Our latest coop design to help with some of the challenges of raising chickens in MN including the following.
Pasture systems typically require two coops, a portable one for summer and an insulated one for winter
Sized for 20-80 chickens
Hard to keep chickens warm in the winter.
Chickens need sunlight to lay eggs.
Chickens need a covered chicken run in the winter.
I dislike shoveling chicken manure out of the coops. It’s so dusty and it gets into everything.
I researched hundreds of coop designs and didn’t find one that met all these requirements. I am an engineer and and love trying to solve problems. So last fall we came up with a new design.
The main coop section approximately 6ft tall 8ft long and 11ft wide when the sides are set down. You are able to add as many foldable chicken run sections as you desire. Each chicken run section is 4ft long and the pictures here show 3 of them attached to the main coop.
Advantages:
Double layer greenhouse panels to efficiently capture the suns heat and provide the chickens with sunlight.
The other side of the coop is plywood. This allows you to turn it around in the summer to block out the sun and provide the chickens with shade.
No shoveling manure. The coop is in skids so just pull the coop to a new location and leave the manure behind.
The main coop section can handle up to 80 chickens in the summer and 20 in the winter. To expand the number of chickens it can support in the winter it just needs the chicken run modules added.
Chicken Coop Winter Side Facing South
Provides sunlight for the chickens captures solar heat during the day.
Once the snow starts to melt you can remove the chicken run panels and use them as a greenhouse to start your garden.
Main Coop Rear Side
This side faces south during the summer months. It has plywood to block the suns rays and help the chickens keep cool. During the summer the chicken run section would be removed, folded and stacked somewhere out of the way for storage or used as a separate greenhouse.
Main Coop Interior + Rollaway Egg Box
This shows the 8ft main section of the coop. Notice the rollaway egg box to keep the eggs clean and keep the chickens from eating the eggs.
Chicken Run Section
This shows the chicken run section. Add one section per 15 chickens above 20. If you have less than 20 chickens you can get by with just the main coop.
Folding the main coop for transportation
When it is time to move the coop or if you just need to access something down in the corners it is real easy to grab the sides and fold them up.
Winter Preparation
Put the main coop in the garden with the greenhouse panels facing south.
If you have more than 20 chickens attach 1 4ft chicken run section per 15 chickens above the 20 the coop is winter rated for.
Surround the coop with 4 inches of straw or mulch. This will help keep the ground from freezing and sucking heat away from the chickens as well as help keep the weeds down in the spring. Be sure to stack hay and straw around the edges of the coop to seal it from the elements.
Setup the feed and water
If possible setup a light in the coop on a timer to keep them laying during December and January when the days are so short.
Setting up the coop for summer:
Remove the chicken run and either fold them and stack them for storage or setup them up as a greenhouse for starting your garden.
Fold up the sides on the main coop.
Attach chains to the front of the coop and drag it to a new location. (Or pick it up with the skidsteer) Turn it so the coop has the greenhouse panels facing north.
If you have lots of predators surround the coop with a portable electric fence.
The final step is to take a rake and spread the manure from where the coop was sitting so your whole garden can benefit from this natural fertilizer.
If you are interested in this coop let me know. I can either add the plans to our farm store or build one special for you.