Adding on to a TSC coop

[nickellmama27]

I'd turn the whole thing into a coop before next winter....at the latest.

Do you have any recommendations

 

[EquiSally]

I have the same coop now, which I'm using as a temporary house, for my 4 fat hens and they barely fit. When we moved we couldn't take their big house with us. They're calm and gentle with each other, thank goodness, but I couldn't imagine putting anymore in there with them. They already broke the ramp and one of the nest box dividers. I let them out as much as possible because they are pretty cramped. I don't think ten birds will be comfortable in there. We're currently building an 8x8 at our rental house, using reclaimed materials to keep the cost down.

If I absolutely had to keep this coop, I would turn the "upstairs" into the nest box only zone by adding more permanent dividers, then cover the entire exterior with thin paneling, leaving the door as mesh for ventilation, and adding 2 stronger 2x4 roosts in the coop roosting zone. And then attach a large run. Just ideas.

 

[nickellmama27]

I have the same coop now, which I'm using as a temporary house, for my 4 fat hens and they barely fit. When we moved we couldn't take their big house with us. They're calm and gentle with each other, thank goodness, but I couldn't imagine putting anymore in there with them. They already broke the ramp and one of the nest box dividers. I let them out as much as possible because they are pretty cramped. I don't think ten birds will be comfortable in there. We're currently building an 8x8 at our rental house, using reclaimed materials to keep the cost down.

If I absolutely had to keep this coop, I would turn the "upstairs" into the nest box only zone by adding more permanent dividers, then cover the entire exterior with thin paneling, leaving the door as mesh for ventilation, and adding 2 stronger 2x4 roosts in the coop roosting zone. And then attach a large run. Just ideas.

Kinda what I thought!

 

[shaggy151]

I agree,... with that dang chicken math. I started with a 4'x4' coop with a 12'x4' run around December with just wanting 6 bantams. Now I just finished my new coop 8'x6' with 168 sq ft run. It seems it never ends.

 

[shaggy151]

I need to just listen and keep it the way it is. I wish we
Could figure out a coop that's easily moveable when we move to a permanent house that is a big coop. I want all the birds.

Just build you a tractor style coop they are a lot easier to move when the time comes. There's lot of great tractor style coops on this site for ideas that I've seen.

Shaggy

 

[aart]

I saw someone take one of these and put a nest down low and roosts up high.
Remove existing wall between 'coop' and ;run' and enclose the 'run' part in siding.
You want roosts higher than nests.

Might browse thru these:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ne...&order=descending&Search=SEARCH&Search=SEARCH

 

[nickellmama27]

Awesome thank you I'll look at those!!!

 

[nickellmama27]

And I now have permission to make another coop out of pallets..

 

[charlesdunn2006]

They make an expansion for the red barn. I found it sold by Walmart for $99

We are turning the area below the house into a second house and adding the expansion.