I'm going nuts! coop foundation issues and questionable location...How much sun should the coop get?

[KelsT]

Ok So I might have gone a bit overboard .... or maybe not. I also realize I have much to learn. So tell me now if I should change things before I get too far along in the building of the coop/run.

OK so I don't know now if the coop will get enough sun.... We had a friend see it and say that it would not get enough sun and we would have cold frozen chickens. He also said the coop was way to big.... (I think he might be wrong) so I am asking for your opinions!

The coop is 4'x8'


Then the location of the coop... I had thought to put it next to the shop.... seemed easier to get power and there would be some wind protection from the shop. the coop would get afternoon and evening sun but mostly be in the shade during the morning....

I was told the coop needs sunlight in the morning (FULL sun) Is this true? Here is the location I planned on.... is this a bad idea for any reason?

Wind normally comes from towards the camera from the far side of the shop so they corner there is pretty protected from wind.... However it is also in the shade as the run rises over what is the back side of the shop.

Also will chicken coop smell be bad?

I could put the coop over by the garden but that kinda sorta the front yard, and closer to the actual house....


Trying to get the bricks level and siting good is making me nuts and testing my marriage and a friendship at this point lol.





Am I doing this wrong? should I change anything?

 

[tcstoehr]

Your coop needs no sun whatsoever. Full shade all day long is completely acceptable, and much better than full sun all day long. Your chickens will not freeze because of lack of sunshine on the coop.
I placed my coop so that it would get morning sun and afternoon shade. It gets sun til about 2:00 in the afternoon. On warm days it really heats up the coop. I think it would bake if it got the afternoon sun as well.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Your coop needs no sun whatsoever. Full shade all day long is completely acceptable, and much better than full sun all day long. Your chickens will not freeze because of lack of sunshine on the coop.
I placed my coop so that it would get morning sun and afternoon shade. It gets sun til about 2:00 in the afternoon. On warm days it really heats up the coop. I think it would bake if it got the afternoon sun as well.

X 2 - better more shade than more sun, your chickens will not be cold and frozen.
On the issue of size - there is no such thing as "too big" - the more space the better (also leaves room for chicken math to kick in and the flock size to increase w/out causing overcrowding issues, lol).
Smell will depend on your maintenance routine. If your coop is left uncleaned, has a lot of moisture, is overcrowded, etc you will have a stinky mess (and sickly birds)- a well maintained coop that is dry should have no offensive odor to it. When I say maintenance routine I am not talking about investing hours a day - I spend maybe 10 minutes a day on "chores" in our coop (I have my husband convinced it takes hours every weekend - but that's just because I end up spending so much time just being with the darn birds, lol) - this is cleaning the poop boards, checking/filling feed and water, tossing some fresh litter on the floor as needed (I use deep litter method) and doing any here's and there's such as adding some fresh hay to the nest boxes or other things that I notice that need to be done.

 

[tracecom]

If you posted your location, I didn't see it, and it would affect the answers to some of your questions. The one thing that jumps out at me is that the blocks seem to be sitting on the dirt. That is not good building practice. The blocks will not stay level; they will settle when the ground is wet, and if the ground freezes, they will heave.

 

[KelsT]

I live in Kitsap County WA and our temps are around an July average high of 75 we have days that get into the 90s but not for long then the Jan average low is 33 degrees

with about 49 inches of rain a year whoohooo!

Not sure i have anywhere that gets morning sun and afternoon shade with out putting the coop along the woods which would be a bad move as far as predators go....

That and we go the shop every day to feed the cats so collecting eggs would be right there.

 

[KelsT]

If you posted your location, I didn't see it, and it would affect the answers to some of your questions. The one thing that jumps out at me is that the blocks seem to be sitting on the dirt. That is not good building practice. The blocks will not stay level; they will settle when the ground is wet, and if the ground freezes, they will heave.

Kitsap County WA.

Is sand good? Or should I be pouring runners?

I realized I did it all wrong, and that the guy helping me who said he knew what he was doing either didnt want to do a good job or didnt know what he was doing. Planning on starting over basically any suggest thought would be helpful.

 

[tracecom]

Using concrete blocks for a foundation is good construction practice, but they need to be laid on a poured concrete footing. The footing must be below the freeze line, which varies from one latitude to another. I don't know how deep it would have to be in your location; a construction pro would know. Then, the blocks are laid with mortar, but it's not a job for a beginner.

The good news is that you don't have to have a block foundation for a 4' by 8' chicken coop. You can either build the coop on skids and rest the skids on some corner blocks, or you can set some corner posts in the ground, plumb them, and then build the coop on them.

Lots of coops are even less sophisticated than any of these approaches, but I take it you and your husband want something presentable. The shop building in the photos looks good, and a shack for a coop wouldn't fit in. Maybe you need to hire someone to build a coop that matches the shop building. Or maybe you ought to buy a prefab storage shed and convert it to a coop.

Good luck.


ETA: I just looked at your photos again. What about that little shed building to the right of the shop building? Your best bet might be to convert that to a coop, slap a coat of paint on it, put up a secure fence around it, and use it till you decide what you really need.

 

[PapaChaz]

chickens can handle cold, more die from heat than cold. There's absolutely no truth to what your 'friend' said about that or in what was said about the coop being too big.

I agree with the poster above, just build it on skids or stilts (either will need to be pressure treated) and have at it!

 

[KelsT]

Thanks Everyone! I'm Going to pick up some sand and try setting the bricks with the right tools and more patients. Then I will put the coop that is built on skids on top of that. we get a lot of rain so it will be a little better then sitting right on the ground. ... and I have a lot of bricks... Some things sound so easy until you go to do it... Guess this is a very good learning experience!

Just feel better knowing the location isn't a problem! that by it's-self is a relief.

 

[KelsT]

Using concrete blocks for a foundation is good construction practice, but they need to be laid on a poured concrete footing. The footing must be below the freeze line, which varies from one latitude to another. I don't know how deep it would have to be in your location; a construction pro would know. Then, the blocks are laid with mortar, but it's not a job for a beginner.

The good news is that you don't have to have a block foundation for a 4' by 8' chicken coop. You can either build the coop on skids and rest the skids on some corner blocks, or you can set some corner posts in the ground, plumb them, and then build the coop on them.

Lots of coops are even less sophisticated than any of these approaches, but I take it you and your husband want something presentable. The shop building in the photos looks good, and a shack for a coop wouldn't fit in. Maybe you need to hire someone to build a coop that matches the shop building. Or maybe you ought to buy a prefab storage shed and convert it to a coop.

Good luck.


ETA: I just looked at your photos again. What about that little shed building to the right of the shop building? Your best bet might be to convert that to a coop, slap a coat of paint on it, put up a secure fence around it, and use it till you decide what you really need.

It actually was a chicken coop long ago then was turned into a fertilizer shed and one of the walls is shot and chemicals and fertilizer ruined boards. I dont feel its safe for any animals at this point. but its a great gas and tool shed for now.