Chicken Online Checkup (Warning, Long Post)

[3KillerBs]

Here's a picture of the run and the coop. I have 6 hens and one rooster. Most of the time I let them sleep on the roof it they want too, and if I think they have to be inside I keep the door to the wooden part open and close the door to the miniature run that's part of the coop. I also have an example of some ventilation I've installed, that's their nesting box. I also have hardware cloth which I shaped to fit directly on the wooden doors, to act as vents too.

The vented nestbox is very well done!

What you need is venting at the roof peak -- up in the top triangle. You can cut a piece out there on each end and replace it with hardware cloth. Since it's under the cover of the run roof you won't have to worry about rain getting in.

7 birds should have this for space:

• 28 square feet in the coop,
• 70 square feet in the run,
• 7 linear feet of roost
• 2 nest boxes
• and 7 square feet of ventilation, best located over the birds's heads while they're sitting on the roost.

Here's a thread showing how some people have converted their prefab coop-and-run combos into just coops: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-renovated-prefab-coop.1440258/

Do you put tarps up on the sides of the run in the winter? As long as they always have a place safe from wind and free of snow they should be perfectly happy to go outside in the cold.

 

[aart]

I have 6 hens and one rooster. Most of the time I let them sleep on the roof it they want too,

Because coop is too small for that many birds.

Do you get snow load on the run roof?

I live in Indiana

Southern or Northern?

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Souther

 

[Kaiser Fertilizer]

The vented nestbox is very well done!

What you need is venting at the roof peak -- up in the top triangle. You can cut a piece out there on each end and replace it with hardware cloth. Since it's under the cover of the run roof you won't have to worry about rain getting in.

7 birds should have this for space:

• 28 square feet in the coop,
• 70 square feet in the run,
• 7 linear feet of roost
• 2 nest boxes
• and 7 square feet of ventilation, best located over the birds's heads while they're sitting on the roost.

Here's a thread showing how some people have converted their prefab coop-and-run combos into just coops: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-renovated-prefab-coop.1440258/

Do you put tarps up on the sides of the run in the winter? As long as they always have a place safe from wind and free of snow they should be perfectly happy to go outside in the cold.

Thanks for the advice! I was think of doing something like that to improve my prefab coop but I didn't know that people have done it before! This will be very helpful. The good news is that their is a tiny bit of ventilation at the top of the coop because that top piece of the roof (at the peak) has holes that allow air flow, and I could improve upon that. I plan on getting some wood tools soon anyway, so when I get those I can start work on raising my coop.

The tarp on the run of the coop isn't permanently mounted there (I take it off on cool and comfortable sunny days), so I may have to work out something to keep rain out still, in case I forget to put it back one day. My chickens never seemed bothered by the cold, and the area isn't too vulnerable to the winds in it's placement.

Again, thanks for the advice and information, it really helps!

 

[Kaiser Fertilizer]

Because coop is too small for that many birds.

Do you get snow load on the run roof?


Southern or Northern?

Here's how to add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!
View attachment 3217350
Souther

Thanks for telling me about that feature, I live in south eastern Indiana. Yeah I know it is partially because the coop is too small, but I think the problem right now is it's too hot for them in addition to the small coop. They stayed inside all winter, with no problems. Of course, I do need to replace the coop at some point at least, which I do plan on. The good news is another user provided me with a thread about someone who upgraded their prefab coop, which is something I hadn't thought about that much. I plan on doing so as soon as I can.

Also, I've never had bad snow load on my run roof. I designed it in an arched shape so the snow would slide off when the tarp is on, and I remove the tarp when we have bad snowstorms, so it at least takes a while before the the snow can really build up. When I'm concerned about to much weight from either snow or rain, I put up a heavy duty 2 or 2 and 1/2 inch PVC pipe pole to act as extra support, which I plan on buying more of. So no, I thankfully don't have problems with snow and rain buildup.

 

[3KillerBs]

The tarp on the run of the coop isn't permanently mounted there (I take it off on cool and comfortable sunny days), so I may have to work out something to keep rain out still, in case I forget to put it back one day. My chickens never seemed bothered by the cold, and the area isn't too vulnerable to the winds in it's placement.

A lot of people in snowy areas cover their runs and put plastic around the run walls -- leaving 6-8" of venting on the top -- so they can be sure that the birds have a comfortable place in the winter.