Coop and chicken house ideas

[tlck9]

HI All

I am very lucky that my OH is going to make me a new chicken house. The ark, well (a waste of £220!!!!) really as it doesnt really do what I need and was much too small - than the advertised 6-8 coup i expected

Anyway, can I have your ideas, your comments and your expertise - not asking much am i!!!

I want a coup that will fit my 4 current birds and potentially another 2/3 - full size hens (not silkies or bantams)

I have attached a design I thought may work:





I'm keen to avoid felt roofing, due to red mite (dont want that again unless I can help it)

Any ideas on internal comforts etc would also be appreciated

I've searched some of the posts and there are lots of good ideas, but i'm keen to know the ins and outs, the pros and cons

Thanks in advance

[Eco-Chic]

Does that roof lift off for cleaning?

Can you pop it up on stilts?

Those two points are to make it easier on you.

A nice perch for the chooks in the coop seems to be all mine require (plus a bit of shavings to kick over the poops on the newspaper - vair clean my gels)

Some run to scratch around in until you can let them out to play?

[lettucegrow!]

I'm going to convert a small shed for my next coop-I wish I'd done that first but thought it better to buy purpose built as I knew nothing of hen keeping. I'm sure it's cheaper and they really only need a cosy space to cuddle up and somewhere to get out of the rain and there'd be loads of room for new hennies to move in!!

[Snadger]

My view is that to house up to 7 birds you would need to be looking at something about twice the size of the coop thats pictured at least!

[MaureenHall]

Having bought my first coop at the beginning of last year that now needs loads of repairs and renovations, I wouldn't buy another. I've got a shed made from spare shed panels (B&Q clearance at £10 a pallet load) and another shed, again special offer from B&Q, I'd recommend converting a shed every time. Just add perches and somewhere for the girls to lay their eggs and it's done. The first shed has 12' of perch space plus 4 nest boxes and 16 girls insist on sleeping in there every night, the other has 8' of perch space and the 2 Welsummer girls have taken it over as their own

[Hans Mum]

i converted DD's old wendy house and as Mo says its a much better size and much cheaper!!

[Suechooks]

I used Bramble Poultry's plans and built a little broody/isolation hut from that. Mike posted the plans for 3 coops on here a few weeks ago. Worth having a look and trying to get OH to adapt for what you need.

[RedThorn]

I got a shed off freecycle with no roof or floor, broke it down to the individual boards, knocked together a frame on legs, and used the boards to make the coop sides. Some broken down pallets to make the floor and the roof. Laid down click clack on the inside to seal the floor. Shed door became part of the one wall so opens up nicely for cleaning. Make it even bigger if possible, as the house becomes a rainshelter too.( plus gives you room for even more girls )

[RichmondHens]

You don't say what the dimensions are but it looks like it would sleep 6 ok. For night time roosting they don't need much space, just enough for them all to sit on the perch. Beware of boarded and lined houses - this creates a layer for red mite to live in too. Houses should be single skin where possible, made of marine or exterior grade ply thus creating as few joints as possible for critters to live in. Think of a box, made of ply, with a flat roof hinged one side for easy access, slightly slanting and overlapping to allow rain to drip off, and on legs of 8 or more inches long to prevent rats hiding underneath. Internally, either a couple of perches, or lift out slats that sit a few inches above floor level so they roost on the slats and the droppings all fall through. Nest box can be externally attached with a small pop hole leading to/from the inside of the house. Also with hinged roof for easy access to eggs. This design also allows for the blocking off of the nest box at night if you have any hens that persistently try and sleep in the nest box (although mine just get a rude shove back through into the main house!!).

[Glutton4...]

The coop you have pictured is the same as mine. It's very flimsy, and has started to disintegrate despite not being a year old yet!

The roosting bars are lower than the nest-boxes, so the hens sleep in the nest-boxes, which has been a hard habit to break. The only plus side is the slide-out floor which makes it easy to clean, and mine has a large door in the rear too.

I was told by a chook-keeping friend to get a shed and convert it, but I wanted a proper coop. I now have a shed! I keep the little coop 'just in case'

[tlck9]

we've found a similar style but the thought is that (as suggested) on stilts so the chucks can go under.....they will have access to the 8ft x 8ft run as well
until I can get the fences a bit higher

The OH is a cabinet maker, so hopefully this one will last better than the ark...although the ark is still good, its fiddly to clean the corners etc

[tlck9]

one of mine using the nest box to sleep in, at the moment there is no way to avoid this, but hopefully the new coup will be better.

I thought about a shed, and it does sound the best way to go, but he has got the wood, so I will leave it with him

[Hilary B]

As long as they have a perch, a roof and a nestbox, the outside space is far more important than the house. Mine often didn't have any kind of door on their (shed sized) house, and a 'walk-in size' doorway, but facing towards a fence or wall. Perch at 9" from house floor, with removable over-floor (lino is great) for ease of cleaning. Nest box was a wooden box with the open side towards the back wall (picked it up to get eggs out).

[Chippy & Ro]

We bought a coop the same as this one off E Bay. It would seem they're made in China and not to a very high standard. We would advise you to use longer and stronger screws if you do get one like this, and to give it several coats of a wood preservative on the outside. We got ours from Wilkinsons, they seem to have the least expensive paint. We also raised ours up by 2 ft and made the panels under the house removeable, this makes it easier to move it to another peice of grass, lastly we made a run 13ft long by 4 ft wide and 4 ft high, the opposite end to the coop was covered with 9mm WBP ply this is ideal for keeping the feeder, water and grit dry, it also gived the chooks some shade from the winds........This was our first adventure into chicken keeping....the second involved me making a coop to our own design with a bigger run.
We now have 12 chooks, 6 in each coop, and are anxiously waiting for our first egg.....Good luck and we hope you have as much fun with your hens as we do.

[raine]

How do you fit the nest box on? My coop hasn't got one so I thought I'd build one! Trouble is I have no idea how to attach it.