Alternative Options for Coops

[foxrfarm]

I decided to keep my eight chickens in one of our horse stalls. My husband installed hardware cloth over all of the openings between the boards and bars, and used a tight netting over the top, so that predators can not get in. The stall opens to the outside paddock with a dutch door - so they get out every day. I have prefab nesting boxes mounted on one wall and have used two jump standards and a rail for a roost. I guess I got carried away with repurposing and not buying extra stuff. The chickens are very happy in their 12 x 10 stall, and I get to go in and sit with them comfortably whenever I want. This is working very well for us right now, and is as easy to clean as any other horse stall in the barn. Also, all animal feed is kept in the same area and it will allow them a bit more room to roam in the cold Minnesota winter, when the snow is several feet high and getting outside is impossible.

 

[Nicole01]

Since I'm also in MN, we built our coop inside our garage and the run is just outside our house. Our coop is 9ft tall, plenty of head room to walk. Our run is only 5 ft tall and we put a steel roof to keep the rain and snow out. We put a radiator heater inside the coop and covered the run. The run floor stays unfrozen. I don't have to walk through snow to get to my coop. Luckily our garage was built bigger to add room for a boat, we decided it would be good to put the coop there. We have 12 square feet of ventilation at the very top, which keeps the coop super dry during the wettest days.

I wished we had a barn and lived on a farm, but that's not going to ever happen. The kids need to be close to their friends and moving is not an option now.