Starting my FIRST flock! Coop design musts?!

[IdyllwildAcres]

Technically I don't live within the town's limits as I'm on a rural route but I have neighbours. I don't trust my hens wondering in their yards more so than the neighbours coming onto my yard. As for the rooster it was mainly for chick production so I could have my hens have chicks instead of having to purchase new ones ever few years.

And can you explain the ventilation a tad bit more?

1 sq foot of venting per bird. More is better. Search here for woods coop for ideas.

Go big, you will regret it later if you start too small.

My coop, linked to left is wide open on one wall, big gable vents and 3 opening windows.

Welcome to byc

Gary

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

This is the kind of coop I was thinking, but I'm still in the designing process

Cute. Too small

Search here for Wichita cabin coop.

Gary

 

[Conan]

Welcome to the wonderful world of chickens!

https://media.giphy.com/media/KvYbMYaOpBKne/giphy.gif

 

[DaviJones]

1.) Do nesting boxes count towards the square footage in a coop? I was thinking about doing a 4×6 coop with a 4×1 nesting box lineup. I wasn' sure if this coop could hold just the 6 hens or if the nesting boxes would give me the needed space for the rooster as well as I'm not sure if I'm getting one or not.
The nesting boxes take away from the square footage. For example, a 24 Sq ft coop with 4 Sq ft of nesting box is actually a 20 Sq ft coop. Feeders and Waterer also take away space which is why I has PVC pipe ones that hang (highly recommend High End Hen/Rugged Ranch dispenser, worked so nicely for me, a bit pricey though) Try to over estimate in Sq footage if you can, keeps fights down and leaves room for "impulse buys"(I bought two more chicks when I went back to the feed store for some supply)

2.) How high off the ground should my coop be? I've seen anywhere between 2'-3' but I wasn't sure what was recommended most.
Depends. You can just have it on the ground if you want to do deep litter or such. It might get a bit colder though because of the whole heat rises thing or you might need to take some precautions for predators that can dig. If you want it off the ground to have a run under it than either should be fine. I did 2 and a half feet because the tallest rooster was 26 in, and hens are generally smaller giving them plenty room, but I doubt they'll complain if given three. Just keep cleaning in mind.
3.) So my chickens won't be able to free range unless I am outside with them as I don't trust my neighbours so I was curious I'd the 10 square foot per chicken was still the minimum for the run.
Yeah it is, I've heard some people say 15-20, maybe overestimate a bit. Just in case.
4.) To help maximize my space I was thinking of planting an herb garden atop of my chicken run, so I was curious what height my run should be and if I should just avoid this all together.
No it's a great idea! Only thing I'd be worried about is the chickens eating the herbs before (it's fine for them to eat most herbs, I'm just assuming you'd prefer to eat them!) Maybe enclose the herb garden with chicken wire to keep them out. And while on the topic of chicken wire, use hardware cloth for everything else on the coop and run, it is much more predator proof.
5.) So starting my flock I was thinking of getting Barred Rocks, Buff Orpingtons, and/or Black Austrolorps but I wasn't sure if these were beginner friendly birds. I see a lot of Sussex in my local farm supply stores so I wasn't sure if those would work better for me.
I can't say I really believe in beginner birds, but most people would qualify those as such. I'd recommend choosing birds on climate instead, where do you live I can recommend some! In all honestly, don't sell yourself short, and get some intereating birds! (I'll go more in depth and recommend some in my next post with your location in mind)
6.) How often should I add new chicks to my flock to maintain egg production? I was thinking about getting chicks every three years or so and build a second smaller coop attached to the same run
Egg production usually drops off slowy after the second year, but three years is fine as well. As for the second coop, I've heard it can cause integration problems and bullying in the chickens, I would recommend making your coop larger in the first place or expanding the one coop.
7.) In relations to the coops door should the nesting boxes be on a side wall instead of across?
I don't know on this one, hoping for advice myself

 

[Peter.J]

You sounded like you’re getting regular sized hens and then a bantam rooster; why a bantam rooster? I would recommend getting a full size cockerel to grow up with his hens. They are great protectors, fun to watch and listen to, and you will have fertile eggs if you ever want to incubate any. A bantam rooster won’t be much protection and may or may not fertilize eggs. Some folks like bantam chickens but i just don’t see the point myself. Maybe for yard art but not for much else...

 

[DaviJones]

Oh and I forgot to ask what do you want the chickens for? It helps in selecting a breed.

Also you seem to be thinking of a bantam rooster, I just wanted to say it doesn't reduce noise if that's what you were thinking. I wish it did, I would have had one

 

[Conan]

Definitely agree with other posters on this one - go big. It will save you time and money in the future and offer a lot more versatility for your birds. I live in a rural area and my naughty chickens love my neighbor's horse field... turds were over there all the time. Luckily, my neighbors are the nicest people in the world and just loved having them around though they did worry about the horse stomping them. Glad that never happened.

Where are you located? That could help you determine what types of chickens would be best for you though I'm certain I've never heard anyone speak poorly about Orps. I honestly just love Easter Eggers - lovely egg colors and just a fun breed in general.

