Can I get some feedback on this design?

[EmmaDonovan]

I'm sorry it's so difficult to see what's going on. Sketchup and I are NOT friends. I did the best I could.

We are building for 8-10 laying hens. We cannot free range so this will be all the space the hens get.

Proportions in the drawing are off. The coop is 8' wide by 16' long. The front is 7' tall and the back is 6'. The door is supposed to be 80"x32". It's a Dutch door that opens inward.

We're trying to build the coop in two 8'x8' sections that can be separated for moving to a new home in a few years.

An interior wall is missing, Sketchup wouldn't let me add it. It will have a solar-operated a pop door for the hens and a large ventilation door.

The ramp will not be steep like that, I just couldn't move it. It won't be smooth, either.

The roost area is 6'x8'. There are two removable roosts (16' total). We'll use a hemp deep (6") litter system.

East side has a door that drops down for easy cleaning, plus to two doors that fully open. Each of those have a door-within-a-door that you can open just for ventilation.

There are four nest boxes; Sketchup wouldn't let me draw them. That's a paned window covered in hardware cloth above the boxes.

There's a 4'x4'x3' cabinet to store feed and other supplies.

The big tube thing by the door is a cistern that will be connected to a water bar inside.

The white vertical thing next to it is supposed to be PVC pipe for grain. It connects to the white thing that's hanging in mid-air inside the coop.

We'll use 1/4" hardware cloth throughout, including 1' down under the run, to keep out predators.

The white tubes at the top of the frame on the southern and western sides of the coop are rolled-up shade cloths. The sun is most intense on those sides during the summer.

Roofing is 12' rib steel roof panels. I have no idea what Sketchup thinks it is, but that's what it will be.

 

[cavemanrich]

Your design is fine. .. Since you plan to relocate in near future, Here is my suggestion . Unless you know that new location will be very near, the 2 section coop may be more challenging to transport than envisioned. I would make the individual walls, and other items up modular. I would then connect, the walls, roof, doors ETC, with screw fasteners. This way, you can easily disassemble and haul the 10 or more individual pieces much easier. Less weight per piece also.
The 1/4 inch HC is good in your area, as it will keep out scorpions. If scorpions are of no concern, then 1/2 inch HC is usually sufficient.
The HC that you intend to bury 1 foot down, can also be modified. Consider that portion to be added on after you have your modular walls all done and some portions of it in the finer HC.
You can use a 2 foot apron buried somewhat shallow. You can use 1 inch or 2 inch welded wire, that is strong enough to keep most burying animals away. Just attach it your walls with whatever works best. Screws, Hammer in staples, wire loops,, ETC. Welded wire will last longer than HC before it rusts away under ground.
WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[3KillerBs]

I would make the individual walls, and other items up modular. I would then connect, the walls, roof, doors ETC, with screw fasteners. This way, you can easily disassemble and haul the 10 or more individual pieces much easier. Less weight per piece also.

IMO, bolts are better than screws for disassembly and reassembly, but if you use screws my DH always prefers square heads because they don't strip out so easily.

 

[iwltfum]

Pretty good sketch up work for not being very familiar with it. I have used sketch up for hundreds of projects and I still get confused by it sometimes.

As for the coop design, I would be wary of having too many doors/hinged openings. It can make the walls weaker and if the building racks/moves at all when you transport it, all the doors will stick and you will have to make alot of annoying little changes to make them fit again.

I know it sounds nice to have egg doors and storage, but I have found that with a walk-in coop, egg doors are a bit superfluous unless there is something in the way of the nesting boxes that would prevent you from accessing them from the inside (which might not be the best idea anyway since it will be harder to change out nesting material).

Do you really need on-coop storage? You could easily build a storage box of the same dimensions separately that could sit next to the coop. It would add space to your coop and remove the need for another door.

I would second the bolt idea. They are more expensive, but your building will come apart and go back together much much easier than with screws. When you remove a screw and put it back in the same spot, the connection is weakened significantly.

Looks like a good coop design for the most part.

Edit to ask one more question: What are the sets of two side-by-side doors on the side and front of the coop in the first and second picture?

