Would This Work? - Check Out My Coop Model:

[The Chicken Lady]

Andy, what are the dimensions of the coop drawing you made (length, width, height)? I love your drawing, but I'm concerned about your chickens not having enough space.

I'm a really visual person, so one thing I like to do when I'm planning something is take some masking tape and actually mark out on the floor the size of whatever it is I'm thinking about building. Remember, nestboxes, roosts, etc., will take up a lot of room. Think about cleaning the coop and what your tools might bump into. It might be more annoying than helpful to have a two-foot-wide coop. The dimensions in your original post are very, very small.

 

[TillinWithMyPeeps]

The coop is 4 foot long, 2 foot deep and 3 foot + tall,

The run is 8 foot by 4 foot.

I measured it out in the snow today

in the spot where it will actually go and it looks fine.

 

[Renee]

So Cute!
If you have any extra wood, you might make it at least 3 or 4 feet deep. That way you will have enough room to have nest boxes.

 

[chicken_angler]

I have one suggestion. You know where the end of the run is furthest away from the red coop? Could you angle it up to the top of the coop so it would add more space outside? Maybe you could even cover it with plastic or corrugated metal sheets. The chickens will be able to be outside longer during the winter in Ohio. I am in Ohio too and mine dont have a covered run so they arent outside much.

Good luck!

Cody!!

 

[patandchickens]

Two suggestions:

Double the size - at *least*. Remember your hens are going to be spending much of their time indoors a lot of the time during the winter. 2 sq ft per hen is a great big kick-me sign for cannibalism.

Also, think about either rotating the roof 90 degrees so it slopes to both *sides*, or make it a single-slope shed roof that slopes to one side. Reason being, you do not want it dumping water into the run just outside the pophole door, nor do you want it dumping water on *you* when you are tending the chickens through what I assume will be an access door on the opposite side. Really, this will truly help keep your run drier (and thus more appealing for the chickens to use)

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[crazyhen]

I agree, you really need 4 sq. ft for each hen. More if you can afford it. They will be inside a lot and you need room for feed ,water and roost. please you will not be sorry if you build it a bit bigger. jean

 

[briteday]

I've just designed the same thing, but mine is 4 foot high so that I can have two levels inside. The food & water will be on one level that is 18" tall. The other level will be 2-1/2' tall with different levels of roosts including a ladder up to the upper floor.

Being that you get a lot of snow you may want to think about which level you want the chickens to come out from into their run, so that the door isn't blocked by snow. And which level to put your nest boxes so that your door to collect isn't blocked by snow.

I would also make a single sloped roof that drains to the rear (not to the run) to drain snow and rain. And I'm thinking about putting some sort of corrugated fiberglass over the top of my run for shade and wet weather.

At 4' high that takes 1-1/2 sheets of siding and you could use the remainder of the second sheet for your roof of the coop or floors.

I've measured the whole thing out and I have to say I think that's plenty of room. I have Rhode Island Reds right now and they haev a hard time keeping 2 x 8 x (3' tall) warm enough with body heat during the winter. And depending on the breeds you are getting... if they are hardy like mine they'll go out most days unless it is below 0, as long as the run is covered.

 

[beakkeeper]

That's a really cool design software, Andy123. What is it?? I just use Word or orange juice cartons and duct tape for MY coop designs!

 

[TillinWithMyPeeps]

It's called Google SketchUp you can download it free here:

http://sketchup.google.com/

It took me a little while to get used to, but once you get it, it can be fun.