Coop too Small?

[FridayYet]

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This is what I'm working with. Help!

Way, way too small! Where is your roost bar going to be? They need about a foot of roosting space each, plus more if you can. They also need maneuvering room to jockey for position each night. Too close to the wall, and they can't turn around and you'll also have poop all over the walls.

 

[FridayYet]

Try to double the size if you can, by extending it forward even if it makes the front wall short. (The chickens won't care!) Just sister the rafters out another 2 feet, continuing the slope down. You'll probably have to build a new support for the floor extension, too, and when you do add a cross brace so you can have your feeder and waterer underneath the coop to save space.

 

[123RedBeard]

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This is what I'm working with. Help!

I would take the roof off and extent the coop out another 2'-3' ... then pitch the roof up at the other angle ...

I don't know what is on the other side of the back wall, I would look into putting some nesting boxes hanging out the back, that you could maybe access from the outside ...

 

[FridayYet]

I would take the roof off and extent the coop out another 2'-3' ... then pitch the roof up at the other angle ...

I don't know what is on the other side of the back wall, I would look into putting some nesting boxes hanging out the back, that you could maybe access from the outside ...

Great idea - moving the nest boxes out will save space also.

 

[123RedBeard]

Were you planning on enclosing what looks like the front? As you really need a way to secure/lock them in at night when they are the most vulnerable, as they can not see in the dark ...

Hopefully there are no predators around, as unfortunately even chicken wire will not stop them ... I'd recommend at the very least 1'X3" welded wire fencing ... 19 gauge 1/2" hardware cloth is better ...

 

[Percheron chick]

You do not need a traditional 4 sided coop living in Sacramento. 2 feet wide is of no value. It might be best to start over. You need 4 feet minimum for them to get up and down from the roosts. An 8x4 coop should be your minimum. You will maximize your lumber and minimize your cuts. I would go with an open design (2 or 3 sided) to help with your brutal summers. They do like to stay dry but cold is not your concern. The chicken wire needs to be beefed up with hardware cloth or chainlink. The loose dogs cruising the neighborhood will rip through that in 10 seconds flat.

 

[chickmommarains]

I am definitely enclosing that open side so it will be an enclosed coop. It is still very much a work in progress.

The 2 8' ft sides are fully covered with 2x4 boards. We took out an old deck and have lots of them. I plan to put 2' hardware cloth at the bottom of the 12' walls. It is actually not chicken wire that you see, but 17 gauge stucco wire which is stronger than chicken wire (or so I've read).

Sounds like tomorrow I will extend the floor out and figure out the roof extension. I will be covering the whole 8'x12' box with corrugated roofing. Could I just extend the floor another 2' and lay a flat roof (like plywood) since it will ultimately be covered by the other roof?

Thank you all so much.

 

[chickmommarains]

You do not need a traditional 4 sided coop living in Sacramento. 2 feet wide is of no value. It might be best to start over. You need 4 feet minimum for them to get up and down from the roosts. An 8x4 coop should be your minimum. You will maximize your lumber and minimize your cuts. I would go with an open design (2 or 3 sided) to help with your brutal summers. They do like to stay dry but cold is not your concern. The chicken wire needs to be beefed up with hardware cloth or chainlink. The loose dogs cruising the neighborhood will rip through that in 10 seconds flat.

If I extend the floor and sides of the coop out another 2 feet, you think they will be ok in the winter? That would give them 8x4 semi enclosed and a full 8x12 of floor space underneath, plus some yard time.

We live in an area of town with loose chickens everywhere, parks, streets, etc. I would think that any predators would be more drawn to them than our boxed in chicks, but I'm trying to make it as safe as I can.

 

[FridayYet]

Chickens will be fine in Sacramento winters, they have built-in down coats.

The real challenge will be the summers and you'll need a ton of ventilation or the chickens will bake, like percheron chick mentioned. That's why 3 sided coops work so well in mild climates.

Right now I'm converting a shed into a coop. I've put in 2 roof vents, a window, and a low vent and it's still not enough!

 

[chickmommarains]

Chickens will be fine in Sacramento winters, they have built-in down coats. 

The real challenge will be the summers and you'll need a ton of ventilation or the chickens will bake, like percheron chick mentioned.  That's why 3 sided coops work so well in mild climates.

Right now I'm converting a shed into a coop.  I've put in 2 roof vents, a window, and a low vent and it's still not enough! 

Great. Adding an extra 2 ft of floor space for bigger roosting space will be relatively easy. The whole thing is under a wall of oak trees so it is a pretty cool corner of the yard. I'm thinking that will make a huge difference in the summer.