One thing i intend to do over the next 12 months is to build a proper chookhouse and look at expanding the number of chooks i have.
The area i have to work with will be about 6m x 4m. Enough to easily house 20 chooks including an open area for scraps etc to be thrown . I’d also have an option of letting the sheilas go in under the citrus and beyond. So a gate will be required to that area.
A few things i want are access to eggs, feed and water without entering the coop.
Mozzie proofing for the sheilas..
Poo collecting under the roosting area being easily cleaned out.
Water collection from the roof to keep the water supply fresh and constant.
All suggestions/designs appreciated.

Longy said:

One thing i intend to do over the next 12 months is to build a proper chookhouse and look at expanding the number of chooks i have.
The area i have to work with will be about 6m x 4m. Enough to easily house 20 chooks including an open area for scraps etc to be thrown . I’d also have an option of letting the sheilas go in under the citrus and beyond. So a gate will be required to that area.
A few things i want are access to eggs, feed and water without entering the coop.
Mozzie proofing for the sheilas..
Poo collecting under the roosting area being easily cleaned out.
Water collection from the roof to keep the water supply fresh and constant.
All suggestions/designs appreciated.

An 8 foot high fence. Minimum. Voice of experience speaking here, and even that won’t stop a determined hen…

Dinetta said:

Longy said:

One thing i intend to do over the next 12 months is to build a proper chookhouse and look at expanding the number of chooks i have.
The area i have to work with will be about 6m x 4m. Enough to easily house 20 chooks including an open area for scraps etc to be thrown . I’d also have an option of letting the sheilas go in under the citrus and beyond. So a gate will be required to that area.
A few things i want are access to eggs, feed and water without entering the coop.
Mozzie proofing for the sheilas..
Poo collecting under the roosting area being easily cleaned out.
Water collection from the roof to keep the water supply fresh and constant.
All suggestions/designs appreciated.

An 8 foot high fence. Minimum. Voice of experience speaking here, and even that won’t stop a determined hen…

Hmm. I have 120mm (4’) high fences around the yard now and they don’t get out. Maybe because they have so much room???

whatever you do it sounds like it is going to be delux housing. for easy poo collection, you need their perching area to overhang outside the general run, with a slated bottom for the poo to fall through. then you can just shovel it up from underneath. for eggs much the same, nesting boxes that extend out from the house, with lids that you can access from the outside. although access without getting into the coop is nice, you still need to have regular inspections of the girls and their housing conditions to make sure that there aren’t any problems. sounds like a good project though. looking forward to seeing pics of the finished chook mansion!

bluegreen said:

whatever you do it sounds like it is going to be delux housing. for easy poo collection, you need their perching area to overhang outside the general run, with a slated bottom for the poo to fall through. then you can just shovel it up from underneath. for eggs much the same, nesting boxes that extend out from the house, with lids that you can access from the outside. although access without getting into the coop is nice, you still need to have regular inspections of the girls and their housing conditions to make sure that there aren’t any problems. sounds like a good project though. looking forward to seeing pics of the finished chook mansion!

Mansion be buggered.
Yes i figure a long drop i can rake out for the poo and an egg box row i can open from outside. Unsure how to put it all together.
Of course i’ll have regular entry into the coop. Better to hurl abuse at the bludgers.
I’ve not really seen any coops i want. Tho i have seen ideas i want. Still looking and trying to piece things together.
Colourbond is the probably material. Concrete floor. Earthen floored, roofed area for scraps.
Gate to the citrus etc.
Maybe just make it up as i go along.

My late father put concrete under the roosts of the new coops…made it easier to collect the droppings…but I think he might have had a hygenic reason for this…I’ll never know as Mum doesn’t remember a lot of things now…lives very much in the here and now but has forgotten anything she doesn’t want to remember, if you know what I mean…

Longy said:

One thing i intend to do over the next 12 months is to build a proper chookhouse and look at expanding the number of chooks i have.
The area i have to work with will be about 6m x 4m. Enough to easily house 20 chooks including an open area for scraps etc to be thrown . I’d also have an option of letting the sheilas go in under the citrus and beyond. So a gate will be required to that area.
A few things i want are access to eggs, feed and water without entering the coop.
Mozzie proofing for the sheilas..
Poo collecting under the roosting area being easily cleaned out.
Water collection from the roof to keep the water supply fresh and constant.
All suggestions/designs appreciated.

TV for those long cold days in the winter and a spa for the hot days:)

Dinetta said:

My late father put concrete under the roosts of the new coops…made it easier to collect the droppings…but I think he might have had a hygenic reason for this…I’ll never know as Mum doesn’t remember a lot of things now…lives very much in the here and now but has forgotten anything she doesn’t want to remember, if you know what I mean…

easier to clean and less likely to harbour mites I would think.

