Seeking advise on coop setup

Posted by Katie Winzig on January 9, 2011 at 5:04pm
Hello All!I am so looking forward to getting chickens and having fresh eggs every morning! I read Rachel Bess's Fowl Play and signed up for the class this month. However... my boyfriend's dad (who is retired and itching for a project) keeps asking us to send him plans for the coop so he can start building it! I just have no idea what will work best for my setup. My yard is pretty small. I just have a few questions.1. The place where I was originally thinking of putting the coop (against the south wall of my yard, kind of in a corner) is really close to the air conditioning unit, which is really loud when it runs in the summer. This may be a dumb question, but will the noise (which is pretty constant in those hot months) bother them??2. Then I remembered that I have nice grass that I had put in, in October, and the sprinklers go off every morning for 8 minutes. Should I just let it keep going off, even if it gets the chickens and their area wet?3. Then I thought... what if I get one of those small coops (since I only want like 3 hens), which is skinny, like 2 feet wide, with a long run, and put them up in the planter and that could be their home? I could put a patch of sod up there for them to hang out on during the day, etc.I have attached a few pics of my yard. Any thoughts??Thanks!!Katie

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Replies

  • Meg Levinson January 24, 2011 at 6:31am
    Moringa trees, kept short and bushy.  They grow like weeds, high in vitamins and antioxidents, drought tolerant and tasty.  Plus they'll give shade.
    • Katie Winzig > Meg Levinson January 24, 2011 at 10:43am
      I have never heard of them, but I just looked it up, and now I really want to grow them! For chicken shade AND my own use! :-)  Are you growing them from seeds? If so, where did you get your seeds?
    • Meg Levinson > Katie Winzig January 24, 2011 at 11:01am

      I bought a tree from Bakers.  They called it a Horseradish tree. Someone gave me some seeds, just post on the Moringa thread and see.  If no response, let me know and I'll see what can be done.

       

      Cool trees huh?

    • Katie Winzig > Meg Levinson January 24, 2011 at 2:13pm

      Yes, if everything I read is true, then they ARE cool trees! Makes you wonder why everyone doesn't have some! haha

      I think I will go to Bakers this weekend and see what they have. The "horseradish tree" is listed under their 2011 tree list on their website...

      You mentioned you will keep yours short and bushy. If you keep them trimmed short, will the roots stay small? I am just wondering because my backyard is very small and the place I will need to put them is very close to my block wall. I just don't want any damage from the roots.

    • Meg Levinson > Katie Winzig January 25, 2011 at 6:56am
      Not sure about root size, sorry.  Havent planted mine yet, waiting for warmer weather.
  • Meg Levinson January 23, 2011 at 5:33pm
    I have my coop on the south wall, but I'm putting a full sheet of foamboard between the block wall and the coop.  Also planting fast growing stuff to shield them from the West and East exposure.  The north side is open, and never gets direct sun.  They'll have grass and shade and water to stand in...I'm hopeful this will be okay.  The North side of the house has nothing but rock and our A/C unit.  Not thinking that'd be good.
    • Katie Winzig > Meg Levinson January 23, 2011 at 6:23pm
      What fast-growing stuff are you planting? I was thinking of doing the same, but wasn't sure what to plant.
    • Meg Levinson > Katie Winzig January 24, 2011 at 6:33am
       I'm going to use 1/2 inch foam board with the reflective side toward the wall.  The hens can't get to it, it's behind the solid wall of the coop..  I won't put it behind the run portion.
  • Katie Winzig January 10, 2011 at 10:43am

    Thanks for the info! I figured other people must be doing it (especially with how many neighborhoods do have HOAs). Like I said, my neighbors are pretty laid back and I don't think they would make a fuss about it. The house behind me is vacant. On the south side is a med student who is never home and the north side is a couple who are very nice and I'm sure can be bribed with the occasional basket of eggs LOL

    By 10 square feet, do you mean just the coop itself or does that also include the run?

  • Rachel January 10, 2011 at 8:45am
    We will cover pretty much all of these issues in the class, and it will probably be easier to talk in person than to try and explain things in the forum. For now though I will reiterate what has already been said-- they need to be kept as cool as possible. Block walls radiate heat, so even if they are technically in the shade of the wall, it will still be really hot there. Also, the more space you can offer them, the happier they (and you) will be. If you can put off construction of the coop until after the class, it will probably save you and your boyfriend's dad some headaches. :)
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