After giving the matter some thought over the last year. I am going to raise some hens for eggs to sell at market.
First question: How big a coop do I need to house 40-50 hens?
Thanks
BB
Ok...I'm taking the Plunge
Mine free-range so I'm not really fit to tell you. Hopefully a few on here might, though. G'luck.
I am with grow also mine are also free range, but come spring I will have certain groups separate for breeding purpose. an 8 by 10 hoop house should be ample room for 8-10 hens and 1 rooster.
Good for you! I think that you will enjoy you chickens. Chickens need at least 4 square feet of floor space per bird if they do not free range. If they free range most of the day you can get by with a little smaller coop. So a 10 x 20 house would work for 50 birds. you will need at least 1 nest box for each 3-4 hens and i think it is supposed to be at least 3 feet of roost space. So by the time you get all of that in your coop, it may need to be bigger just so that you can move around.
Sheila
Now that sounds just about right...thanks Sheila!
Ok
Question Number 1: I thought free range chickens still had a coop. Is this inaccurate? What exactly does free range mean?
Question Number 2: In an effort to control costs, I had considered a hoop house but all the pvc designs I saw would present overheating problems in the summer here in GA. Am I missing something?
Thanks
BB
One other thing: How big should a nest box be?
BB
I got a lot of help here..
http://www.freechickencoopplans.com/
There are several sites for free plans.. seems every one has a lot of info.
Scroll down.. then on the left side, there are several links to free sites.
Thanks
BB
Nesting boxes can be 12x12 or 14x14.
Yes my chickens have a run (fenced in area that they can go out and play in.)
Its 10x20 and my coop is 8x5. I have a dozen chickens.
knslwilliams is right about how much room they need if they dont go out to play. (4ft/chicken)
Its not a bad idea to let them have a nice protected run though. Its good for them to be out in the sun and they love it too.
I intend to give them a run. Wouldn't be right to keep them cooped up.
No pun intended :-)
ZZ nice link. I like the idea for the feeder!
Gives me an idea....
ROFLOL!
Ya, so they will be happy layers! I dont have the heat that you have in GA.
My coop has to be insulated for cold! Here it is. My DH built it for me.
No heat in Ga. hasn't been for a while we are haveing a lot of 20's nights here and 40 days.
BB the only thing I can tell you from recent experience is.. either buy or have plans... there are so many things you think of AFTER it's built.. or even during the building phase.. you are flooded with ideas for convenience, comfort, etc.. Plan, plan, plan... Then take the time to rethink it like four more times! LOL
This is the perfect weather for the planning stage anyway.. The building part takes 10 times longer if you have to figure things out and get surprises that you didn't think of.
Most of all.. have fun. Remember happy chickens lay best. Read up on predators too.. I never dreamed I had predators right outside my bedroom window.. but now I've lost 16 chickens due to my ignorance. It's heartwrenching.. and it WILL happen.. so be prepared to protect them..
Thanks ZZ:
I think I will invest in a set of plans. I know for a fact I have hawks. And I am sure there are other critters in the woods.
BB
Sewincircle, Your coop looks like a high class hotel. You must have some happy, productive hens there. I couldn't believe the difference in the taste of eggs from home raised hens versus the eggs at the grocery store. The eggs from the store have virtually no taste, and are more just carriers for whatever you put on them or in them.
Pam, thanks a lot. I will tell my DH. He took a lot of time building this. He had no experience either. I am thankful. It is warm and cozy with heat lamps as well. Yes, my hens make me proud! They recently started laying. I was so eggcited! ;)
Glad you got your info. Typically free range seems to mean they get to touch the ground and walk around -it doesn't necessarily mean they are out loose or even outside in the bigger operations. I call mine wil' chickens -they run loose.
So even a run is free range?
Well i consider free range loose in the yard where they can go where they please and eat what they want. I consider a coop with a fenced in area not being free range as they are confined to and area.
As far as I know, the way it has been legally redefined, yes. I think those huge barns with chickens up the walls, but where they can run around in the center, count as free range. I could be wrong but I don't think so...
That was my personal opinion my neighbor has a run and all his chickens do is walk around in their own leaveings allday. That in my opinion is not free range.
Mine either, believe me. But with them selling free range eggs in the grocery stores now you know they have a newer definition of free that means anything but...
