Everything you need to know about chicken coops

You’ve got chicks in the brooder and the time is ticking away that need a coop. If you are like me, you have stressed about what kind of coop you need and worried that you are going to forget something important. After hours of hyper fixation I’ve read so many different blogs, books and chicken group posts. Here is my advice:

Don’t over think it. Your chickens require somewhere to be away from weather and protected from predators. It’s that simple. The rest of it is icing on the cake. Never the less, lets talk icing

Prefab Coops vs Building a Coop

Those adorable coops at the farm store or definitely something I looked at. I poured a lot of time looking at several websites and comparing the different features of them. I had several picked outed and thought it was the way to go. Then I discussed it with a friend. She basically convinced me that I would regret it and would designing and building a coop of my own in a couple years.

1) They are small. The coops usually suggest that they will fit several birds, but in reality, they aren’t comfortable being squished together. The models that have a run attached are not nearly efficient for full time enclosed chickens.

2) Because they are small, they are a pain to clean out, and to collect eggs.

3) The materials are cheap in comparison to building with lumber and quality material, so they are going to wear down and fall apart faster. Also because of the cheap materials there will be more leaks and drafts requiring repair.

Ultimately I decided to purchase plans and build a coop from scratch. I am very fortunate to have family members with a lot of construction experience who built the coop and run with all of my modifications and requirements. Since building the coop I would not consider the pre fab coops, especially how expensive they are.

My Coop

I bought the plans for my coop from this Etsy Shop. I designed the run to fit into the space, and I made some modifications to the plans like making the front door a dutch door, using shuttered windows instead of vinyl and using only 3 of the 5 nesting boxes, blocking of two as a storage space. This coop is for approx 12 chickens. These plans were beautiful and easy easy to execute. I highly recommend them for a small backyard flock.

Coop Size

Two factors will determine coops size: how many chickens you have and if they will free range outside of the coop/run or if they will be contained at all times. Free Ranging Birds will require 4 sq feet of coop space and 8 sq feet of run space per chicken Full Time Run Chickens will require 4 sq feet of coop space and 10 sq feet of run space per chicken When designing the coop inside, provide 1 linear foot of roost per chicken

Bedding

Your ladies will sleep on the roosts, so bedding isn't so much for sleeping in as it is there to absorb moisutre from their droppings. We prefer to use the deep litter method for the inside of our coop meaning for 6 months we just turn the bedding over and add more shavings to create a new layer. We do this once a week. In the spring and in the fall we scoop out all of the bedding to add to our compost, thoroughly clean the coop and lay out new shavings. There are several bedding options including pellets, straw, coffee grounds, shredded paper, dry mulch and pine shavings - avoid cedar shavings.

Nesting Boxes

Most flocks will lay their eggs together, meaning they all like to use the same boxes. We suggest providing half the number of nesting boxes as you have chickens. There are many options for bedding in your nesting box. From coir flakes, to washable turf. We like to use straw so they can push it around and make the nest they like to lay in. Make sure your nesting boxes are easily accessible for egg collection,

Accessibility

If you don't want your chicken chores to be a dragging experience, make sure your coop is easily accessible for cleaning. Either make the coop tall enough to walk in to or have it raised off the ground. The doorway should be large enough to easily shovel and scoop out the soiled bedding into a wheelbarrow or garden cart.

Ventilation

Chickens are especially prone to respiratory issues, so you want to make sure that you coop is well managed for dust and moisture. Some coop designs include a cupola with vents on the top of the coop, this is to collect moisture away from the roosting chickens. While you do want ventilation, you don't want drafts. The lower area of the coop where the roosts and nesting boxes are you want to be air tight, put the vents along the roofline. Cover the inside of the vents with hardware cloth for security. Place closable vents on either side to allow cross breeze in hot weather. Windows will also help in hot weather

Safety

Chickens are prey for many night creatures like opossum, fox, raccoon, weasels, skunks, rodents, snakes, etc. Make sure there are no points of entry (even small holes) into the coop at night. Any hole that can't be closed up securely with a door should be covered with hardware cloth. Chicken Wire is designed to keep chickens contained but won't keep predators out. Always use hardware cloth. We recommend laying a foundation of hardware cloth under your run and 12 inches around the coop/run structure to prevent digging. Daytime predators like coyotes, domestic dogs and cats and birds of prey, etc should also be taken into consideration. If day predators are a risk to your chickens, provide them a safe enclosure with a roof. This is called a run, and should be open air walls covered with hardware cloth.

Make it Last

If you are going to invest in building a coop, make it worth the investment and protect it from weather. Paint with house paint, not only the outside, but the entire inside to create an easily clean structure that won't rot with water. Consider using linoleum flooring, being sure to caulk the edges This makes for a very easy cleanup. Use water proof caulk for every single crack and joint on the entire structure.

Heat in Winter

Chickens will naturally insulate them selves for the cold nights. They huddle together and sit on their feet when roosting. If your night time temp goes below freezing temps you might want to consider a small head source option, although many don't . If you choose to provide a heat source use a mountable radiant heat plate that can be securly mounted to the wall near the roosts. DO NOT use heat lamps in the coop.

You might want to use heated water options to keep water fluid. Do not keep water inside the coop in any weather. Water should be available in the run.

The Run

Even if you plan to allow your chickens to free range, a run is an important structure to allow them to have a safe, enclosed space outside of the coop. It needs to stay dry, have a supply of food and water. In the winter the sides might be covered to prevent wind and snow. Construction sand creates an easy to clean, well drained floor.

I did an entire post about the construction sand in the run you can read about it here.

As always I made a printable for you with all of this information! Click on the pic below to get the printable PDF.

Happy Building!