# Show me your coop!



## jennifer

Thinking of building a new, bigger coop in the spring and I want all the ideas I can get! I want this to be my last coop built for a long long time! Thanks folks!! I am planning on the deep litter method.


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## ten-acre-farms

My coop is a little small and I'm hoping to expand but here you go. It's pretty much just a box with a roost and nesting boxes with a run connected to it. We used fencing boards for the walls to give it A nice look.


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## jennifer

I like that! Looks neat!


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## Bee

8x10 cattle panel hoop coop. Took $205 in materials, a hammer, drill and a sawsall and one woman ten days to build. Sturdy in all weathers, provides excellent ventilation and has expansion capabilities by adding further hoops.










The design makes it incredibly easy to add roosts, nest boxes or other features with just a few adjustments. Roosts are zip tied in, so are easily dismantled and moved to a different place. Many, many places to hang something on the cattle panel grids, so hanging feeders, waterers, etc. is a breeze. This coop can be moved, transported, or easily deconstructed and the materials re-used in the garden, as fencing, etc.


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## TreeWinder




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## jmc0319

jennifer said:


> Thinking of building a new, bigger coop in the spring and I want all the ideas I can get! I want this to be my last coop built for a long long time! Thanks folks!! I am planning on the deep litter method.


Here is mine.


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## L0rZ

jmc0319 said:


> Here is mine.


Do you have the plans for this coop? It's really well done!


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## jmc0319

L0rZ said:


> Do you have the plans for this coop? It's really well done!


Unfortunately I do not. I just had a vision in my head and built it as I went along. I started off thinking I would build what I have seen called the Wichita Coop but modified the heck out of it to make it very secure and easy to clean. Apologies for no plan.


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## jmc0319

jmc0319 said:


> Unfortunately I do not. I just had a vision in my head and built it as I went along. I started off thinking I would build what I have seen called the Wichita Coop but modified the heck out of it to make it very secure and easy to clean. Apologies for no plan.


Here are a couple of more pictures that might help.


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## LittleWings

Nice coops everyone!

Mine has been an ongoing process for 2 years. Started with 1 8'X16' coop and run. How could I need more than that, right? Then 6 months later, I added 3 more. The runs weren't covered at first. Then I added a nipple water system, put a roof on it all and added a grow out pen. It has evolved into 4 breeding pens, a hen pen and a brooder stall so far.
Now I'm adding on a new coop/Feed room/work area. I'm running out of room fast! 

Good luck with your coop. 


Whatever you build, build it bigger than you think you will need it. You know how chicken math is.  
One tip I could give is make sure the roof has a lot of overhang. Keeping the bedding dry is important. Dripping water splashes in the coop.


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## InThePoultryPens

My converted shed didn't buy a thing just stuff I found


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## L0rZ

jmc0319 said:


> Here are a couple of more pictures that might help.


Thanks for the extra pics! Do you have a floor to the coop portion or do you leave it open for easy cleaning?


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## jennifer

Wow! They are all nice! Jmc.. That's exactly what I want! How many birds fit in there and what's the sq footage?


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## jmc0319

jennifer said:


> Wow! They are all nice! Jmc.. That's exactly what I want! How many birds fit in there and what's the sq footage?


Jennifer - I have six birds but calculated that I could probably fit 10-12


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## jmc0319

L0rZ said:


> Thanks for the extra pics! Do you have a floor to the coop portion or do you leave it open for easy cleaning?


Yes there is a linoleum floor on top on treated plywood. The linoleum protects the wood and the birds from the treated wood. In addition to the outside door the inside wall of the coop where the ramp is swings out so I. Can very easily clean it.


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## Bee

That's a pretty small coop space for 6 birds, so I can't imagine fitting 12 birds in that tiny space. What's the total sq. ft of that coop structure(not talking about the attached run, just the built in coop house)?


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## Becky

Here some pics of my new coop before I put the chickens in it. They free range and are happy as larks


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## jmc0319

Bee said:


> That's a pretty small coop space for 6 birds, so I can't imagine fitting 12 birds in that tiny space. What's the total sq. ft of that coop structure(not talking about the attached run, just the built in coop house)?


