Bought a coop now need to figure out best place to do water and feed

[atlchicks]

This is a small coop that says it is good for 6 chickens. I think I will put less chickens in there. I am going to add some sort of run to it too but trying to determine how to feed them. I like the idea of a pvc pipe for food but do I just cut a hole in the wire to get it in? I also like the bucket with nipples at the bottom for water but not sure where I would put that either. Could I put both in an added on run or do they need to be in the coop?

 

[LittleWhiteSpec]

You can use PVC for feeders and waterers. For a waterer I used 3" PVC cut to length with a 3"cap glued on one end, then put a poultry nipple in it. That worked pretty well, and I just drilled tiny holes in the opposite end of the cap to run a thin rope through to hang it up. Just use something, maybe another cap, to keep out dust and debree. For the feeder I used a 2" PVC combined with a 3"cap, notched the cap about 1.5" half way around the cap so they can get their heads in their, and bolted it together with a small bolt. It helped to notch a small "v" at the bottom of the 2" pipe so the feed came out easier. My chicks are 7 weeks now and I'm still using these feeders and waterers but am starting to build some larger ones too. I keep food and water in the coop and in the run just so they can eat/drink in either place. Hope this helps.

 

[atlchicks]

That is pretty tiny. Any permanent food or waterers are just going to take away space from the chickens, and that wont be good. Not sure how you could do the bucket thing in there.

Be careful and make sure you've get the coop secured. From the screening, to the door and sliding cleanout tray, to the locks, this is not the most secure coop. If you have raccoons, you need to do some updating. At the very least you'll want some sort of runout of screening or pavers around the edges.   

Thanks! To secure the bottom of the coop, I was going to attach a plywood floor and then put vinyl over top the plywood. Does that seem like a good idea?

 

[atlchicks]

Thank you! I am thinking then if I want 4 hens that I should buy another coop and attach them between a long skinny run. I have a narrow area for the chickens as most of our backyard is actually turf. Kind of made it difficult to get anything too big! If I secure the run that I add on, do I have to lock them up at night or can I let them roam in the run and coop? I wasn't planning on a roof for the run, just hardware cloth. Thank you so much!!!

 

[junebuggena]

From the pic, it looks like you have a huge yard with plenty of room for a simple 4 foot x 4 foot coop, and a run of at least 4 feet by 10 feet. Two small coops usually doesn't work out too well since they all try to squish into the same coop and leaving the other one ignored. They should be shut inside each and every night to protect them from nighttime predators.
And while your small, pre-fab coop will not work for what you intended, it is still a great thing to have around for integrating new flock members or to use as an 'hospital' coop for a sick or injured bird.

 

[BruceAZ]

Thank you! So if I add on an extra run, do you think this coop can hold 4 chickens? And if I secure the run, would I have to lock the chickens up in the coop at night or could I leave the door open to let them go in and out? Thank you!

if you turn this coop/run combo into a coop then yes.. it can hold 4 chickens but remember to add/leave room for ventilation at the top of the coop to prevent respiratory problems

we are having a heat wave right now 115-117 in my city... it's a good thing i left 3 in gap on 3 sides of the coop +2 rows of 1in holes for ventilation in my coop . i'll put some frozen water bottles inside the coop at night for them to help cool down the coop a bit when they sleep.

and yes.. if you can secure the run there's no reason to lock the coop at night

this is my coop/run combo 4 3/4' x 8' (run) made with 70% off lumber from home depot (i'm on a budget) i made a lot of mistakes with this coop since i didn't follow any plan.. just put things together as i go..:/

as you can see.. i didn't create a door for the coop.. the chickens will go in and out on their own ... out at 5:15AM and in at 7:38pm each day i'll let them out of the run each day around 6PM to free roam around the yard while i clean out the run/coop + refill the feeder+waterer

depends on your area.. since around here i already have 6ft concrete wall surrounding the house.. so beside my 10lb dog and the neighbors' cats.. there are nothing to worry about it

but it will depend in your area.. my chickens are outside on day one when i brought them home from the pet store.. they are a couple of weeks old already (picture below)

my dog chased after my chickens the first few times since she was curious about them. since i didn't clip my chickens' wings.. my dog can't catch them so she she gave up after a few attempts

but to be safe i'll only let my chickens out when i'm also outside in the yard.. if not.. the dog will stay in the house with me as the chicken roam the yard.etc

 

[junebuggena]

First, you would have to convert the whole thing into a coop instead of a coop/run combo. Then you will need to build the run. If you leave the coop part as is, it will not be big enough, no matter how much run you add.

 

[Lelilamom]

I recommend a PVC waterer and feeder.

The waterer takes up no space at all.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/651102/my-pvc-true-auto-waterer

The feeder has several versions out there. The simpler the better if you are working with a small space.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/109158/pvc-pipe-feeder

If you are sticking with only 4 hens, then that coop is all you need, but as most of us on here will tell you, once you get a few, you just can't stop. And you might find that you are forced to buy 6 chicks from your local seller - I'd recommend having backup plans for expansion / covered run.

Good luck and enjoy your chickens!

 

[BruceAZ]

This is a small coop that says it is good for 6 chickens. I think I will put less chickens in there. I am going to add some sort of run to it too but trying to determine how to feed them. I like the idea of a pvc pipe for food but do I just cut a hole in the wire to get it in? I also like the bucket with nipples at the bottom for water but not sure where I would put that either. Could I put both in an added on run or do they need to be in the coop?

this the same coop from the look of it.. maybe 2-3 chickens max ?

if you are going to build a run.. might as well turn this coop/run combo into a coop instead ?

 

[Gridguru]

That is pretty tiny. Any permanent food or waterers are just going to take away space from the chickens, and that wont be good. Not sure how you could do the bucket thing in there.

Be careful and make sure you've get the coop secured. From the screening, to the door and sliding cleanout tray, to the locks, this is not the most secure coop. If you have raccoons, you need to do some updating. At the very least you'll want some sort of runout of screening or pavers around the edges.