Building my first coop

[mwisejsj]

Hello all

I'm picking up 3 chicks on Friday that will be about a month old. I'm building an a-frame movable coop based on this design http://www.organicgardening.com/sites/all/themes/zen/og/pdf/coop_plans.pdf I'm hoping that this will be enough space for my chickens and will move them around the yard to new feeding grounds.

Am I nuts to think this will be enough? I live in the Lower Mainland of BC Canada, so temperature is pretty mild. Will the chicks be ok in here overnight or should I still have an indoor space for them until they are older?

Searching for wisdom

Mary-Anne

 

[JesseK]

Your link isn't working... What is an average night time temperature?

 

[mwisejsj]

Sorry about that.. Here is a link to the same one on this site.. https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/birddawgs-chicken-coop-tractor

We are above freezing now.. so say low 40's..

 

[JesseK]

My chicks are 6 weeks old...I will be moving them out within the next week and our overnight temps are similar. I'm hoping that with enough bedding they will stay warm. But I am only a novice so I hope a pro comments

I'm not sure about the space, it looks large enough to me, especially if you are planning on moving it frequently.

Good luck!

 

[mwisejsj]

I will admit to being nervous about the size, but they say it will hold 5-6 chickens and based on calculations from a thread on here, it seems big enough for the 3 of them.

Hope all goes well.

Mary-Anne

 

[ailurophile23]

Seems like it should be plenty big enough for three chickens - there is 30 sq ft of outside space plus the inside space so that is over 10 sq ft per chicken. And if you move the coop to a new area daily or every couple of days, they should be fine. As for leaving the chicks in the coop overnight, it really depends on their size and amount of feathering. But with the coop closed up and the three of them there to help warm each other, I suspect they will be fine - especially if you put a deep area of litter (sawdust or hay) in one section of the coop so they can bed down in it.

 

[mwisejsj]

Thanks... I'll grab a straw bale and that should help keep them warm