during the day.

 

[joe28532]

Just Started my first COOP, is there a general rule for how many nest boxes needed.??? I will have six chickens, do I need six nest boxes???

 

[MissPrissy]

I guess I am the lucky one here. I have a commercial style poultry barn built around 1915. It has 5 rooms approx 20x25each (give or take) and a 6th area that is an open stall.

 

[2dream]

Quote:
Prissy you are definately lucky. You need to post some pics of all that.

 

[hinkjc]

Just Started my first COOP, is there a general rule for how many nest boxes needed.??? I will have six chickens, do I need six nest boxes???

If I recall correctly, 1 nest for every 4-5 hens. I give an extra, so 3 nests for up to 6 hens. Of course, they all usually use the same one.

Edited with some coop pics. All of our coops are walkin.. The 3 red coops are the newest additions. The 2 brown coops are some of our first coops.

This one is an 8X6 witha small flight pen attached

This one is an 8X8 with large flight pen attached

The next pic is the 3 new coops (24X8 has 3 pens inside each with their own attached flight pen out back) (12X16 includes a nursery inside to grow out youngsters..the main coop and nursery each have fenced yards to go outside) (8X10 silkie coop is all the way to the right)

Here is how they look in the summer when the leaves are grown in:

Jody​

 

[rdranch]

Our walk in coop is the back 6 feet of the barn. You walk in from the inside and the open side of the double door is for access to the run. Yesterday I made a new pop door that slides so now they can't sit on the open door and break everything I used to keep it open. I was begining to think it was a game for them. Will post new pictures later after the weather clears up.

 

[speckledhen]

8x8 is now 8x20, but divided in the middle with a walk-thru door to house the breeding Blue Orps and then laying flock on the larger side.

 

[Lothiriel]

I've got a walk-in coop. It's 8x8, with the trap-door for the hens in the back and the door for me (and sometimes the hens, too) in the front. the trapdoor opens into their storm shelter and yard. (Sorry, I don't have a pic of it!

)
Wow, rdranch! that's a really nice coop and run!!

It's stunning! yours too, hinkjc! WOW!!! Gee, everyone has such nice coops! Mine's kinda oldand a bit ugly... I'm jealous.....

 

[rdranch]

Thanks Bug Girl. It's going to be remodled soon. The nest box and roost will be moved to increase floor space. It's 6'x12' with 18 pullets. I'm going to put a tray under the roost to collect droppings and cut down on waste in the bedding. The floor about 6 inches of gravel on the dirt then about a foot of shavings. Both buildings need rain gutters to help keep water from soaking the ground underneath. This is our first experience with chickens and I just love the challenge of providing for the girls. The whole thing fits in with our ranch theme-A work in progress.

 

[airmom1c05]

My coop used to be a home made tin storage building. It's not very elaborate inside. The original shelves are still in tact. Rotton ones have been replaced and the holes in the roof have been patched. There is one high roost for Brandy running from the center of the door to the back of the coop and another two feet off the floor to the left of the door for the bantams. I have a cardboard box I use as Brandy's laying box on a shelf about 4 ft. off the ground. Lately she is laying in the cat carrier beside the box. I just use a stick to keep the carrier door propped open. The bantam hen lays in a large shoebox on the floor. This thread has given me some nifty ideas. I have a brick under an inverted plant flat box that keeps the feeder and water a few inches off the floor, but they still manage to scratch up pine shavings into their food and water. It's easy to get inside to clean, and since reading about the deep litter method on this site, I'm having good success not wasting as much litter. There is a rather large separate pen in the coop to keep my young Ameraucana separate so she eats her food instead of the adult bird food. It takes up too much room, but for now it's working well other than Brandy's roost is over it and if Brandy faces the wrong way, it's a mess on top each morning. I've been laying thick newspaper on it each evening to make cleanup easier in the mornings. The little pen has its door on top. That's where Brandy's poo falls sometimes. Thank goodness it doesn't fall on the top of the pen that is wire an mess up Dahlia's food and water.....or Dahlia!