Converting tiny store bought coop to much larger chicken run/coop

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I cannot see my coop from my house - it is behind the garage. I find that a plus!I

If you make a very secure coop, you should not find the need to be able to see it. I would question putting the hens close to your neighbors unless you are certain that you have local permission to have chickens. The noise from the hens could be a problem, depending on your neighbors - believe me, those hens can get fairly noisy!! On the positive side, the area under the tree seems to be built up, so if you put in a sand based flooring, there should be enough run off from rain and gravity to wash the sand. Enough sand and the poop will dry fairly quickly, enabling you to scoop the poop with a kitty litter scoop. (I keep wanting to say Pooper Scooper here!)

Are you planning on letting them free range at all?? In that case, I would say the tree spot seems good.

As for the side of the house - it seems large enough to me for 3 - 4 hens. Instead of making a coop and having to walk alongside of it, you might want to make one similar to mine. While my coop is an A-frame, you could build a 1/2 of an A frame against the house, tall enough for you to enter and care for the hens! Just make it about 6 ft. high and go from the fence to the house, with a door in the front for you to enter. Actually, that would make the chickens less obtrusive, and would not create a nuisance to your neighbors.

I am attaching a copy of my coop and hope you can visualize it as a lean-to in your long narrow area. That way you will have more ground space for the chickens and you can enter it - and it will be nearly invisible!!

Good luck to you and your ladies!! I am enjoying mine so much more than I ever anticipated!! Pat Corona

 
After contemplating all day yesterday I came to the conclusion that the area under the tree is out, due to the close proximity to the neighbors. I am zoned for chickens but they are supposed to be at least 5 feet away from the border to the next house and since I know that those neighbors actually spend time in their backyard I don't want to risk it being an issue.

After reading so many horror stories I just got so paranoid about my girls being killed by a predator that I went into full Helicopter parenting mode
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The narrow area next to the house will do. I will just make it as secure as I can and if there is something going on during the night I am sure my dogs will bark.

I am planning on letting the girls free range but probably only when I am at home. So far I let them out in the morning for about 20 mins and then again after work for about 1.5h. That really will depend on the time of the year though since in the winter time it will be already dark by the time I get home. That's why i want the run to be big enough for them to be also happy in the winter when I can only let them free range during the weekend.

Thanks for the idea about just leaning 1/2 A-frame against the house. I will measure the area again tonight and then see if that would work with the coop being in there as well. Since the coop opens up on top for egg collection it may not work out. I am almost ready to give up on this coop and just have the Craigslist guy make me one that fits my space.
 
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Everything you said sounds good to me!! The neighbors, the free-range when you can supervise (I do that as well), and the side yard area for your hens. If you get a guy to help you build it as a lean-to, or even as a 6 foot high one, you will be able to get in easily to tend to the top of your old coop, should you decide to incorporate it into your run.

I wish you the best, and lots of eggs and happy Ladies!! Pat Corona
 
I made progress over the weekend. I laid down some tile and moved the chicken coop over next to the house. That was hard work, to dig and to move those super heavy tiles, the ground was full of roots too!

An A-Frame won't work out I guess. Not enough space.

I am letting the girls out in the morning and then again when I come home which is sufficient for now. My first priority now is to make the rest of the coop safe. I will have to get some locks for the top and probably attach hardware cloth to the run part as the mesh part is too wide.









Now I can also install the motion sensored lights that I bought
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I think I will try to close up left and right of the coop in a way that I can still go through and then give them the whole area back there.
 

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