Backyard chicken coop advice sought. NJ here.

[farmerjbell]

Hey guys,

Thanks again for all the helpful and informative information!

Kristen: those are really neat coops; I especially like the last model! Thanks!

Coyote: I live in Jackson, NJ (Ocean County). Thanks for the advice!

Jen: Cool website and great advice! Thanks for your offer of assistance -- I may just take you up on it someday!

Mike: Again, great work! Thank you as well for your offer of assistance -- I may take you up on it as well someday!

With my time constraints these days (full-time work/grad school) I may have to hold off on building one (as much as I really want to), I may have to put off building one until next spring/summer.

any opinions on the chick-n-hutch? http://www.mypetchicken.com/Coops_without_Chickens-Chick_N_Hutch-P203.aspx

Would this be adequate for 4-6 hens in NJ weather (winters do get cold)? If I were to get this model, I'd build a chicken wire run around this hutch. What is appealing about this hutch is the price, especially if I intend to build something better in a year or so. Any opinions?

Thanks!

 

[CoyoteMagic]

You are going to need a coop that has 4 walls because of the cold for them to avoid frostbite and other problems with the cold. I think a "playhouse" style coop would do you well for 4 chickens. You could always make it wider and deeper for 6 chickens

 

[kristen2678]

This wont work in NJ. There is no protection from frostbite. They also will need some protection from rain and snow. It's also too small for 4 chickens.

 

[CityChook]

Honestly, I think for the amount of money you'd spend on a pre-fabbed coop (that includes the egloo, which I would RUN away from), you could PAY someone to build it for you. I'd check CL for carpenters. Even high school kids with wood shop experience. This isn't rocket science, it's a chicken coop. There are lots of people out there who could use the work and you'd have it done in just a couple days (instead of the entire summer's worth of weekends like it took us). Pick your favorites from the coop design page, print them, visit Home Depot to estimate materials costs and find a handyman or even a landscaper. Then sign the check, pour yourself a lemonade and pat yourself on the back!

 

[TcherDawn]

I have the Chick-n-hutch and run as a temporary coop (see my page for a basic picture) It needed modifications for security(lots of hardware cloth) and will not be warm enough for winter, nor is is big enough for my 5(the minimum order) girls. But it is summer and they never spend any time in the coop(only to sleep and lay). I have covered the small run that you can buy with it, and then I attached that run to a 10ft by 10 ft chain link dog kennel for a larger (less secure) uncovered run. We are looking for a used garden shed for a new permanent coop, but this will make a good isolation ward even when we do get our new coop built and move the girls. The 10 by 10 kennel will be the permanent run for the new coop too, with some extra fencing that I am currently working on getting in place. PM me if you have questions. The hutch is easy to build(I built it myself with no carpentry skills at all). I put a few panels on backwards and had to remove them, but I did it in one afternoon. I do LOVE having my chickens, but I do not think I would have more than 5 right now. It is the right amount of work and eggs for us. I love the "breed" of started pullets I got from the farm store. They are easy to take care of, quiet, gentle, and very friendly. And they are supposed to lay through molt and winter. The five of them lay 5 eggs a day. We shall see. But as a "hutch' owner, I would never recommend it for a winter coop anywhere it gets cold. Very thin and airy. Chickens would freeze. And there is no room in the hutch with the roost pole attached and the nesting box for them to move around. None. Just my two cents.

 

[Lady Henevere]

I've been happy with the Eglu Cube, which can house more chickens than the original Eglu. In my opinion, it's a great coop for someone who doesn't want to build one, and a huge plus is that it is VERY easy to keep clean.
Here's the website: http://www.omlet.us/products_services/products_services.php?view=Eglu%20Cube
Here's a thread where I posted pictures and comments: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=182478
Good luck with your chickens!

(ETA: I'm assuming the chickens have access to a somewhat sheltered run year round -- I can't imaging keeping chickens *inside* something so small day after day. I live in Southern California so my ideas of what may be feasible in a cold climate may be way off!)

 

[thenewbckyrdchicknfrmer]

hello, im also from NJ, toms river to be exact, im about 20 mins from you lol, if money isnt an issue, go to agway, i was just there a few days ago and they have these really cool coops for sale, i dont know how much they are but there really cool, and there not the cheap kind there biult with T1-11 and 2x2s, they have the best boxes accesable from the outside to and they look nice, i would try there. good luck

 

[patandchickens]

One thing to realize about store-boughten coops or yard sheds -- they all have RADICALLY INSUFFICIENT ventilation for good chicken health, especially if you stock storeboughten coops with as many chickens as the seller says they "can hold up to".

So, even if you are buying a premade purpose-built chicken coop, you are almost certainly going to have to cut some big holes in it for additional ventilation.

Read recent threads from people whose expensive ready-made coops are getting way to hot in summer; or from last winter, from people whose converted yard sheds or expensive ready-made coops are giving their chickens frostbite (from too much humidity i.e. too little ventilation).

I'm not saying you *have* to build from scratch yourself (although if you do, you can build in plenty of ventilation right from the start); it's just something to be aware that you'll have to take care of.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[SpunkyTheMonkey]

Quote:
ideally you want:

4 sq ft of coop space (per chicken), this has 4 = 1 chicken.
10 sq ft of run space, this has almost 12 = 2 chickens.
1 linear foot of roost space, this has 4 = 4 chickens.

to give you some context, i spent ~550 USD on materials for our coop and have 43 sq ft of coop, 53 sq ft of run and 5.5 ft of roost.

i'm with CityChook, pay someone to do it. you'll get exactly what you want that way too instead of wasting money on something you think "will do" which you'll be unhappy with afterwards. you could probably spend 300 on materials and 200 on a teenager with a carpenter parent and get a better* coop than the one you linked to.

*maybe not prettier, but better for your chickens.

$0.02

 

[OSUman]

Quote:
sorry i was lookin at the link and its http://www.greenchickencoop.com/