Need Help with Chicken Coop Plans.

[Shawn]

I had found a website that showed portable chicken coops, they even had wheels on them. Cant find the site now. Here is a site that offered a free design.
 
http://www.freechickencoopplans.com/

[Frantz]

I just make my own. Take the next size up and cut about 1/4 of the diameter out of it. It works great.
F

[EasternShore]

I've build several coops now and have 1 suggestion. Make your bins at waist level so you don't have to bend over all the time to get eggs. My new one for 35 hens has 10 bins of which they lay in 4. Figures. I made a ramp for them to walk up, had to staple chicken wire to it for traction. If you would like pictures I can go take some. It's alittle over the top...we joke about our 3 coops...Becky's first one is " The Ghetto"...very primative..4 feet high and 5 wide 4 bins. The newer one was 8x 4 x8'with bins at one end 4 bins on 2 levels ( The Condo)...Then I got tired of bending over and Built " THE EMBASSY SUITES", made it as an addition to the condo but 8' by 8' with an 8' ceiling for storage. They love it. The bins wrap around 2 sides with a walkway and roosts on top.
The door is tied to the old coop which I will make into straw storage when I have time.
PM me if you want pic's

[Lone]

Hello, 
We use those plastic chemical containers for nest boxes, with the front cut off and a bit of a lip left. We also use plastic milk containers for water or feed, hung up with a wire hook and cut off at the front.  My chooks are in a yard with breeding coops around it.  The frames are started with star pickets. The front is a couple of feet of iron with mesh above this, and an iron roof.  You may need a window at the back for ventilation.  I prefer the less wood the better as wood collects ticks and stickfast fleas.  We do have wooden perches though, a fair sized straight branch.  Shelter but also ventilation is important.  Depending on what chook killers you have there, you might need to cover the whole run so it is dog/hawk proof, and use strong mesh.   We have pet dogs here which keep a lot of wild animals away.  It is nice you are having australorps.  They used to breed show australorps here.  

Lone

[Brian D. Bray]

I've build several coops now and have 1 suggestion. Make your bins at waist level so you don't have to bend over all the time to get eggs. My new one for 35 hens has 10 bins of which they lay in 4. Figures. I made a ramp for them to walk up, had to staple chicken wire to it for traction. If you would like pictures I can go take some. It's alittle over the top...we joke about our 3 coops...Becky's first one is " The Ghetto"...very primative..4 feet high and 5 wide 4 bins. The newer one was 8x 4 x8'with bins at one end 4 bins on 2 levels ( The Condo)...Then I got tired of bending over and Built " THE EMBASSY SUITES", made it as an addition to the condo but 8' by 8' with an 8' ceiling for storage. They love it. The bins wrap around 2 sides with a walkway and roosts on top.
The door is tied to the old coop which I will make into straw storage when I have time.
PM me if you want pic's

Chickens prefer to lay in each other's nests but with 35 chickens they should be laying in more than 4.  I've found that if the size of the nest box is a little restrictive for the size of birds the less nest boxes they use.  Small (bantam) and medium (ie Mediterraian) breeds should have a nest box of either 14 or 15 inch cubes.  Larger Breeds (Multi-purpose and meat) need a nest box at least 16 inch cube and small turkeys should start at 18 inch cube.

[coopking]

It is important to start off with a good foundation when building your chicken coop else it will take alot of re-work to do when you find that the designs didn't cater for the protection of the chickens or some other inconveniences. There having the proper Chicken Coop Plans is very important when starting out. Otherwise, it can be an enjoyable experience of building your own chicken coop