Chicken Coop ?

[Joe Scharle]

Anyone got any advice/experience on building a small chicken coop for 4 layers (chickens)? I made a 8 X 8 X 4 run and my daughter wants a small (cheap) coop. I've looked at a lot of on-line offerings and plans, and would like some real life feedback. Thanks in advance...

 

[scsmith42]

1. Make it tall enough to stand up inside (DAMHIKT...)
2. Having a lift-up door behind the nesting boxes that can be accessed from the outside is a handy feature for collecting eggs.
3. Run power to it for lights in the winter, as well as heated waterers. A 15A 120VAC circuit is sufficient.
4. Make the doorway large enough for a wheelbarrow or garden cart to fit through.
5. Regular chicken wire is too large to keep out two predators - snakes and weasels. For any portion that has wire, add an extra layer of 3/4" or smaller hole size wire to the bottom 4 feet.
6. Have roosts separate from the nesting boxes, else you will be cleaning a lot of poop out of the boxes.
7. If you let the chickens out of the coop every day, a small coop is fine. If not, combine a coop with a large fenced in area for them to roam in.
8. Build some type of adjacent storage for feed and supplies. We keep ours in galvanized metal trash cans with the lids on in an adjacent building. Typically you will need to store a couple of different types of feed, plus a bag of shavings for the nesting boxes.
9. Dump your dust collection system shavings on the floor - it works great!
10. Build it so that the chickets are sheltered from the prevailing wind when they are nesting or roosting.

 

[gritz]

My son-in-law has recently built one with externally accessible nesting boxes and a roost at the other end. He put wheels on one end and wheelbarrow-style handles on the other so the hens can be moved to new pasturage every few days. He copied a design a friend used, and made his own modifications. He, his bride, and the hens all like it.

 

[Mt. Gomer]

Joe,

I've got a friend who raises small numbers of chicken and swears by his PVC coop... Google "pvc chicken coop" and you'll get tons of hits. I can't speak for the advantages/disadvantages personally. He likes it becuase it's relatively inexpensive and he can easily move it from spot to spot to give the chickens fresh grass.... All I know is that he brings me in very good, fresh eggs.

Travis

 

[Joe Scharle]

My son-in-law has recently built one with externally accessible nesting boxes and a roost at the other end. He put wheels on one end and wheelbarrow-style handles on the other so the hens can be moved to new pasturage every few days. He copied a design a friend used, and made his own modifications. He, his bride, and the hens all like it.

Got a pic/plan for this?

 

[RandyJ]

If I'm not mistaken, our very own DaveO built a chicken tractor and posted about it here...:icon_scra

 

[Mt. Gomer]

If I'm not mistaken, our very own DaveO built a chicken tractor and posted about it here...:icon_scra

You are correct, Sir!!

http://www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/f105/le-poulet-palace-12747/

 

[JackLeg]

Joe: My only advice is to make sure you've got a wire top on the pen.:icon_thum
I have friends who've had their chickens taken by predators lately. Hawks, owls, coyotes, foxes, raccoons, stray dogs all evidently like chicken as well as I do! With the decline of hunting and the "protection" of certain "raptors" the chickens are having a tough time.
:wsmile:

 

[DaveO]

Yes I have done several chicken "tractor" style coops, although they don't get moved as much as planned as
our chickens free range.

The middle one, while crude is actually the most practical design. Not being tall enough to get into it is nice to be able to open up the coop to access the chickens. When we start our chicks in a coop they don't know how it works and have to be manually placed in the sleeping area for several nights. It's nice to not have to crawl in the coop to get them.
+1 for not using chicken wire unless you double up and overlap the mesh. I lost 4 baby Turkeys due to that.
The more access you have to the interior of the coop the better, it's easier to clean.
If you don't plan on moving the coop and you have it in a chicken run area, I would build a box with a good sloped roof and some ventilation at the top. Raise it up off the ground by 12-18" with a ramp to access. It only needs to be around 3' x 4' x 3' tall. Chickens don't take up much space when sleeping, and they will lay on one side and sleep/poop on the other. Provide a back flap door that will give you access to the whole interior for cleaning and gathering eggs. The entry should have a door that can be closed at night to give them better protection. A sleeping chicken is a dumb chicken.
We currently have 11 hens that sleep/lay in two coops and are allowed to free-ish-range inside of a fenced area ~300'. I fenced it in with deer fencing fabric to give them space to do their chicken thing but give me the rest of the yard back.


Dave

 

[Joe Scharle]

Was playing with some 2 X 4s this PM and Dave's experience confirms my guess that a 3' tall 2 X 4ft box should do the trick. Slant roof, double doors for access, hang off nest boxes, couple of light holes, closable hi-lo vents should do it. Set it on 16" legs so the birds can get out of the sun.

 

[flatheadfisher]

Here is the chicken tractor I built a few months ago. It is sort of heavy - but I can move it by myself. It is easier with the 4 wheeler!

Click on image below and (hopefully) you will see a short video.

 

[flatheadfisher]

More pics from iPhone