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Starting Member
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Last Login: 6/27/2009 1:45:42 PM
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| I'm trying to find a way to build a cheap chicken coop that doesn't look like crap. I need to house about a dozen laying hens and 25 broiler/fryers. How much room do meat birds need? If they're only around for a couple of months does my coop need to be that much bigger?
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Junior Member
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Last Login: Yesterday @ 6:10:58 AM
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| It is probably best to house them separately. Not what you wanted to hear, I'd guess, but your laying hens will be healthier and will do a good job of eating bugs if they can roam. You want to keep the broilers confined so that they don't get tough. Our broiler coop is about 6 feet by 12 and has an attached pen that is about twice as large as the coop. We typically keep anywhere from 25 to 50 meat birds in that space. With only a dozen laying hens, you could probably make do with a coop about the same size as our broiler coop. You could even make one building, then divide it down the center so as to only have to build one outside wall. Do make sure to line your building with 1/2 inch hardware cloth below the flooring (no gaps!) and about a foot up the walls, to prevent rats, mink, skunks and other predators from getting in and wiping out your flock. Better to do it right the first time, than to have to go back and retrofit once you have a problem start.
Karen
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Average Member
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Last Login: Today @ 6:17:56 PM
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| We turned our shed (4'x4') into a coop. My husband took 5 gallon buckets and screwed them to a 4 x 4 with a little board at the front to keep hay inside the buckets and then drilled holes in the bottom for drainage. The best thing about it is that it already has electricity and two fans to circulate the air with (2) 3x4 windows. He just cut an up side down U for the chicken door and placed a small hinged door on the outside of it to let them in and out. The big door is nice for clean up. Check out your local HomeDepot or Lowe's.
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Junior Member
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Last Login: 6/30/2009 4:08:45 AM
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there was a club on line that made things from free stuff.
Some of them made hen houses. now if your thinking that some free stuff will look bad then all should see that site. Granted some of the club members were pro carpenters, but the rules were the product had to be free. One hen house had curtain painted on the windows... out of site. 
Jumbo Cornish birds need almost no room per bird. Mine never go any place. I could leave all the doors open and the would not leave the food pail with out a kick.
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Starting Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 8/1/2009 7:05:30 AM
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| Where can I find the site to build chicken coops from free stuff? Thanks.
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Starting Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 11/15/2009 3:03:49 PM
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http://www.aselfsufficientlife.com/build-chicken-houses-for-free.html
http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/geno0704.html
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Alice
Summers in the Ozarks, Winters in South Texas
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