Hi there Bronx Boy! If your planning on fifty chicks or so then you might want to consider a coop about 16x16 That way you could sufficiently house your chicks and then if you decided to do any hatching of your own you'd have enough room for a brooder about 2 ftx 2ft. also if your going to build your own consider a mating pen that hangs about chest to head high fastened to one wall about two ft deep x four ft long and three ft high. That way you can better use all that space up above and leave the floor space for the ladies. And yes your are right, even if you free range your flock you still need a good coop, and don't forget room for about 12 nesting boxes for fifty ladies. Good luck Haystack
Thanks Haystack
BB
This site shows the next boxes we bought. We have the roll out model.
About 40 hens are using it with no fighting over space.
http://hoovershatchery.com/html/equip.html
On free range. What I gather, it is any way of housing where the hens are not confined in the little cages.
We are using an old double wide corn crib for our hen house. We partitioned off the center drive area for feeding & the nest area. It's about 12 x 12. A 12 ft length of the crib is where the roosts are. We have a white light in the feed area & a red one in the roost area. They both come on a 7 AM. The white light goes off about ½ hour before the red one. Most of the time all the hens end up on the roost. Before we did this, they would be in the nests all night & make a big mess.
This building is not heated or insulated. Fairly tight, though. Gets cold, but they seem to be doing OK. They are laying about 2 ½ dozen eggs a day. We don't know how old some are, so I think they are not old enough to lay yet. Every day we get a couple pullet eggs.
We also have an outside run. We let them out there on nice days.
Bernie
This message was edited Dec 10, 2008 7:39 PM
Countrygarden, those are some nice looking birds! Thanks for the look at the site. Love the words chasing the mouse. (Its the little things in life that make me happy) hehehe!
You have a nice set up!
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/906614/
for your perusal if you haven't already!!
Hi there Country Gardens: Sounds like you have a great set up, and the girls are making you proud with all those eggs. Way to go. Just one thought I would like to inject. Words do mean something, and true free range means just that (free) unrestricted. Anyone who trys to sell us on anything less than that does not know the english language. We must not pander to those who would try make us believe in something we know is not accurate. If your ladies want something on the other side of the fence but cannot get to it, then it is not free in the truest sense of the word. I hope this statement does not come across in a demeaning way, but some things are worth fighting for. I know you are a true chicken fan, so don't let some of these persons fool you. What happens is that there are those who charge more and claim their eggs are from free range chickens. Bull to those people. Their eggs are no different than those that are horribly couped up all the time. And yes I do free range all my chickens except those that are being bred. Haystack
Nice set up Bernie!
BB
I remember in the old days when nobody had a yard with flowers. It was because of poultry running a muck. I know of hardly anybody anymore that let chickens run where they want to. One guy up the road lets his run. They are on the highway much of the time. Every once in a while there is a road kill chicken or duck there. Must be good food there!
No, you call free range what you want. We know our hens are happy!
Bernie
I wish I could let mine run, but my DH works in the landscape business. He does hard sacpes as well. He spends a lot of time doing our landscapes and he does not like coming home to the mulch all over the lawn! He (for some strange reason) gets mad and threatens to make chicken stew! GASP! We all love our chickens regaurdless and do whats right in our own situation. ;)
(My DH does give them fresh mulch in there run for them to dig and play in, SOFTY)
My birds are restrained only by nature. I wish there were a natural phenomenon that prevented their congregating on my back doorstep every day at 3:00!! Or fertilizing it!
On 'free range' -I guess so long as we all are aware that 'free' has been legally redefined to mean 'restricted' we at least know what we're dealing with...(please note, I don't say that reality and legal definition are in ANY way related!! -Perhaps Claire could tell us if ever the twain DO, in fact, meet...)(notsodelicate *snort*)
Found my coop plan.
Looks easy enough for even a carpentry challenged idiot like me.
Going to adjust plans to make it larger
http://www.buildeazy.com/chicken_coop_1.html
BB
Looks wonderful! Really nice to have a solid and SPECIFIC plan to get going with.
Thats a great coop plan BB.
I will post pictures when I start it
BB
the best thing my husband did for my coop -it's a small checken tractor- is put a lenolium floor down. it is the easyest thing to clean! i love it i just open both ends and the side and sweep it out no fuss at all. we also use shavings i think that helps too ") good luck your going to love them .
I do love my linoleum as well. It keeps the floor from yuck. (Pardon my technical terms)