Coop design question...

[coop-er]

I am planning a new coop. I believe I will need an area designated as an isolation/sick bay/new chick area to be used for new birds, recovering birds or any bird that needs time to be introduced slowly into my existing flock. My question is what exactly does this look like and approx where should it be? Is it a cage-like or pen structure? I am assuming it will be separate from the common area in the coop. My coop will have an area for the chickens with roosts, nesting boxes etc... and a separate closed-off storage area for food and supplies. Should my pen area be in the storage area or in where the birds live? I understand a bird that needs isolation due to a contagious condition would not be in there but what about a bird you are trying to introduce to your flock (as in new/young)? Thanks for the help-I am trying to plan for a coop that I don't need to make any changes to once it is completed.

 

[boskelli1571]

Hi there,
I have been thinking of building a large 'final' coop, so here my thoughts: a large shed construction with an area closed off from the main coop for storage (similar to your idea). I would have a small 10 x 10 ft area closed off from that with a sick bay and brooding area. Depending on how many chicks you plan to brood, you could expand accordingly. I would vent that area to the outside so that air exchange happens outside not within the coop. Perhaps the bottom 2 feet of wall to the main area could be removable and replaces with a mesh wire wall??
Keep us updated and post the final construct, I will be very interested to see what you come up with, Sue

 

[aart]

Integration or behavioral isolation should be adjacent to main coop for visual but not physical exposure between birds.

Medical quarantine should be in a separate building with no cross contamination of air, clothes, shoes, equipment.

I split my main coop with a chicken wire wall for segregation/integration...got a feisty young roo in there now awaiting the crock pot and will use it to integrate hatched chicks this summer.

 

[HardisonHens]

We built our coop with an open floor plan 10x16 and built a PVC pen for new flock members, chicks and those fighting of sickness. It is quite large, with a hinging lid and side door. We wrapped it in chicken wire and I put some dowels through the back section to make roosting bars. It has worked beautifully for our needs and it light weight so it can be easily moved/removed.
I actually just removed it this morning to allow our chicks to interact with the grown-ups full-time.