Are there any good pre-fab coops?

[Raubkatze]

Your pavers are undoing your apron effectiveness - the apron needs to extend 18-24" beyond the solid edge, in this case, the pavers, not the run fence. Better off removing the pavers and using landscape staples to secure the apron, or extend the apron even further.

Even a small hawk can take a chicken in pieces, in their stomach.

There was a thread about those ball cages... https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/chicken-orbs.1524278/

How are the pavers undoing the aprons effectiveness? I have cement pavers anchoring my run down and have been very happy with it.

 

[briansol]

Your pavers are undoing your apron effectiveness - the apron needs to extend 18-24" beyond the solid edge, in this case, the pavers, not the run fence. Better off removing the pavers and using landscape staples to secure the apron, or extend the apron even further.

Can you elaborate on the pavers a bit more. I don't see how it hurts?

What about burying it in an inch or 2 of dirt to 'hide' it?

 

[briansol]

That looks good on a temporary basis. For context this is my pre-fab. In my dining room with 3 babies for 1 week. Then I boot them out to my coop brooder, take the few screws out that hold this together and store it in my garage. That is all that it's good for. I would not use this outdoors. It grows mold outside, is not adequate space for more than 1 full size chicken (could be more if bantam,) the roost bar it comes with is not a roost bar, it's just not meant for chickens, rather hamsters, gerbils or guinea pigs. Just hoping that you wont get caught off guard when it's time to do more and hoping you haven't stopped thinking of a long term solution

View attachment 4112092

The picture may be a bit deceiving. The pen is 13x10

The coop, It's advertised for 6-8 birds, I have 5. it's approx 5.5x 3.5, not counting the nesting boxes.
The nest boxes - there's 6 (3 per side) are 12.5" boxes which seems to be pretty standard.
That's 3.8 sq feet per bird inside + nesting areas.

Inside, there's 3 roost bars and a pull out floor for easy cleaning.

When i had them in the previous mesh 'tent' thing in my garage, they all slept on top of each other in a 1x1 square anyway despite having a 3x10 space. I imagine they won't be in there other than sleeping. I had to coerce the first few to go in tonight, then the others followed at dark.

 

[rosemarythyme]

How are the pavers undoing the aprons effectiveness? I have cement pavers anchoring my run down and have been very happy with it.

Pavers aren't anchors. There's anchors specifically designed to help secure things down in high winds if that's the concern.

Can you elaborate on the pavers a bit more. I don't see how it hurts?

What about burying it in an inch or 2 of dirt to 'hide' it?

A digging pest/predator will walk up to a wall, see or feel that it's solid, and back up to begin digging. By putting pavers over it, you've bumped out the solid part so now instead of a critter hitting the wall, backing up to dig, and being frustrated by not finding a good place to dig, they'll start at the edge of the paver.

So if the apron is 24" total, but the pavers cover 18", the effective coverage of the apron is now 6" (24-18)

You could bury the pavers completely under but that seems like an unnecessary amount of extra work and materials?