Opinions on this small coop!

[RookyChickMama]

We’re going to be getting some Silkie chicks, and we found the cutest little coop design, made out of a blue barrel of all things. I think it’s roughly 3x2, drill holes for ventilation, has a pull out tray for droppings, I’m going to attach a run, but we also have fenced in backyard they can free range. So they will mostly be outdoors unless laying or at night. I’ll attach the pics. So main question is how many silkies do you think can fit in there? Thanks!

 

[cavemanrich]

2 or 3 max in my opinion. I think that the gaps between the slats inside could lead to twisted/caught chicken feet. I know why you have them. I think you still will have gumdrops deposited on those slats regardless how many fall thru.
It is a novel Idea. You will see soon how well it works for you. Your chickens may prefer to stay in the caged mini run area instead of inside barrel. Raccoons if in your area, can reach in and grab the chickens thru that wire. You know the result then.Silkies are not the kind to be very predator aware.
WISHING YOU BEST.....

 

[RookyChickMama]

2 or 3 max in my opinion. I think that the gaps between the slats inside could lead to twisted/caught chicken feet. I know why you have them. I think you still will have gumdrops deposited on those slats regardless how many fall thru.
It is a novel Idea. You will see soon how well it works for you. Your chickens may prefer to stay in the caged mini run area instead of inside barrel. Raccoons if in your area, can reach in and grab the chickens thru that wire. You know the result then.Silkies are not the kind to be very predator aware.
WISHING YOU BEST.....

We were thinking of getting 3. Well have a better run. Not that flimsy one. But I hadn’t considered the slats being troublesome to their feet. I’ve never had silkies before, I think my LF hens would do fine with it, but maybe the silkies won’t. We still have time to plan the right one, they’ll be in a brooder for a while, but it was just so cute!

 

[nminusyplusm]

If you plan on building this, I think your time and money would be better spent on a design that is functional instead of gimmicky. cavemanrich brought up very good points about its drawbacks. I'll add that it doesn't provide much height for decent ventilation above wherever it is they're supposed to roost (Are they supposed to roost on the slats? Not sure...). I'm also not crazy about how the inside is accessed from the end.

 

[nminusyplusm]

Forgot to add: it looks like the slats pretty much guarantee it will get filthy inside and lack of access will make it a pain to clean. I think you'd be much happier with a coop that uses litter, the deeper the better.

 

[Sunshine Flock]

It's really cute!

But I wouldn't want to keep them inside such a dark, confined space with fresh paint. It looks like they used spray paint. It's toxic and needs months to outgas. Even then I wouldn't use it anywhere near a food source or live animals.

You could create a similar design, though, and have some fun making a replica wagon from wood. You can arch the wire fencing or hardware cloth over a wood frame and secure the brooder for your chicks. If you do this, please post some photos!

 

[RookyChickMama]

Forgot to add: it looks like the slats pretty much guarantee it will get filthy inside and lack of access will make it a pain to clean. I think you'd be much happier with a coop that uses litter, the deeper the better.

I think the point of the slats is for it to fall between them and there is a pull out tray at the bottom.... what kind of small coop would you recommend?

 

[ChickNanny13]

Cute. Everyone has pointed out you should consider something more functional. You're in TX weather can get severe, the plastic barrel will get too hot during the summer even with those "vents" & chill during the winter. The floor spacing is dangerous & the wire spacing too big.

You could put "windows" with hardware cloth covering for more ventilation. Lay down a piece of plywood & use shavings (deep litter) for the floor. Secure some hardware cloth over the wire for safety. There are alot of cute coop ideas on this site you may want to take a look at.

 

[RookyChickMama]

It's really cute!

But I wouldn't want to keep them inside such a dark, confined space with fresh paint. It looks like they used spray paint. It's toxic and needs months to outgas. Even then I wouldn't use it anywhere near a food source or live animals.

You could create a similar design, though, and have some fun making a replica wagon from wood. You can arch the wire fencing or hardware cloth over a wood frame and secure the brooder for your chicks. If you do this, please post some photos!

That sounds like a good idea! We’re not too handy though, so I need something simple. Unless I can get some help! Lol

 

[nminusyplusm]

I think the point of the slats is for it to fall between them and there is a pull out tray at the bottom.... what kind of small coop would you recommend?

I just don't believe it would fall out instead of build up and turn into a mess.

Where in TX are you? What kind of weather do you get? And how much room do you have that you could use?

I can say from experience that you always want to build bigger than you think you need. I wish I had!