Coop/Run for 25-30 Chickens

[joeschmeau]

Ok, I'm about ready to build a coop and run for a bunch of hens. I've put a lot of thought into this, and I think I'm going to go with the following features. Please say something if I'm about to do something really stupid!

Coop: 12' x 12', basically like a wooden shed. I have a large concrete pad that I'm planning to use for the floor. Originally I was planning on a "shed roof," but I'm starting to wonder if that will work on something this big. Any advice? This should give me about 5 sq. ft. per bird.

Run: I have the room for them to free range, but we have a pretty good predation problem from what the neighbors up and down the road tell me, so I'm going to fence in an area that's about 4000 sq. ft. That's about 130 sq. ft. per bird. Is that big enough to keep the place from looking like a moonscape? Should I divide it in half and rotate them?

I've been filling up a spreadsheet with estimates, and I think I can do the entire thing, fencing and coop for about $1500. This seems like a lot of money, and it's going to take me years of selling eggs to recover my investment. Any ideas on how to save money? I haven't seen any salvage wood on Craigslist for a long time.

My other big concern is the roof. I would really appreciate any advice on how to handle the roof on a 12x12 building.

Thanks for your advice?

 

[suzeqf]

i have 30 chicks and my hubby is in the process of building a 16 x 8 coop at at first he was going to put a shed roof on it but decided to make a put a regular roof on instead he said that way it we got a lot of snow or ice it would bear the weight better and when he gets done we will prob have $500 in it he's made it out of pressure treated lumber and some scrap lumber my uncle and bil had. our run won't be near but will be big but will be big enough for them to have plenty of room the scratch around in and with hay fields on 3 sides it's better to keep them confined to a smaller area as for critters we have coons and possums but i've going to did a critter ditch around the run and coop and fill it with all sorts of nasties and then plant hostas around the coop once those things get established it's really hard for anything to dig thru them

 

[harrisville chicken]

I'm happy with the corrugated deck roofing I have on my coop. Cheap and easy to install. Look at my BYC page for photos. The roofing is nailed on top of plywood. It faces south and the snow melts off rather quickly when the sun comes out.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

You have pretty much what I have in terms of space and chickens...

You will have a moonscape, but it might take a little time. I tried the "fence and cross-fence" activity, in order to preserve the grass.

It turned into a moonscape anyway, and they missed the running space. So I removed all extra fencing. Now I simply take yard scissors and a pie plate out with me every day or two and cut them heaps of grass clippings 2-3 inches in length (to prevent impacted crop from the grass balling up in the crop, being too long).

I pull up clover, too, and give them my lawnmower clippings on occasion, but I have to rake them up.

They are perfectly happy, as they get their greens.

Make sure you give them hiding places from aerial predators (such as pallets elevated on concrete blocks, pallets leaning against log piles, etc.).

One person (unfortunately she deleted her pics) made raised beds for her chickens and covered the top with plastic chicken wire, so the grass comes up but the chickens can't scratch the ground. They eat the grass coming up through the fencing.

 

[calista]

Quote:
We went with the Silveira set-up described here:

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles/silveira44a.html

Looks like you've given this plenty of thought. Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[catsmithpuddin]

great link cal.

 

[erahh]

i am hoping someone can help me im doing a school project and i need to plan a coop for atleast 150 head of chicken and i have no idea what to put my dimensions as someone hellpppp!!

 

[bburn]

Quote:
We went with the Silveira set-up described here:

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles/silveira44a.html

Looks like you've given this plenty of thought. Good luck and keep us posted!

Outstanding link!! If we get to do what I want and build on 12 acres that my DH has had for years I will seriously foist this plan on him! What a great idea.

 

[calista]

Thanks and here's someone who wrote about building the Silveira setup:

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/geno0704.html

(Eventually I will get around to taking pictures of mine and posting them...)

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote:
You can make your own thread and you will hopefully get more responses.

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