Hi all! I am in the final stretch of finishing a home for my x7 five ish week old chicks who are currently living in a brooder in my house in Portland Maine (6A). I am a first time ever chicken keeper, any and all advice and criticism is appreciated and will be well taken.
I am building a 8ft x 16ft run, and I purchased a coop locally last year that never got used. In retrospect, I should have just built it myself for more customization, but for now I think I can make it work. I also plan on letting them free range frequently.
So here are my basic plans so far. The run will be fully covered with half inch 19 gauge hardware cloth. It also has an apron on the outside, and will have rocks on top of that. There will be an angled metal roof which will eventually collect rain water for the birds. I will attach the coop to the side of the run. The bottom of the coop will be open from the run, and that is where their food and water will be (except the winter, I will have to have some in the coop as well). Although the run is covered, I figure under the coop will still be the driest, and feel the safest for the girls to eat and drink. Eventually there will be DIY PVC pipes with water pump circulated water from the rain barrels with poultry nipples. There will also be the DIY 4 inch PVC feeders which are also frequently seen online. Until then, just traditional feeders/waterers. I will have a dust bath, apple cider vin in the water, grit, and oyster shells accessible when they start laying.
At first I am thinking I will keep the grass in the run, and let the girls forge until it is bare, at which point I will cover it with several inches of wood chips. I was thinking I would do linoleum tiles in the coop, and do several inches of flake pine chips for the deep litter method.
I think my biggest question or concern is the ventilation in the coop and if I need insulation or anything? My current plan is to turn the small window on the left into the door, which will have am omlet auto door. I know it is all an enclosed system, but I figure it will just be a little extra protection when they are roosting. The coop is roughly 5x3.5 (not including any nesting space), which is tight for 7 chickens I hear, but I am thinking that with the large run, and their ability to free range at times, it will be OK, and it will help the keep warm in the cold winters. I definitely need to add more ventilation. I was thinking maybe two or three vents 12x12 siding vents as close to the roof as possible to create some cross air? But to not create draft where they will be roosting.
I have provided pictures as reference. With all of this said, I would love any insight if people think I am on the right track, or if there is anything I should maybe reconsider? Thanks very much all!
I am building a 8ft x 16ft run, and I purchased a coop locally last year that never got used. In retrospect, I should have just built it myself for more customization, but for now I think I can make it work. I also plan on letting them free range frequently.
So here are my basic plans so far. The run will be fully covered with half inch 19 gauge hardware cloth. It also has an apron on the outside, and will have rocks on top of that. There will be an angled metal roof which will eventually collect rain water for the birds. I will attach the coop to the side of the run. The bottom of the coop will be open from the run, and that is where their food and water will be (except the winter, I will have to have some in the coop as well). Although the run is covered, I figure under the coop will still be the driest, and feel the safest for the girls to eat and drink. Eventually there will be DIY PVC pipes with water pump circulated water from the rain barrels with poultry nipples. There will also be the DIY 4 inch PVC feeders which are also frequently seen online. Until then, just traditional feeders/waterers. I will have a dust bath, apple cider vin in the water, grit, and oyster shells accessible when they start laying.
At first I am thinking I will keep the grass in the run, and let the girls forge until it is bare, at which point I will cover it with several inches of wood chips. I was thinking I would do linoleum tiles in the coop, and do several inches of flake pine chips for the deep litter method.
I think my biggest question or concern is the ventilation in the coop and if I need insulation or anything? My current plan is to turn the small window on the left into the door, which will have am omlet auto door. I know it is all an enclosed system, but I figure it will just be a little extra protection when they are roosting. The coop is roughly 5x3.5 (not including any nesting space), which is tight for 7 chickens I hear, but I am thinking that with the large run, and their ability to free range at times, it will be OK, and it will help the keep warm in the cold winters. I definitely need to add more ventilation. I was thinking maybe two or three vents 12x12 siding vents as close to the roof as possible to create some cross air? But to not create draft where they will be roosting.
I have provided pictures as reference. With all of this said, I would love any insight if people think I am on the right track, or if there is anything I should maybe reconsider? Thanks very much all!
