Chicken coop plans

[akar]

Anybody have some simple, yet effective designs for a chicken coop. I'm renting and the structure needs to be as compact as possible. TIA

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akar

[HogWild]

How many chickens are you going to be housing in it?

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"America! BushWhacked and Dicked Over!"

[McDuffy]

Try these links.

http://home.wanadoo.nl/gjosinga/page1.htm

http://www.gsu.edu/~biojdsx/fowl/tractor.htm

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/P.../henhouse.html

http://www.utm.edu/departments/ed/ce...a/mopens.shtml

http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/poultry/factsheets/10.html

www.backyardchickens.com/coop.html

[akar]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by HogWild:
How many chickens are you going to be housing in it?

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Sorry, only 3 laying hens to start. If I had my choice, it'd be a coop big enough for about 15 birds. I rent and can't put up a traditonal coop(too big. I was thinking about something the size of a large doghouse with a hinged side to get eggs and use for cleaning/maintenance of inside, with a screen cage for the birds to have 5x3 feet or so to scratch around in and just be chickens. The main body would be about 4x4 feet. It's for their own protection, many predators around here, mostly fox.

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akar

[akar]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by McDuffy:
Try these links.

http://home.wanadoo.nl/gjosinga/page1.htm

http://www.gsu.edu/~biojdsx/fowl/tractor.htm

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/P.../henhouse.html

http://www.utm.edu/departments/ed/ce...a/mopens.shtml

http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/poultry/factsheets/10.html

www.backyardchickens.com/coop.html

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Thanks. Sorry I didn't add more detail earlier.


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akar

[halberto45]

all I have to say is I hope you like eggs! I had 6 and it was way to many eggs so we cut down to 4 and it was still alot of eggs. have fun.

[akar]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by halberto45:
all I have to say is I hope you like eggs! I had 6 and it was way to many eggs so we cut down to 4 and it was still alot of eggs. have fun.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
That's one reason I only want 2 to start with. Plus, I'm limited on the size coop I can build.

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akar

[HogWild]

Only 3 chickens? Lord have mercy. You must not want many eggs. LOL

I raise about 60 hens. Have lost a few this spring. People buy my extra eggs as quick as I can get them. I couldn't imagine only having 3. And my girls just love it when you whistle "Dixie" while feeding them. LOL

I always liked some of the coops on this site. It's a site from the UK. Lots of great ideas for a small coop for 3 chickens.
http://www.forshamcottagearks.co.uk/iph.htm#RR

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"America! BushWhacked and Dicked Over!"

[akar]

Thanks to all. The Lenham 505 looks to be about what I had in mind...a modified dog house with nesting boxes.

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akar

[Morrigan55]

akar,
we have a coop like the one you describe. the only difference I would have would be the whole side being hinged, right now I have a little door the hens use, and the top is hinged. That doesn't work as well when cleaning. I'd make the side like a door, that opens up sideways so it will stay open during cleaning without any propping. 3 is a great number of hens if you don't want alot of eggs. They lay about 1 a day during peak season, over winter they may lay every other day or two. I would just have one nesting box, as they will take turns with it. Make the coop very secure, ie with the ability to lock it down tight, because predators can be determined. Any wire on the coop should be doubled, to keep snakes out. I would bury the run fencing a few inches down to discourage dogs from digging under it. A 5x3 run is sorta small, they will eat all grass off it in a week. Try building a portable run that you can move all around your yard. Remember that hens need grit, and grass and enjoy eating bugs, especially grasshoppers, in order to be healthy and happy. You can keep them in a grassless run, but they might start pecking each other. I would also feed them ground oyster shells, available at farm store, to keep the eggs shells firm.

[akar]

http://home.wanadoo.nl/gjosinga/page1.htm

With some light modifications, this might be just right. I like the thought of hinged sides too. Yep, 3 is about good for me, for now. Roger on the oyster shells.

Thanks all for the replies. As my experiment progresses, I should have some first-hand info nad questions on grapes, rabbit hutches, and bee hives.

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akar

[This message has been edited by akar (edited 03 May 2002).]

[CSA]

Good post.

We used to raise Bantams. I got tired of'em about 2 years ago and got rid of them, now the wife wants to raise more.

I built a small coup, but the problem was.. it was TOO small. Chickens make a BIG mess and stick like hell. I like the idea of having a small chicken yard/Coupe combo, like the chicken trackor idea McDuffy posted.

After this post, I might just get back into raising chickens, our little girl Molly would just LOVE to have a few baby chics.

CSA

[akar]

What's the deal on bantams?? I've heard of meat birds, layers, and bantams. One of the funniest things I've seen a chicken do(guineas do it too) is run smack into a wall, trying to find a hole and slam head-first...get up and keep doing it. I guess people do that sometimes too.

Yep, great bunch of coop ideas posted. Thanks all.

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akar

[lenni]

Bantams are raised for CHARM!

One of my favorite creatures was a sebright bantam rooster. He used to chase the dogs, kick them in the behind. ONce he was bitten in the foot. We put a cast on him and even though hobbling about with a cast, he rushed over to the hens, frantically offering tidbits to them. The other thing I liked about him is that he never fought with the Cochin bantam rooster. They were comrades in arms.

I have told friends living in big cities that they could probably get away with keeping a tiny coop with Sebright hens on their patios if they liked fresh eggs. Sebright banty hens look like beautiful birds and don't make much noise!

Parts of him perhaps fly about in the form of local red tail hawks and their descendants!

[bcochran]

Raised White Leghorns within the City of Los Angeles.

The goal is to keep the cats out.

We put up construction mesh on two by fours about 7 feet high. In the middle of the pen was a Washington Navel Orange tree. The birds roosted in the tree. We would periodically trim their wings. However, chickens are very social and rarely attempted to leave. Building huts was messy and drew rats and mice.

The oranges were the largest and sweetest imaginable.

If I ever do it again, I will have a rooster with the crowing taken out. Keeps the hens perky!