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Standard Designs for Chicken Housing

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  • Standard Designs for Chicken Housing

    Dear All

    I see a few threads on plans for building coops. I am starting to sketch up our designs we use here and will pin them into this post for all to use. Please note, i am offering these free for you to use or not as you so wish.

    Please do not offer them for sale anywhere, i offer them free, you do too please

    The first plan is what we use as a broody coop or a temporary housing, or even as a breeding trio housing for pekins. The house if 2' square which is adequate for a breeding trio of bantams or even a pair of silkie. Obviously the run would need extending, but the beauty of this design is that the run is modular so you can jsut keep extending it by the 2' modules as needed.

    See what you think. Feel free to use or not as you so desire. As stated, we use this design for temporarily housing breeding groups of bantams, broodies or when we take in waifs and strays. I do not suggest using this as a long term housing situation, however, it you stick to a smaller run you could move it to fresh ground i suppose.

    If it doesnt seem clear on the thumbnail, right click the image and download it to you PC and view it from there. If you want it even clearer, PM me and i will email you the PDF version, however, it is nearly 1.3mb in size so not for the light hearted!
    Attached Files
    Last edited by Bramble-Poultry; 08-09-2009, 01:58 PM.
    My Blog
    http://blog.goodlifepress.co.uk/mikerutland

  • #2
    I've saved that - Thank You!

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    • #3
      Thanks ?Mike. I think I've saved it too!

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      • #4
        lol - hes in the process of drawing a few up so watch this space!!!
        My Blog
        http://blog.goodlifepress.co.uk/mikerutland

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        • #5
          Thanks Bramble

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          • #6
            next installment.

            a 4' x 2' house with 6' run. We typically use this for a breeding trio of cochin or large fowl during the season. The house is large enough at 4' x 2' to place a drinker and feeder within the house so that the food doesnt get mouldy. Positioning of perches is optional again to your chosen method (removable or none removable) but if you do place in perches, make sure that they are at the opposite end to the feeder or the birds will poop into the food!

            the run is made from a modular frame, 6' x 3' which you can choose to have 6' long and 3' high, or 3' long and 6' high if you want to walk into the run. Again you can keep adding the panels to the run for as long as you need the run to be. roof panel is just a side panel, screwed to the top. If you want better access for cleaning and its only 3'high, then hinge the top panel so it can be opened up all the way to allow you to step in and muck out.

            Again, right click to download or ask for the PDF
            Attached Files
            My Blog
            http://blog.goodlifepress.co.uk/mikerutland

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            • #7
              Whilst copying Brambles plans to peruse at a later date I came across this very basic plan for a collapsible run or coop that is all hinged together and can be folded flat when not in use!
              Attached Files
              My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
              to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

              Diversify & prosper


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              • #8
                installment 3 - the modular 3' run and house, with house above run.

                this was our first layers run here in the sticks, and was made using 2" thick timber a 50mm heavy duty security mesh to stop the foxes!

                It seems to work well, and the three foot modules can be added to as you need to. if you want to save wood, rather than make up 3 x 3' panels for a 9' run, just use one 9' long piece of wood with the verticals in the right place to staple the mesh to.
                Attached Files
                My Blog
                http://blog.goodlifepress.co.uk/mikerutland

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                • #9
                  thanks to Suechooks i found the thread where i posted up the plans. Hopefully it will help you out!
                  My Blog
                  http://blog.goodlifepress.co.uk/mikerutland

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                  • #10
                    next installment - a christmas project. Build this over christmas with some new tools you have no doubt got for christmas.

                    Its a purpose built free standing brooding table for all the chicks you are going to hatch in your incubators!

                    Its 4' long in old money and will probably suit chicks up to around 3 weeks old depending on size and how many!

                    On the upper section, the underside of panel A is designed to have the heating bulb fitted to it using a bulb holder or similar from B&Q or the like. If you decide to use a standard 250w infrared brooder lamp YOU MUST DRILL HOLES IN PANEL A otherwise it will get too hot.

                    We use either red "fireglow" 60w lightbulbs, or you can use small 25 - 60w infrared bulbs that you get at reptile shops. If you go down this route, buy the bulb first before you buy the holder as some come as a screw cap and some as a bayonet and it will be sods law its the opposite to the holder you have!

                    As ever, if you cant read these files properly or want them in a different format (such as PDF) just email me at contact@bramble-poultry.co.uk and i will do my best to sort you out.

                    Happy Hatching...................
                    Attached Files
                    Last edited by Bramble-Poultry; 11-12-2009, 03:47 PM.
                    My Blog
                    http://blog.goodlifepress.co.uk/mikerutland

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      OK - another modular house, this time with a run attached. Suitable for breeding groups of bantams or a few large fowl. You can make the run as long as you like, but remember to include for a sloping roof as the design has been developed to try and beat the wet runs that we get so many of these days.

                      The house is lifted 18" clear of the floor to avoid damp and rodents, so you will need to fit a ramp up to the doorway. Eggs can be collected from outside using the hinged lid to the nest box. The entire house can be cleaned by entering the run and opening the front of the house. The entire from is designed to hing open give you full access to the house floor.

                      Pershing is left for you to design according to the breeds you have. Some large fowl such as Cochin etc seem to prefer to roost on the floor whereas Light Sussex love perches - so your call on that.

                      The idea behind them is that you can build multiple units and line up together to create a modular breeding pen group, such as will be found at Brmable Poultry for next year - however - we wont have 5' high walk in runs as we need to keep the runs to below 3' high so they arent visible from the road and that way attract two legged predators! will make cleaning a bit more difficult, but at least they wont get stolen!

                      As ever, if you want these as PDF, just email me at contact@bramble-poultry.co.uk and i will forward you the PDF file.

                      Cheers

                      Mike
                      Attached Files
                      My Blog
                      http://blog.goodlifepress.co.uk/mikerutland

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                      • #12
                        We recently bought 4 chickens and they have been allowed to run through the garden. Not really recommeded when we love our vegetable gardening! Now want to make a large pen. But how large should it be for 4 birds?

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by vegetable-gardener View Post
                          We recently bought 4 chickens and they have been allowed to run through the garden. Not really recommeded when we love our vegetable gardening! Now want to make a large pen. But how large should it be for 4 birds?
                          As big as you can make it! They'll trash any grass within days so if you can manage somewhere that can be divided so you can rest half at a time, that helps. It also helps stop reinfecting with parasites. If they're going to be in most of the time then you do need a decent area to give them interest especially if they're used to free ranging. Personally I wouldn't like less than 20' x 10' for 4 large fowl but others will have different opinions, and a lot depends on what space you have available. You can also give them logs, tyres, swings, hanging cabbages, hidey-holes (I use upturned dog beds and wheeelbarrows) etc which gives them interest and occupation.
                          RSPCA MINIMUM recommended for commercial "free range" is 1sq metre per bird

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                          • #14
                            Have you considered fencing off the veg patch instead? Then your chooks still get to enjoy the freedom of the garden while the veg stay safe.

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                            • #15
                              What a good idea Sally!

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