64sq ft coop for 6 chickens?

[NatJ]

Which came first?
The brooder or the coop?

I'm a big fan of doing the coop first, and then you can brood in the coop.

People who start with the brooder, and then get the chicks, tend to be building the coop in a hurry because the chicks are growing so fast. Then if anything slows down the building project, they have a bit of a problem because the chicks are outgrowing the brooder. Lots of things can go wrong unexpectedly (store needs to order material, rainstorm on the weekend scheduled to put up the roof, someone broke their toe by dropping the wrong thing on it, everyone catches the stomach flu, etc.)

 

[HowIsItDone]

I'm a big fan of doing the coop first, and then you can brood in the coop.

People who start with the brooder, and then get the chicks, tend to be building the coop in a hurry because the chicks are growing so fast. Then if anything slows down the building project, they have a bit of a problem because the chicks are outgrowing the brooder. Lots of things can go wrong unexpectedly (store needs to order material, rainstorm on the weekend scheduled to put up the roof, someone broke their toe by dropping the wrong thing on it, everyone catches the stomach flu, etc.)

I agree.
I'm starting wonder if I should start with Pullets for the first year.

 

[HowIsItDone]

I live in norther NB Canada and it gets down to -30c(-24f) multiple times a winter here. We just have a thinly insulated coop and have vents that are high enough that it is above their roosts. None of our chickens have ever had an issue with the cold. When they are a little cold they just fluff out and keep themselves warm. We do use the long side of 2x4's for their roost so they can more easily cover their toes if they are cold. We just use a heated dog water dish for their water in the winter.

As for height I would make it a walk in one that is tall enough you can have ventilation above their roosts. And for overall size I always suggest go bigger as chicken math is a thing and if your 6 hens turn into 16 you will be happy with the extra space. Every year my flock seems to get bigger and bigger. I am building a new chicken house this year with a section for a brooder for babies in the future.

I like that. A place for injured or bullied chickens, as well.
Do you have a covered run in addition to the coop?

 

[Sally PB]

I don't free range. Too many predators. Since I have both air and ground predators, I have a roofed run, and the anti-dig apron around it. I am glad for both.

The roofed run lets them get out in the winter (some snow blows in, but I have wind&snow break panels on the prevailing wind sides); on the pouring rainy days like today, AND it keeps wild bird poop out.

Right now, I'm concerned with the possibility of HPAI coming in with wild geese/crane/duck poop. We have all three of those in the area.

Do I wish I could free range my chickens, safely? You bet. Do I wish the run were twice its size? Oh yeah. (It's about 165 sf for 10 hens.)

Yes, I have traded my chickens' freedom for their security. In case you're all thinking of Ben Franklin's famous quote about trading freedom for security, here's an interesting link about its origin.
https://www.npr.org/2015/03/02/3902...safety-quote-lost-its-context-in-21st-century

 

[killmak]

I like that. A place for injured or bullied chickens, as well.
Do you have a covered run in addition to the coop?

I have a large covered woodpile that they like to hang out in so I just snow blow a few paths to a few different spots they like.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Do they spend the night there?
What do you do for predator protection?

Yes, the birds in the "grow out" tractor spend the night there. Its part of my "see & be seen" process before they are integrated into the main flock.

As for predator protection, I COULD have done the whole thing in cattle panel and hardware cloth, but instead used chicken wire in places (which keeps nothing out, but the chickens in). Its located by our RV and our shower, but within the electric fence that protects the main flock. In theory, still vulnerable to a raccoon paw, not much else. Its a risk I'm willing to take with my mutts.

When not being used as a grow out, I could drag it outside the electric fence protecting the pasture and use it as a quarantine cage for the sick, or leave it inside the pasture for the simply injured. Thankfully, that hasn't been an issue I've had much need of - but I could.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Also a fan of coop first, then brooder, then chickens. and if doing an integrated covered run, placing the brooder/quarantine at the opposite end from the coop has some advantages for everything but biosecurity. Sick birds really should be as far away as can be safely arranged.

 

[avjudge]

I'm a big fan of doing the coop first, and then you can brood in the coop.

People who start with the brooder, and then get the chicks, tend to be building the coop in a hurry because the chicks are growing so fast. . .

Definitely the way to go in theory. In reality, I am a person who will never build until I have rapidly growing chicks to house!

(We lucked out and got a bear-damaged hoop tractor/coop from some neighbors and patched that up. It worked great surrounded by electrified poultry netting for summers. By winter I had built a winter coop inside a corner of my barn, and two years later I finally got a hoop run built so I can kick them out of the barn daytime in the winter. Whoever posted here that they hate to walk in snow, boy you got that right!)

 

[NatJ]

Definitely the way to go in theory. In reality, I am a person who will never build until I have rapidly growing chicks to house!

The most recent time I built a chicken coop, I was motivated by "the hatchery will sell out if I don't hurry up!" So I got the coop done, then ordered the chicks just before the hatchery was going to stop for that year. But I felt more comfortable doing it that way, because if I really dawdled on the coop I would have a choice of other breeds from a different hatchery, or waiting until the next spring, but I would not have overcrowded stinky chicks outgrowing a brooder.

My strategy was based on knowing what kinds of pressure work for myself

(We lucked out and got a bear-damaged hoop tractor/coop from some neighbors and patched that up. It worked great surrounded by electrified poultry netting for summers. By winter I had built a winter coop inside a corner of my barn, and two years later I finally got a hoop run built so I can kick them out of the barn daytime in the winter. Whoever posted here that they hate to walk in snow, boy you got that right!)

As I am sure you have noticed, there are many ways to do things with chickens, and a surprisingly large number of them work just fine! I'm glad this worked well for you!

 

[Penpal]

NatJ mentioned having a barrier at the door so the bedding doesn't fall out. Good idea. But, instead of screws, I might use little boards at each end so the board barrier can be slid in and out.

I would have the nest boxes hang outside of the coop so you don't have top go inside. Make three and shut off one so they use two. If they fight over the nests you can open up the third. Or, more likely, you will end up with more hens and the 3rd nest will come in handy.