New coop build, need help designing! (South Eastern Ontario)

[Ted Brown]

@avjudge makes a very good point.

Hoop runs can make a cost effective run alternative. I suggested a pole shed but suspect a hoop structure can be constructed with less cost.

 

[aart]

Even with an automatic door I would be uncomfortable not checking on them after it is supposed to have closed for the night.

Same here.

 

[CluckinAround89]

I had to attach a coop and bigger run, onto my original coop I built last year, for expansion.

 

[HowIsItDone]

I added a covered run that has eliminated predator problems and made maintenance MUCH easier. My pop door is open 24/7, both the chickens and I are MUCH happier.

Hi Ted!
That makes sense. Let them outside, while safe in the run.
So nice to see you.

I don't have chickens yet, and we've decided not to use the old shed.
We are building to suit. I'm hoping to free range as much as possible. All my neighbors do, and I'll be fine with it.
Until it goes wrong, I guess, and then I'll learn more.


You are a very helpful poster. Great advice.

 

[Ted Brown]

@HowIsItDone Thank you.

There are many folks on this site who give great advice, freely. Each has their areas of interest/focus that collectively cover everything a chicken geek needs.

I took more than a year getting serious about bird life before I built. Taking one's time to get what you want, always a good thing.

 

[paintedChix]

If you wanted to do poop boards you could do something like this. You can even put more roost over the nesting boxes.

View attachment 3757872

Palquire - if you do use this design, I'd think about shifting the nest boxes under the poop board. If room, could either do a dusting box or hang feed here as well.

I use open air coops/run combos & tractors due to heat/humidity here in NC, so I'm not familiar w/ having a closed coop. But, when hurricanes have gone through, I've often combined flocks (moving grow outs from tractors that might not survive the storms into the more solid pens/coops). This has put way too many chickens in 8x8, 8x12 & 8x16 coop/run combos - the results have caused feather pulling, hens killing hens by cornering & pecking to death & roosters who died of either heat stroke or heart attacks after fighting till couldn't stand anymore (no physical injuries). Not fun & not pretty.

I can't imagine having birds constantly cooped during blizzards or extreme cold (though we cared for horses & ponies in MT & 96/97, we were buried in a March & then April blizzards near the Canadian border).

So, my recommendation is following others' ideas in the area you live and go as big as you can for your birds.

You might also check out Alaskan's coop info & articles. They are interesting!!