Called my uncle yesterday, he told me to draw up a little design and send it over. So HERE is my planned coop! Features: Rat proof Insulated Plastic floor for easy cleaning Hook for a heat lamp, could also hang a feeder from it. I call it the Sunshine Motel. I haven't figured out air flow and ventilation in the winter yet. In the summer the windows can be removed and there will be screens inside.
Lol love the happy chicken in the sun! For winter ventilation we've had good luck leaving 6" +/- airspace at the rafters front and back, at least a foot of overhang each way to keep weather out, with hardware cloth tacked up to keep vermin out. You do have to watch that you don't overcrowd the coop unless you plan to have some sort of mechanical air exchange.
Also a "happy chicken" fan! The runin storage area my guineas roosted in had an air gap where the 2x4 rafters went over the wall sill and became eaves. I dont know if youre too far north to be able to do that. The horse part of the runin had 4x8 panels over large openings that could be opened in summer or closed in winter, letting air in or keeping it out. What about a turnstyle/ mushroom cap ceiling vent that can be turned on or off, maybe by temperature control? I have a plastic vent with minimal air gap that I am going to put up in the attic on the houses wooden gable vent, to reduce the escape of cold air from attic even more, when winter is really brutal. I think the plastic vent will go up on velcro tabs, instead of hinges. Putting the runin panels on hinges was a functionally useful Afterthought.
Next step is designing the run... I looked it up, ideal outdoor run for chickens is 10 square feet per chicken. So, I need 60 square feet minimum assuming O have 6 hens.
Do you ever watch Fixer Upper? I don't know when the episode was from, but my MIL had saved an episode for me to watch where they built a garden "shed", a garden, a chicken coop, and a chicken run that encircled the garden. It was pretty cute by the time they were done.
I like your ideas. I do like having a next box you can access from the outside though. Mine hangs off the back. I also like having one whole side to be a door. It makes it very easy to clean. I built a Wichita style coop. It's got an attached covered run. I never shut the chicken coop door anymore. My girls seem to prefer it that way.
I was thinking about the nest box on the outside. It's how 99% of chicken coops around here are made. But honestly? Not a fan. There is always a draft, in the winter the eggs freeze up too fast for me to collect, and no matter how tightly the flap seals, as time goes on things wiggle loose and you have damp creeping in, holes for vermin to take advantage of, etc. I much rather the nests inside.
We built ours in the old 3 story barn. They have a plexiglass window to the outside, and a regular window to the left of the door. about 3 feet up, they have a open nesting area... although, they all like one spot (in a milk crate). above that is a roost all the way across, and then another one on one wall even with the nesting box. I would guess the area is about 8' x 8'. Outside wall is obviously concrete, roof insulated and covered with plywood, then other 3 walls insulated and plywood. I did have a problem with rats getting in the wall somehow, and they chewed holes to get into the coop. for now, I just put concrete blocks to block that off. There was already an opening on the concrete to the outside, so we just built a wooden door we can close and latch. We put up kennel panels right outside that is about 15' x 30'. however, once summer comes, I leave the door to that open and they pretty much come and go as they please. unfortunately they love our covered porch, so we have to clean that often. they are SO funny. They can be a ways away, and if I yell 'chicky, chicky, chicky" they come RUNNING. Really funny when they are behind the house and almost do the one legged skidding around the corner! lol one of my dogs did kill 2 of the silkies when they were pretty little (natural instinct, and they are pretty much like fluffy jumping dog toys). I found a dead one last summer, no idea who did it. I had one of my BC's that was very intent on herding them, and when I saw her get close to one, I booted her a good one, and she totally ignored them after that (as did the other 3). they were good all summer, and then I found my last silkie dead in November. I picked her up and went over screaming at the dogs, and they all looked at me like they were confused, no idea why I was mad... and then the next day about lunch I found a full sized one dead in the front yard, when the dogs had been inside with me all day.... so i'm guessing something killed them, but no idea what. I love allowing them to free range during the day, and they also love it.
