Chicken Coop design questions

[tractorshopper]

Here you go Eddie. I found the old thread. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/projects/228358-new-chicken-coop.html

 

[dmccarty]

...

Also, for those saying that they stink, well that's true in large numbers and tight spaces. My coop never stinks with up to 6 birds at a time. One section is 8X8 and the other section is 8X10. Only time it ever stunk is when I was brooding 4 new chicks and 4 new ducks this spring. It was the ducks that made it stink. Once I got the ducks out on their own now, the coop is back to non-stinking.

Our chickens have a large coop, 64 sf for six, and now four chickens, and they are in the garden/run(25x50) for a 6-8 hours a day. Putting down straw helped a bit but they still stank. I think part of the smell was from not moving the Chicken Tank as much as we should but mostly because we have had so much rain. The Chicken Tank ended up in one spot where a bunch of water would run through after all of the rain we have gotten, but even after moving the Chicken Tank, the birds would smell. I think this is due to the massive amounts of rain we have had this year. Recently, the rain has gotten to more normal amounts, but RDU still received 40% more rain than normal and my area has gotten more rain than RDU. I think the rain has caused the chicken scat to stink.

If we keep the chickens, I would rather get rid of them since I don't think they make money or time sense, but they are now pets, I will build a permanent coop. The family is going to have to keep that coop clean but I think it is easier than moving the Chicken Tank.

Later,
Dan

 

[riptides]

I just razed our chick coop which was 8X40. It was elevated off the ground, built circa 1920 with oak boards and a tin roof. It basically held up well, but for the last ten years, had no activity. The building gave access to a penned area of 20X40. I had maybe 36-40 egg laying stations in it.

No way in hades I would have chickens near my pool, hot tub or house for that matter.

Their droppings, can start some disease known as Histoplasmosis. During the demolition, I thought I had contracted that, thankfully tests came back negative.

 

[dmccarty]

Their droppings, can start some disease known as Histoplasmosis. During the demolition, I thought I had contracted that, thankfully tests came back negative.

We must have been talking about Histoplasmosis on TBN in the past. I just searched and my browser shows that I have read up on Histoplasmosis before. I suspect we were talking about the Starlings infestation in KY, OH, etc.

Later,
Dan

 

[dmccarty]

Keep forgetting to mention the coop floor. When I was looking to build a permanent coop, I was looking for a material for the floor that would be able to handle the chicken poo, be easy to clean and sterilize. There is some plastic stuff I was looking at from a farm supply catalog and I was thinking about formica. Not sure which would be best and cheapest.

Later,
Dan

 

[EddieWalker]

I'm still leaning towards a concrete floor. We have decided to move the chicken coop about as far away from the hot tub gazebo as possible and make it part of a potting shed that we want at the other end of the garden. This will have a kitchen in it with sink and a stove for canning, and lots of storage. Our plan is now to have the potting shed extend another 8 ft with walk through doors on either end of it. One from inside the shed, the other from inside the pen. The eggs will be accessible through the garden on the outside.

Eddie

 

[lutt]

Eddie, there is not a thing wrong with a concrete floor, the big commercial houses we have in our area use them. The fellow who posted about using rice hulls was spot on also, that is what they put in said houses. Good luck with your chickens! LUTT

 

[Tororider]

You can learn a lot at BackYardChickens.com. I would also suggest the deep litter method and large waterers feeders. In fact if you are going to have water out there, consider an automatic waterer. I would use one coop wall as an outside edge of your run, put your neat boxes on that wall, that way you can retrieve eggs without entering the coop or run. 4-6 hens will have you and your parents in plenty of eggs. You don't need a rooster unless you want fertilized eggs for hatching. Have fun, chickens are fun and entertaining.

 

[MarkV]

You sure you want a chicken coop connected to an outdoor kitchen?

MarkV

 

[EddieWalker]

It's going to be an indoor canning area for the garden and there will be a small garage in between that room and the chicken coop to store tools, wheelbarrow and a push mower. Is this a bad idea? The garage is going to be about ten feet wide and twelve feet deep.

Thanks,
Eddie