The coop itself is 50 sq ft. That's around 8 sq ft per bird. The run itself is also around 50 sq ft. Plenty of room. They are very happy when they are not free ranging all day


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## Bee

Huh! It just doesn't look that big in the pics! So it's 5 ft. wide by 10 ft long inside that coop? Optical illusion, then, because it looks about 2 1/2-3 ft. wide and maybe 8 ft. long from the angle of that pic.


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## jmc0319

Bee said:


> Huh! It just doesn't look that big in the pics! So it's 5 ft. wide by 10 ft long inside that coop? Optical illusion, then, because it looks about 2 1/2-3 ft. wide and maybe 8 ft. long from the angle of that pic.


Yes that's right. What is your opinion on how much space you should have per hen?


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## Bee

If the coop is 3 x 8, you are looking at 24 sq ft of floor space, if the nest boxes are outside and roosts are not in a ladder formation...which gives 4 ft. per bird in a flock of 6.

If you free range all year long you have a little, but not much, leeway...particularly if you live where it snows and they cannot get out. Your run is covered, so they will still have some leg room and that's a good feature. For the most part, though, one has to figure how many birds are in the coop when they cannot get out of it...times when they have to be cooped in an emergency, they opt to stay in due to cold weather, etc. 

All the books say 4 sq. ft. per bird and that's adequate, but more is optimal. Then one has to figure how much room has been taken up by equipment and structures such as nest boxes, feeders, waterers, etc. that decrease total floor space. 

One also has to calculate how much humidity those birds create at night when they are crowded onto roosts, particularly in the summer months but even more problematic in the winter months~high humidity is the chicken's enemy. Good ventilation is imperative in smaller coops, but often one will see people closing off the ventilation in smaller coops for fear of creating a draft on their birds when just the opposite is needed..the smaller the coop, the more ventilation is necessary. 

For a 3x8 ft. coop with a covered and attached run like yours, I'd think 6-8 birds would be all it could handle without running into problems down the road. Many people try to pack in more but soon you'll hear of bullying, feather picking, killing of younger birds or new birds introduced into the flock, etc. All those can be resolved with the proper stocking rate to available space. 

If you free range all the time and the run is merely for emergency holding of the flock, then you can stock a few more than your 6 and get by with it but roost space becomes a problem, with at least 18 in. per bird being needed for comfort in getting up and down, sorting out pecking orders, keeping cool in the summer, etc.

I have an 8x10 coop with bar roosting and outside access nesting boxes up off the floor, so most of my floor space is still available. I free range at all times but do not have a covered run or any type of run, so in deep snow they will spend time in the coop. I can stock 20 birds according to the books but I never have more than 14 in that space on a permanent basis and find that even that is stretching it for winter months, so I'm usually at 12 by snow fly. Last year I was at 10 and this year I'll be around 11 for winter months. That gives me 7 sq. ft. of space per bird on days they stay inside, which are few but still enough to warrant stocking lightly in a coop this size.


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## jmc0319

Based on the many books and forums I've read before building the coop, I have more than adequate space and ventilation you can not see it from the picture but I have lots of ventilation all around the coop. Also I am in Georgia so snow is not a problem. They will be free ranging every day all year long


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## rob

wow i just love that half round coop.


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## Bee

That's great! You'll see how they handle your coop as time goes along and in your climate. Free ranging is the best option for space to grow and socialize, so that definitely gives you a one up.


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## jmc0319

Bee said:


> That's great! You'll see how they handle your coop as time goes along and in your climate. Free ranging is the best option for space to grow and socialize, so that definitely gives you a one up.


Agreed and thanks for all your knowledge.


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## jennifer

The hoops are neat, how big are they actually? I'm going to google and see about those!


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## jennifer

Becky said:


> Here some pics of my new coop before I put the chickens in it. They free range and are happy as larks


Wow! That's really nice! Looks expensive too.. I can't spend a fortune on them( not like I haven't) lol


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## Bee

jennifer said:


> The hoops are neat, how big are they actually? I'm going to google and see about those!


They are normally 4x15 and have amazing tensile strength..are usually used for fencing for cattle and hogs. Here's a few pics of the build to give you an idea of how they look before they are covered with tarps...

Laid out in preparation of nailing onto the framework:










Framed up...










