# my new ! / first coop ever



## morgan320i (Jun 28, 2014)

so my wife and I are new to Georgia and having room, we have always wanted chickens and now we can, I have some questions,

I went overkill with an 8x8 x 6 foot high coop, I have not build windows / nesting boxes, and other stuff as well,

what should I use for bedding
how many chickens can my coop hold?
what type of watering setup should I use?
how much food should I keep in there coop if they are free ranging most of the day,

any other suggestions would be amazing
were are probably going to go with easter eggers

here is my coop so far


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## back2simplelife (Jul 6, 2013)

Nice coop! 

In GA you are def going to need to get a lot of vents/windows in. Also, make sure you can shut them up for the rains. 
You have 64 sqft and it is 4 foot per large fowl (2 for bantams) so without nesting boxes (not sure if you are making the type that goes in, or out) you should be able to house 16 large fowl. My coops can house way more birds but I like to give them extra space so that's totally a personal question on how you want to manage your flock. 

I am not sure how you are planning on doing roosts but, with a wood floor I would make a hammock to catch the poop under them. Also, make them easy to take out so you can not only clean them, but under them as well.We have those 2x4 metal brackets and I love them! The 2x4 just slips in and out.. super easy! 

Bedding is a personal choice as well as all the other questions you have asked. Our coops are sand but I will put pines shavings and hay in there for time to time for them to scratch around. I use hay or straw for the nesting boxes. 

I use a variety of waterers but the poultry nipples are my favorite by far! They save on so much space! Just remember, you are in the heat so make sure you have some feed pans or something, of water out of the coop, so they can get their feet wet when they are hot to help cool down. 

As far as the feed question goes, again.. personal question on how you want to manage your flock. Some use self feeders and keep them full, some like to take more note on how much they eat daily. Personally, I feed fermented feed and feed twice a day. 

Chickens are funny.. you can have what you think is the perfect set up and end up changing something! I suggest, get the basics and then adjust to your needs. Good luck!!


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## morgan320i (Jun 28, 2014)

How is sand as far as cleanup? Maintainace and or replacement?
Any spacific type of sand?


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## back2simplelife (Jul 6, 2013)

Ours is just the dirt we have here.. which just so happens to be straight sand. Once a week I take a scoop shove to it and throw it in the garden compost... I have hardly any mess on the coop floor itself. I have between 40-50 birds now so I can't imagine buying bedding 12 months of the year for coops they don't go in often. I do add some pine shavings during the winter months as they hang out in there more than now. I do live in Texas though.. hot summers and mild winters. I honestly think the trick is to have hammocks under the roosts as they catch almost all of their poop. What I like the most about them is I can look daily for worms, ect as I dump them. I use old feed bags so when they get yucky, I just replace the old with the new.


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## morgan320i (Jun 28, 2014)

Got more done, it's been slow, got part of the pen wired up including the door, started flooring the inside with vinyl , next weekend I am going to try to get the rest done , I have sooooo much left to build, I just can't wait till I can start with the details, trim and paint


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## Jim (Sep 26, 2012)

Looking good! Also, over those vent holes, you may want to add some Hw Cloth, they look to be just the size for mice or rats to come on in! 


Jim


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## morgan320i (Jun 28, 2014)

I have house vent plates that are meshed, then I'm making flaps to close during winter
Those holes we're Easier then cutting out a full size hole for the vents


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## morgan320i (Jun 28, 2014)

Got more done need latches , molding for vents, more white molding on the side, flower garden, more paint... Gosh lol, my wife's telling me this is taking to long, I love it lol



Watering system

Expanded the run


Time for a margerita


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

Looks GREAT! I too did the vinyl flooring in my coop. So wonderfully easy for clean up. Lucky chickens you are going to have. They're going to LOVE their home!


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## morgan320i (Jun 28, 2014)

I have yet to figure out how and where to build roost and nesting boxes


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## morgan320i (Jun 28, 2014)




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## frogmama (May 17, 2014)

Wow! Nice job! We added those meshed vents too and so far they are doing their job . We have the same waterer setup and are having a bit of trouble with leaking ( i put newspaper under it and my chickens love tearing up the dampened newspaper, lol). But it is a good system once those leaks get worked out. You have some lucky chickens! Its our first year with chickens and really love our EEs.


Rookie chicken keeper of 5 EEs and 5 ISA Browns, in Central MN


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## morgan320i (Jun 28, 2014)

I had to cauk around each nipple to get the leaks to stop from there, not much nipple end leaks, if so I will modify or build a drain for them


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## Lilliane (Apr 9, 2014)

Leaking nipples: the secret is to drill a hole slightly smaller than the nipple. Eg if nipple is a size 9, then use drill bit size 8. They are a bit harder to put into the holes if you do that but they don't leak.


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## morgan320i (Jun 28, 2014)

How big should my nesting houses be? How small is too small?


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## morgan320i (Jun 28, 2014)

I got 2 Olive eggers, 2 Araucanas, 1 silky, 1 Appenzeller, 1 bourbon red turkey, and we are picking up 2 roosters tomorrow,
Finish my nesting boxes, and made my roost, just need to build a chat hammock,


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## morgan320i (Jun 28, 2014)

First eggs one blue and one olive


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