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.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Do you have a link to that specific coop so I can look at dimensions and other details. Especially photos or drawings. Are those three the only chickens you will be putting in this?

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

It is a hand-me-down. Did the previous owners make it work as is? Maybe they left the pop door open 24/7 so they had ventilation. Leaving the pop door open would solve some of the space concerns also but if it is not predator proof you would be taking a risk.

I do not see a ridge vent or eaves vents. Not sure what your climate is. I don't know how big that coop is. With no real knowledge of that specific coop I'd want a gable vent in both front and rear walls. Not sure what size. That would probably be enough.

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

Will rainwater be able to get inside the nest area? You want to keep rainwater out. I don't consider cracks that allow ventilation (especially if it will be in the direct sun in summer) to a bad thing, may be a really good thing to keep the nests for turning into an oven.

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.

Can't argue with that. Where will you be putting it? It needs to be higher than the nests to help keep them from sleeping in the nests but below the ventilation so they are not caught in a cold cross breeze.

For only three chickens it may not be that bad but it does need some work. Good luck!

 

[Cobber]

Here’s the link for the coop. Ours does not have the vents, but there is a ridge vent of sorts under the eaves.
I don’t think this is a six chicken coop!

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/producers-pride-mini-defender-coop-mdc001-1485300

 

[Ridgerunner]

Dimensions of the chicken coop without the run: 41.74 in. L x 40.35 in. W x 48.23 in. H

But that includes the nests. The actual coop dimensions without the nests are 27.17 x 40.35. That is only 7.6 square feet. With the nests it is 11.7 square feet. You can probably keep three in there if your climate is such that they can get outside practically every day of the year and you have the pop door open so they can get out. If they are snowed in or you have blizzards lasting a while it can be more of a problem.

The entire enclosed open area including under the coop is about 21 square feet. That's under the normal recommendations of square feet per chicken you often see on here but with the pop door open so the coop area is also available that is probably enough for 3 chickens. But it is tight.

I cannot tell what vents it might have at the eaves from the plans. The plans show gable vents but the photo of yours does not. Think I'd add some there.

That coop would not suit me at all. I like Rosemary's idea if turning the whole think into a coop. What you would need to do would depend a lot on your climate. If your climate is mild enough an open-air coop might work well so you would need to do very little. But I would want an additional run associated with it.

For three chickens you might get by with it. For any more or if you ever want to integrate new chickens I think you need to think bigger.

 

[KyCoop]

Your beautiful young ladies do not yet look full grown. Those lady's will be how you say, full figured gals when full grown. You might be able to get by with it for now but not long term.