Building frames for the outside access nest boxes....










First layer of plastic on the roof...I placed this so that if I got wind sheering on my tarp, it would not leak from it...it also keeps the tarp from rubbing against the spines of this coop and causing excess wear there.










Finally finished....










And all these materials fit in the truck on the way home...from a few sticks and hoops to a neato chicken house in ten days.


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## jennifer

I really like the hoop coop bee!


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## Becky

jennifer said:


> Wow! That's really nice! Looks expensive too.. I can't spend a fortune on them( not like I haven't) lol


It is pretty nice. Had to cash out some vacation hours I had it custom built and currently have over 70 chickens that roost in there at night. The neatest thing is the automatic door! Love it!


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## jennifer

Automatic door? Wow! Now that would be sweet!


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## jmc0319

Becky said:


> It is pretty nice. Had to cash out some vacation hours I had it custom built and currently have over 70 chickens that roost in there at night. The neatest thing is the automatic door! Love it!


How large is your coop ?


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## Becky

jmc0319 said:


> How large is your coop ?


It's 8x12 for egg laying and roosting only. They are outside the rest of the time. I had 55 pullets that were in a layer house given to me. Ordinarily I wouldn't have that many chickens. The new ones were so skittish at first but they are getting more friendly. It was neat watching them explore the great outdoor that they had never even saw before. They will start laying soon so the kids will have some egg money hopefully.


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## Becky

jennifer said:


> Automatic door? Wow! Now that would be sweet!


It's so neat not to have to rush home to lock them up and they all go in at night without a problem


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## jmc0319

Becky said:


> It's 8x12 for egg laying and roosting only. They are outside the rest of the time. I had 55 pullets that were in a layer house given to me. Ordinarily I wouldn't have that many chickens. The new ones were so skittish at first but they are getting more friendly. It was neat watching them explore the great outdoor that they had never even saw before. They will start laying soon so the kids will have some egg money hopefully.


It's a very nice coop. Isn't it a bit small for 70 hens?


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## Becky

jmc0319 said:


> It's a very nice coop. Isn't it a bit small for 70 hens?


There are enough roosting poles for those who want them. That is the only time they are all in the coop. About half of the layer chickens that were given to me choose to nest on the ground leaving open roosting spots,


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## rgraham13

I went a bit out of control, but turned an old shed into a coop. We live in Colorado and decided to insulate it pretty well and put up a wind/snow break in the form of a privacy fence. I have 18 hens, but could house quite a few more. We are on 5 acres and I let them roam when we are home.


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## kessy09

Becky said:


> There are enough roosting poles for those who want them. That is the only time they are all in the coop. About half of the layer chickens that were given to me choose to nest on the ground leaving open roosting spots,


Very nice coop. Whereabouts are you for winter purposes? I wish we were lucky enough to have grass year round!


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## Becky

kessy09 said:


> Very nice coop. Whereabouts are you for winter purposes? I wish we were lucky enough to have grass year round!


In Missouri. Weather can be a bit unpredictable. We have a large amount of wooded area and open grass and they love to dig under the cedar trees. We will be butchering quite a few roosters in a few weeks- thank goodness


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## jbond07

Bee, how many chickens do you put in the cattle panel coops and how did you make/attach the doors on the plastic bins? I'd really love to try something like this!


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## jennifer

rgraham13 said:


> I went a bit out of control, but turned an old shed into a coop. We live in Colorado and decided to insulate it pretty well and put up a wind/snow break in the form of a privacy fence. I have 18 hens, but could house quite a few more. We are on 5 acres and I let them roam when we are home.


Wow that's so pretty!!!!!!


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## crackedegg

here is my 10 x10 coop for my eight girls!


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## Nathen

This is the coop me and my daughters are building out of recycled wood skids.


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## CharlieEcho

*Very nice;*

Looking good. Don't step on any nails or get any splinters!


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## soratosjc

We built this out of mostly recycled materials. Except the plywood. It is constantly changing and morphing to better fit our needs. We plan to increase the size of the coop by extending the box over the enclosed run. They free range all day and are only in their coop at night.


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## Cooped

Becky said:


> Here some pics of my new coop before I put the chickens in it. They free range and are happy as larks


Becky, is your puppy an Akita?


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