 

[Ridgerunner]

To transport an 8' x 8' section on a public road will almost certainly require a transportation permit, special escort, kind of expensive. I think you'll want to avoid that. I'd find out what the largest section you can transport in Arizona is and design for that. I like the idea of bolting or screwing the sides, top, and such so you can take it apart in sections.

It looks like you are building an elevated coop section over that internal storage. That's probably why you have all those clean-out doors. I can't tell where your internal wall is, at the top of the ramp probably. I think you are trying to build a "coop" section on one end with the rest essentially a "run". I assume that's because you are trying to make the coop more secure than the run to lock them up at night against predators?

I'm not sure how your roosts fit into all that. It looks like they are blocking your access to that end of the coop and accessing the nests and coop section from inside. I'd look really hard at putting the roosts along a wall so they don't block your access.

I like a walk-in coop, especially in a hot climate. With a walk-in you don't need all those cleaning doors, you are spending a lot on hardware and doing a lot of building that's unnecessary. Your nests don't need to be hung outside the coop, they can go inside. Again less building. If you do want outside access to the nests don't put it where rain during the monsoon season will run off on you. My personal preference with a walk-in is to gather eggs inside. I've found snakes, a possum, and a couple of dead chickens in there I would have missed if I'd been gathering them form outside.

How tall are you? With bedding on that floor are you going to be bumping your head.

Three nests is enough for 10 hens.

It looks like yo are putting a wooden floor in it. There is some personal preference in this but for the deep litter system I'd suggest using the ground as the coop floor. Put aprons around the outside to stop digging predators. If you do a true deep liter you'll need to keep it damp enough so it will compost. That will rot your floor unless you take steps to protect it. As dry as your area is you can do the dry litter method, just keep it dry and only clean it out when you need to. That's basically what I do and I hardly ever have to clean it out. I do have a lot more room than you will so that might make a difference.

I think I understand what you are trying to do but I also think you are making it more complicated than it has to be. Build a separate storage box as someone suggested. You can put that box in the run section and make your total coop area a true walk-in. I think that will simplify it and make it a lot easier to build and access. I consider your convenience while taking care of them and doing maintenance very important.

 

[cavemanrich]

To transport an 8' x 8' section on a public road will almost certainly require a transportation permit, special escort, kind of expensive. I think you'll want to avoid that. I'd find out what the largest section you can transport in Arizona is and design for that.

Ridgerunner,,, I like your post, as all the other posts I run across by you, You do give well detailed advice.
Just did want to clarify the transportation rules, as I am a transportation expert.
Truck transportation dimensions are 102 inches wide. That is 6 inches wider than 8 feet. 13 feet 6 inches height. Those rules apply equally to individual people hauling their travel trailers, moving trailers, boat trailers, and others, using their pickup or other vehicle. Transporting an 8 x 8 section would not require any permits.
You may have been taking into account the roof overhang. That would make the unit well over 8 feet wide, and my suggestion was to make coop disassemble-able.
With the right kind of trailer, that still would be able to be transported laying on its side. .

 

[Ridgerunner]

Thanks for that correction. It's always good to hear form an expert. After I posted that I thought I should have looked that up before mentioning it. That was carelessness on my part. Thanks again.

 

[jmpk2012]

About the size and general concept - We built one similar last April, and by similar I mean that it's about the same size, has a shed roof, 1/4 enclosed for the hen house, lots of ventilation etc. I attached some pictures of when it was being built - where the ladder is, there is a wooden door now, and there are a lot more large branches and a swing in the run now (our "chicken playground")

We also live in a very hot climate, and have to keep our 8 chickens enclosed 24/7. It has been GREAT so far! All that ventilation has been key for the chickens this summer, the door to the run makes it easy to clean, the hen house is plenty of enclosure when it storms and private enough that they are laying in the nesting boxes. While they roosted in the hen house initially, as it got hotter this summer our chickens have opted to sleep outside on the branches I put in there for them to play on.

Hardware cloth on the run, windows, and as a buried 'skirt' all around the exterior has kept the abundant predators around us at bay so far.