I have a bantam Cochin rooster and he is a doll (photo attached of Marilyn Manson) though I agree with Peter J that they are not exactly capable of much protection, though he does try Also, my boy is pretty quiet, contrary to what many have said. Maybe he is just extra special.

My Mottled Cochin Bantams lay tons of beautiful adorable little pale brown eggs. They love hatching out babies as well. If you do decide to hatch out babies on a small scale, a broody hen is a great way to go! She will do all the work for you.

I love the idea of a little herb/salad bar set up for your girls (and yourselves). Maybe consider raised planters around the run? Whatever you do decide, we all love photos when the time comes!

Egg production really depends on your breeds. I have a Welsummer in her fifth year and she is laying three eggs a week in the middle of Winter! My Cochin Bantam is laying five days a week in her third year. My birds are free range and only in the coop to sleep so they end up not eating much feed, oddly enough.

Wow, I've rambled on. Enough for now. Best wishes and enjoy!

 

[lazy gardener]

If you get a bantam cockerel and full sized hens, your successive generations are going to produce smaller birds, thus smaller eggs. Is that what you really want?

I would build a walk in coop AND a walk in run. If you build a smurf sized coop and run, you will regret it every single time you work with it. Either build your coop, or hire someone to build it, or buy a shed and turn it into a coop. Pre fab coops are poorly constructed, falsely advertised, and not designed to meet the needs of the chicken OR the owner.

No matter what your climate, key to good poultry health is plenty of room in the coop AND good ventilation. YEAR ROUND ventilation, no matter what the temperature is. My winter temps go down to 20 below 0, and I still must have ventilation open. Poor ventilation results in birds with frost bite, or illness, or both.

I would not put a herb garden on top of your run or coop, but you could certainly put one around the run. something to consider: if you plant herbs or veggies around your coop/run, you should not plan on eating any uncooked vegetation from that area. Chickens poop a lot, they stir up a lot of dust, and create a lot of dander. In the process, any vegetation near them will be at risk of fecal contamination, even air born fecal dust contamination.

 

[Hopperkiller]

This is the kind of coop I was thinking, but I'm still in the designing process

That could work but you will find you cannot have enough run for chickens that cant range very often. If you duoble the lenth of that run or even on the wichita style if could make them more comfortable. I wouldnt have over six in that size. I am planning on expanding my run for my 6. I have 100 square feet of run and nearly that in coop floor and find its still w little tight for my tastes.

 

[K813ZRA]

Okay so I am just going to touch base on the ones that I have experience with. Firstly, I have a few different breeds of chickens and three flocks that seem to keep to themselves even though they free range.

Anyway, looking at the size of the run and as it relates to some of the breeds you mention. My largest flock is 18 Buff Orpingtons that are going on three years old. These birds are friendly and docile not only with humans but my other birds but with a caveat. That caveat is that they are large birds, even from hatcheries and as such they seem to require more space per bird in the in coop but more so in the run. My covered run is 16sf per bird and before I started free ranging they would pick each other bald! I started giving them more space and this problem stopped immediately. Now, this could just be my birds but if 16 sf per bird was not enough I could not imagine 10!

I can not comment on how my other breeds act in regards to this as they have always been free range and never restricted as they are younger birds and I have since decided to free range all birds.

Speaking of runs, I have a few suggestions. Covering the run, read roof, is a must imo as it helps keep weather out and chickens happy. Removable side panels to keep rain and snow out in early season is nice as well because it stops the run from getting so muddy if you do not have a substrate floor such as gravel/sand which is an even better route, again imo. The side panels are also nice as a windbreak in poor weather. None of this is needed but it is nice.

Nest boxes, well, I don't give them much thought as my chickens lay wherever they want and that does seem to change. It is like they get irritated that I am taking their eggs and the move them. Always within the coop but not always in the nest box...lol. Oh and as for where to put them, simply wherever it is easy for you to get to them! If it is hard to get to the eggs it becomes more of a chore than a fun morning/afternoon task!

How high off the ground? Well, if it is not going to be a walk in coop I would say about knee high at floor level. Or wherever is comfortable for you to slide a shovel or drag a rake. Made that mistake and my first was 4' high, terrible for your back to reach up to shovel/rake! Above all else think about ease of cleaning!

As for how often to add new chicks. For me, every season. That is if you want consistent eggs throughout the winter. Pullets lay very, very well in the winter their first season but not so much the second or at least they have not for me. They do still lay but it is sporadic, in my experience which I openly admit is limited.

As for the breads you mention, I have and love them all! Barred rocks have a lot of character, are super people friendly and are very curious. Plus they are great layers! Opringtons are very gentle but a little cautious of new things. Okay layers but not great. Australorps fall somewhere in the middle. Again, these are just my birds I don't know about the breeds in general. Mine all come from Cackle or TSC (no idea where they get them) for what that is worth.

Other breeds that I have are easter eggers, RIR's and OEGB and I love them all as well. The RIR's are a bit bossy with other chickens though! The EE's are very curious and mischievous but friendly and lay pretty eggs.

Right so that is a bit out of order and just some random thoughts based on my own experience over the past 3 years. Hope it is of some help.