Does anyone else suffer from coop dissatisfaction?

[Dora'smom]

Yes. I think it's the natural state of affairs to build a coop and then realize that you probably needed to go bigger or different.
I got my husband to build a coop by offering that it could be part coop and part tool shed. You know he got the bigger part of the building. Anyway, the coop was big enough for the original set of girls we got (6), but owing to chicken math, and the additional 4 that came home last year, it was no longer as roomy as it had been. The roosts weren't right, either, though he did make them removable.
The new coop is much larger, and we will probably consolidate the two flocks there, and clean the previous coop for grain/other chicken supply use. Having learned a few lessons from the smaller coop, the new one is kind-of organic, meaning being adjusted in stages. For example, we started with two windows, and are now looking for another window to ensure better ventilation, etc. I think it's a learning curve, and from what you've said, it might be best to add onto the original coop, or build another alongside.
It's really not a bad idea to have different sets of birds, at different levels of maturity, to ensure continued egg availability. Our new girls are laying nicely, while the older ones are going into a major moult.
Good luck with your coop planning.

 

[NHchicks]

Oh my gosh. Not only do we commonly suffer from chicken math, but now I find out we suffer from coop math too. One coop is never enough, and every coop could use a little "adjusting"!

Thank you for all the replies, you make me feel SO much better and not alone.

I think if I had it my way, my chickens would have a house bigger than mine. And it would be full and still be too small.

I just love those birds... They are the coolest things ever.

 

[sharol]

Like someone already said in this thread, everyone who prebuilds coops overstates the number of birds they can house comfortably.

I bought a Hen Hoop that was rated for 8 birds.

Right. It would comfortably house 3, maybe 4 if they got along well. Please understand, this is a VERY well made, VERY secure coop/run/tractor. I really like it. Unfortunately my 7 girls are getting too big to live in the crowded quarters. They range in the yard for 3-4 hours a day (morning and afternoon), but I feel guilty putting them back in at night.

So.

Last weekend, my DH commented that the birds were pretty crowded in there. I looked at kits at Lowes and Home Depot, and had about decided on a 6x8 wood construction when I found a completed metal 6x8 at a neighbor's house that he wanted to sell pretty much for the cost of the materials. He will be delivering it next week. We are doing the site prep this weekend in anticipation of the arrival of the building.

At that point, we will have to put in windows and a pop-door as well as the other fictures for a chicken coop -- roosts, poop board, containment for deep litter, blah blah blah.

My DH thinks I will sell the old Hoop. Or not. It would house 3 birds very nicely. Oh, yes, and with the bigger coop, I can add a Roo when I find a well behaved one who is good with his ladies and the Hoop would make a nice place for him to stay during his first couple of weeks when he has to be isolated.

 

[Backyard_Chicken_rancher]

An easy fix and so Hubby doesn't POed at you is to simply say Honey we need a bigger coop now that the girls are getting bigger they need room to speard out now I love the coop we have and I think we could use it for the brooder and grow out pen but we really could use a much much bigger coop,......there you go problem solved and then when he agrees to it tell him you have this idea and lay it on him.


GOOD LUCK to you I hope it works out for you.

 

[dirtsaver]

Coop dissatisfaction?? In a word......NO! I'm happy with my coop. Sure there a few things I might have done different but nothing major. I built it to look like the coops I grew up seeing as a kid in the 1950's/60's and am really pleased with how it turned out.

On the other hand........I think it's time to consider building a second one. I feel more chickens coming this spring.

Larry

 

[gryeyes]

Quote:
And it would be handy to keep around for a grow out coop for any young chicks too old for the brooder, but too young to integrate into your flock. *innocent whistling*

 

[sharol]

My DH took a people management class a few years back, and one of the ideas they promoted was to let other people think that the ideas were theirs. It requires that you plant the idea and then let go of the "credit" for the good idea so that someone else can feel empowered by thinking of it. It works well, don't you think?

Yes, I think it will work very well for that.

Sharol

Quote:
And it would be handy to keep around for a grow out coop for any young chicks too old for the brooder, but too young to integrate into your flock. *innocent whistling*

 

[artsyrobin]

most definitely i do, so much so i ordered a 10 x 10 shed to convert- our original coop is 8 x 4, but we haven't been able to seal it from leaking- this last rain we had was the last straw- besides the cramped conditions, i stood their holding one of the girls and promised things would change- so that said- i think coop and run construction is always a work in progress- always revising and adjusting- the original coop they are in now was built for 6 - 8 chickens- what i didn't figure on was chicken addiction and chicken math- so 6 are now 18, with a seperate run and coop for banties-

 

[NHchicks]

Between the saintly husbands mentioned here who so diligently and willingly build coops, more coops, bigger and better coops - THREE CHEERS FOR THEM!!! - and then the great ideas about just how to approach the subject to maybe get them to think they would like to try their hand at another coop - Wow. Great ideas.

Now that I think about it, my husband did mention recently he might want to turn my current coop into a grouse coop (he never gets anything when he grouse hunts - I think he's thinking he may stock his own - hmmm) and then build a bigger chicken coop. He mentioned building the same kind of coop but doubling it. I'll have to do some research into his grouse ideas so I can get him excited about that.