One thing we had to improve upon pretty quickly was adding more shade - we built ours with the narrow ends facing north-south, and in the evenings as the sun is going down (on the side farthest away in the pic) there is a time period where the whole run is in the sun and even with a breeze it feels like you are being baked alive. Originally we thought they would just go into the hen house for shade at that time of day, but we learned quickly that even with all the clerestory windows we have in the hen house it just doesn't get enough air flow to be comfortable at 5pm in the summer. So we added shade cloth and some additional structure for shade. We raised them from chicks and just got our first eggs about a week ago so I guess they are happy

Good luck!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

1.) I like a roof with a steeper pitch. So do the manufacturers of all roofing materials. 3/12 is the minimum recommended pitch for metal ribbed roofing, polycarbonate panels, shingles, etc. Essentially, all common building methods. You can go shallower of course, but your roof won't last as long on average).

2.) Simplify, simplify, simplify. Particularly if you plan to move it. Square frame construction works fine for houses, because it gets structural rigidity from the sheathing nailed to both sides. Without that sheathing (plywood, outside, drywall inside) to stiffen the structure, all those butt joints are very weak, no matter how good you are with a saw, and how many screws/nails you use at the connections. Hardware cloth offers no structural rigidity.

So even if it looks good now - and it does, nice work in SketchUp! - after you've moved it, chances are none of those doors, windows, etc will be plumb and true. Get rid of what doors/windows you can and replace with exterior grade sheathing to stiffen it up some, painted promptly.

3.) Even w/o being fully encased in plywood or heavier materials, an 8x8 section will weigh a significant amount. Give some thought to lag bolting the corners and moving it as flat wall panels, not boxes. California Corner framing is good for that. (3 Stud Corner in this picture)

4.) If you can't do plywood panels, use some boards at a diagonal to provide stiffness/rigidity, secured at each stud. All those triangles you just created will work miracles. Even when transporting prefabs which have a skin to provide stiffness, a few boards at an angle are often used to ensure the building arrives looking more square than rhombus.

5.) Since you are planning a cistern... Have you considered using a smaller roof overhang on the low side, hanging a gutter, and have it feed your barrel? Obviously, if you could source a 10' roofing panel, that would be easiest, just give up almost all the overhang on the low side and you still get nice coverage on the three others. If you are stuck w/ 12' panels, that a not insignificant amount of cutting steel, and the 2x2 panels you are left with aren't nearly as handy as you might assume they would be (Or at least, I've not found them to be so)

 

[EmmaDonovan]

Wow, really great feedback. Thank you! Great info about design and transportation. I think we're putting a higher priority on ventilation ("summer" is ~6 months of the year here) than moveability but we'll be using square-head bolts for sure. My housemate has more experience with woodworking and building than I do so I'm passing on all this information to her.

Any opinions on whether the door to the run should open inward or outward? I had understood that doors to animal enclosures should always open inward to push back any animals near the door, and opening the door outward is inviting the animals to run out, but it seems like the majority of coop doors I've seen open outward.

About the size and general concept - We built one similar last April, and by similar I mean that it's about the same size, has a shed roof, 1/4 enclosed for the hen house, lots of ventilation etc.

I love it. Can I ask what the height is at the front and back of the coop? What is the inside of your hen house like?

How tall are you? With bedding on that floor are you going to be bumping your head.

I'm 6'1" and I agree it needs a higher roof! There's no wooden floor in the run, just dirt, maybe some mulch on top of it. The hen house is where we'll use the hemp deep litter. We plan to line that with vinyl flooring on the floor and sides.

Edit to ask one more question: What are the sets of two side-by-side doors on the side and front of the coop in the first and second picture?

Ventilation. Some of our design ideas come from this Lazy Lab Acres coop:

It's fancier than ours will be but it shows some of the door-within-a-door ventilation, cleaning, feed, and watering ideas that we are trying to copy.

I like a roof with a steeper pitch. [...] Give some thought to lag bolting the corners and moving it as flat wall panels, not boxes. California Corner framing is good for that.

I agree, I'll change the roof pitch. We get microbursts here, I've seen them rip through the yard. They're incredibly violent. We're considering metal braces for the joints and anchors for the entire coop for that reason. I like the idea of collecting rainwater but it's rained about two times here this year so far for just a few minutes each time.

Pretty good sketch up work for not being very familiar with it. I have used sketch up for hundreds of projects and I still get confused by it sometimes.

Number of times Sketchup made me want to throw my computer out the window: 2,784.