Bringing coop up to snuff, vents and roosting bar

[Cobber]

Working on our hand me down coop.

No vents. Is one wall-mounted 4 inch vent leeward side above the roosting bar sufficient?

Should I seal up the gaps between the coop and the egg box? It seems like this was built with cracks instead of vents.

Coop came with basically a 1x1 roosting bar. I think even not suitable for cockatiels, tbh. Will be switching that out for a 2 to 4 inch wide board.

I guess the chickens that previously lived in this were pretty tough birds!

I think they prefer this perch ->

 

[Buffbrahmabantam]

That coop is tiny. Chickens need a lot more room than that to be anywhere near happy and healthy. Do they roam during the day? If they roam during the day, could you get the a shed to sleep in at night an lay eggs?

 

[Cobber]

They are out a fair amount during the day and can wander in the (enclosed) yard and forage.
I would agree these commercial coops are way too small.
This one is a TSC featured model, so I would guess there are many ‘in circulation’, not to mention the plethora of similar models sold through Amazon et al.

 

[rosemarythyme]

If you can buy/build a run or let them free range the entirety of the day, then consider converting the entire thing to a coop for more space.

To turn it from 2 small "boxes" (tiny coop above tiny run) into 1 bigger "box" you'll want to remove as much of the inside coop wall as possible, plus the floor. Take out the old roosts too.

Nests might be able to stay as is, or may need to be relocated elsewhere or replaced - depends on the structure of the coop and how things inside stack up once done.

Run a new roost(s) lengthwise or widthwise across the newly open space, depending on how much roost is needed. Ideally you’d like 12” per bird but 10” can suffice in many cases.

Board up some of the external wire walls so that the roost area is protected from winds and rain. Do NOT fully cover up all the wire, you need ventilation and natural light, so at the very least a few inches under the roofline should remain open. If your climate allows for it, you can leave entire walls open with just the mesh, or make it convertible for the season by covering up open walls for winter, and then uncovering for summer.

Example of a modified prefab: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-renovated-prefab-coop.1440258/

 

[Cobber]

Here’s their run during the day.

They have a couple of brush piles they can go under if they see a hawk or a squirrel.

We need to clear out some yellow jackets from the far end, once it gets colder.

I did buy them a chicken wire enclosure but that didn’t meet with approval from the boss.