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

My late father put concrete under the roosts of the new coops…made it easier to collect the droppings…but I think he might have had a hygenic reason for this…I’ll never know as Mum doesn’t remember a lot of things now…lives very much in the here and now but has forgotten anything she doesn’t want to remember, if you know what I mean…

easier to clean and less likely to harbour mites I would think.

Some councils have a law that the housing is to be on cement for easy cleaning…..

My mother’s hen house was recycled water tanks on posts with chainwire around, a wooden paling fence along the west side (to stop the sun from coming in) and a wooden gate (to lock out the predators)…she had another coop beside the compound with an 8 foot fence where she put the roosters to fatten them or a broody hen (for safety)…there was another half tank on the ground, the hens made their own nests in the dirt… bugger the boxes filled with straw…they used to go down the paddock and nest under tussocks of grass…these hens had a half acre down the back but only about 10m x5 m was the “chook run proper”…later on, Dad made another 2 coops within this 10 × 5 compound, I think so Mum could manage the roosters/broody hens scenarios better…plus half the hens weren’t talking to the other half…the original configuration had dirt floors…the chooks hardly ever got head lice…they could roam the front half acre for a green pick just before sunset…

ok – some notes

- face the chookwire side north or northeast for free winter warmth. pergola over north side is cool.
- the windy sides (S+W) need to be solid – no openings
- have water tap nearby – water needs changing often
- headheight 2100mm minimum for when you clean out the deep litter.
- nests side on to door. 400×400mm is a good size.
- perches can face door. low perch 300-400mm off floor – second tire perch 450 – 600mm off floor.

jacuzzi optional. LOL.

Dinetta said:

My mother’s hen house was recycled water tanks on posts with chainwire around, a wooden paling fence along the west side (to stop the sun from coming in) and a wooden gate (to lock out the predators)…she had another coop beside the compound with an 8 foot fence where she put the roosters to fatten them or a broody hen (for safety)…there was another half tank on the ground, the hens made their own nests in the dirt… bugger the boxes filled with straw…they used to go down the paddock and nest under tussocks of grass…these hens had a half acre down the back but only about 10m x5 m was the “chook run proper”…later on, Dad made another 2 coops within this 10 × 5 compound, I think so Mum could manage the roosters/broody hens scenarios better…plus half the hens weren’t talking to the other half…the original configuration had dirt floors…the chooks hardly ever got head lice…they could roam the front half acre for a green pick just before sunset…

I forgot to say, the roosts were rosewood saplings (about ½ to 1 inch in diameter) kind of hanging from the roof with fencing wire, with same “steps” …lasted about 40 odd years…

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

My late father put concrete under the roosts of the new coops…made it easier to collect the droppings…but I think he might have had a hygenic reason for this…I’ll never know as Mum doesn’t remember a lot of things now…lives very much in the here and now but has forgotten anything she doesn’t want to remember, if you know what I mean…

easier to clean and less likely to harbour mites I would think.

Yep, not that I know anything about chooks, but I seem to recall someone recommending concrete under the sleeping area to stop mites from living in the soil.

bon008 said:

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

My late father put concrete under the roosts of the new coops…made it easier to collect the droppings…but I think he might have had a hygenic reason for this…I’ll never know as Mum doesn’t remember a lot of things now…lives very much in the here and now but has forgotten anything she doesn’t want to remember, if you know what I mean…

easier to clean and less likely to harbour mites I would think.

Yep, not that I know anything about chooks, but I seem to recall someone recommending concrete under the sleeping area to stop mites from living in the soil.

Then it goes down the sewage and who knows what damage these “antibacterials” do to the good bacterials?

I’ve learnt a lot about what not to put down the septic I can tell you…

But we digress from the chicken coop…

I’d Be putting it On cermet Base or Pavers, and a good Layer of something over that. Water so you don’t Have to check it a Gravity feed drinker (collect water off the roof into a Drum (tap beside) Connect this to a Automatic Bell Drinker. Feeder get a 5Kg or bigger Hanging feeder, Should last them for a few days, Like others Have suggested for the nesting box have them on the outside, and for collect the Poo under the roost, its as easy as having the perch and then have it fall into Shavings If you put them over the floor, then compost the lot, or set it up so just the poo can be kepted separate to the shavings.

You will also need a couple of flattened CGI panels, to put the hot mash on of a morning…don’t worry about rats and mice living under these as (1) I believe a pre-programmed catcher will be moving in next door and (2) the chookies will give the R & M some curry if they see them…

Good suggestions so far, thankyou.
No jacuzzi. Any hot bathing will be done in order to remove feathers more easily.

love the outside nesting box idea and the gravity fed water is a winner :)

the Sheep is the only domesticated animal we have today that didn’t originate from a forest (the jury is still out on Camels) so plant a tree in their yard. Our plan is to plant a Sausage Tree, we’re thinking the bugs that come to eat the fruit might be tasty to the chooks. And if they use it to check out the neighbours yard, we’ll just have to convince them to come home….