yet another coop size question

[larrypeck]

I'm currently in the planning phase of a coop, please forgive me if these questions have already been asked a million times

The current plan is to have a coop that can ultimately hold 16 to 20 Black Australorp sized hens. with the 4sqft/hen estimate, I was thinking of an 8' x 8' coop with 6 internal nesting boxes. I'm from Massachusetts and was going to insulate and cover the walls for happy warm ladies in the winter. for the first year, I was not going to fill the coop with lovely ladies but was going to start with 6 or 8 and then each year, add a couple.

Q1: is the size of the coop too large for 6 to 8 hen for warmth in the winter months (too much space to keep them warm)?

When designing the run, I was going to use the 10 sqft/hen rule and make the run predator proof.

Q2: is there a rule of thumb about how tall the run should be (how much head room for the ladies)?

We intend to treat these ladies as pets with benefits (eggs and entertainment) so the will only be free roaming when we are home and in the run when we are not home. we do have lots of predators in the area: Hawks, fishercats coywolves, racoons.


so does everything sounds reasonable so far?

Thanks,
Larry

 

[JackE]

Sounds like you have a plan. Scrap the insulation though. Waste of time and $$$, for a chicken coop. Chickens already come with perfect insulation of their own, and really don't need any help from us. Don't worry about the birds getting chilly in the winter. They can handle cold weather just fine. The bigger the coop the better. Don't fall into the trap of worrying about them getting cold, and shutting them up tight in the winter, in some misguided plan to keep them freezing to death. Make sure you provide plenty, as in a lot, of fresh air/ventilation, even on the coldest days. Chickens generate lots of moisture/humidity, just from breathing. You want the coop to be well ventilated to get rid of it.

 

[larrypeck]

Thanks,

for ventilation, I was thinking of a 12"x12" louvered vent on each end of the coop (up near the roof) and a working 18"x18" cupola. Plus, having the run predator proof, I was going to leave the coop run door open.

 

[JackE]

Thanks,

for ventilation, I was thinking of a 12"x12" louvered vent on each end of the coop (up near the roof) and a working 18"x18" cupola. Plus, having the run predator proof, I was going to leave the coop run door open.

That may be enough for 6-8 birds, but not enough for 20. Check out the link below. Good info on the needs of chickens regarding fresh air/ventilation. I have an open-air coop. The whole front wall of the coop is open, year round, covered only with hardware cloth. The design is over 100yrs old. Open-air coops were used up into Canada. Since you are in the design phase, consider open-air.


http://archive.org/stream/openairpoultryho00wood#page/n0/mode/2up

 

[larrypeck]

That may be enough for 6-8 birds, but not enough for 20. Check out the link below. Good info on the needs of chickens regarding fresh air/ventilation. I have an open-air coop. The whole front wall of the coop is open, year round, covered only with hardware cloth. The design is over 100yrs old. Open-air coops were used up into Canada. Since you are in the design phase, consider open-air.


http://archive.org/stream/openairpoultryho00wood#page/n0/mode/2up

thanks, I'll definitely read though that.

 

[larrypeck]

That may be enough for 6-8 birds, but not enough for 20. Check out the link below. Good info on the needs of chickens regarding fresh air/ventilation. I have an open-air coop. The whole front wall of the coop is open, year round, covered only with hardware cloth. The design is over 100yrs old. Open-air coops were used up into Canada. Since you are in the design phase, consider open-air.

Thanks, I'll definitely read through that.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Leaving the front and back eaves open, covered with welded wire, for good ventilation. You'll only need four laying nests for 20 birds. With that they'll still probably only use two.

Predator proofing a run is a huge expense and then not 100% successful. It'd be easier to get an automatic coop door. The coop is your best defense if it's not used then why build one? Nesting boxes can be outside and the chickens just need a roof and a few tarps for wind break. I build a coop and close it every night when most predators are out hunting and chickens are sleeping. The biggest threat to chickens in the day are dogs and they are stopped with 2x4 14 gauge welded wire and 2 feet of welded wire laid flat out from run to stop digging. Light fencing or netting on top to stop the hawks.

 

[larrypeck]

Leaving the front and back eaves open, covered with welded wire, for good ventilation.

I didn't think of that, sounds good too. thanks

I'm just not used to leaving animals in unheated spaces, but then again, I see wild turkeys all the time and I don't think they have a nice cozy warm room to roost in

 

[larrypeck]

Predator proofing a run is a huge expense and then not 100% successful. It'd be easier to get an automatic coop door. The coop is your best defense if it's not used then why build one? Nesting boxes can be outside and the chickens just need a roof and a few tarps for wind break. I build a coop and close it every night when most predators are out hunting and chickens are sleeping. The biggest threat to chickens in the day are dogs and they are stopped with 2x4 14 gauge welded wire and 2 feet of welded wire laid flat out from run to stop digging. Light fencing or netting on top to stop the hawks.

I'm mostly worried about the fishercats while we are not home, getting to the chickens during the day. I have seen them multiple times during the day. I definitely know how expensive 1/2" hardware fabric is and was dreading the cost to cover the whole run with it...

 

[JackE]

You could go with a less expensive fence, and surround it with a coupla strands of hotwire. That won't cost too much. Animals get an electric shock to the face, they move on. I have my coop surrounded with 650' of electrified poultry net. That does the job, no losses in years to a ground predator.