Brooder to Coop Timing

[3KillerBs]

Best Choice Products 70in Mobile Fir Wood Chicken Coop Tractor Hen House Poultry Cage for 3-5 Hens, Outdoor, Animal Care w/Wheels, 2 Doors, Nest Box, Removable Tray, UV Panel https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08DDHXWRN/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_Q3EWWV07JH4C0ERDY94C

This is the coop I bought.

Can you put an actual ruler on the interior of the coop portion, not counting the nest boxes?

If I'm reading those dimensions correctly it's about 2 feet square -- which is 4 square feet, which is enough for one hen.

The manufacturers of these prefab coops take advantage of new chickenkeepers by claiming numbers based on the legal minimums for commercial chickens.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Chicks can move out 1) once they have enough feathers to help them manage the temperatures, and 2) they're weaned off heat and have been acclimated to current outside temperatures.

For me, I take 4 week olds off heat down to mid 40s, but I raise the chicks outside so they acclimate much faster to cooler temperatures.

Assuming you've brooded indoors, spend the next week or so weaning them off heat completely (and if your house is much warmer than outside, consider cracking a window to let in cooler air in their brood area), then assess their feather growth. Ideally you'd want feathers (not down) over about 70% or so of their body, though a healthy chick can get by with a little less and still move out successfully.

If I'm reading those dimensions correctly it's about 2 feet square -- which is 4 square feet, which is enough for one hen.

Yeah this is a tough one... going by the exterior measurement of overall floor space is about 8.8 sq ft... which means if the entire unit is converted into a coop, you have enough space for 2 adult birds "inside".

For 6 birds by the end of their teen weeks ideally you'd want to have roughly 24 sq ft of floor space and 6 linear ft of roost and 6 sq ft of ventilation open 24/7. Even for strictly roosting alone there's isn't enough roost space as-is without converting the current 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/

 

[Tkboyer007]

Thanks for the reply! I’ll look into a bigger coop and run. Mine seems to be very challenging to modify!