Buying my chickens a new house.

[BroodyFiestyHen]

I was considering buying this house for my ladies & I also have this tractor supply 8X8 pen but i want to know if it would still work with my pen? if anyone has the same pen you know has an open square on one side that you can unscrew & i didn’t know if i could get my house to fit that way? I need an answer asap please! thank you!!!Pictures

 

[SourRoses]

I was considering buying this house for my ladies

It's rather small, as prefabs usually are, and they are also known for being constructed of flimsy wood that doesn't last in the elements.
Ventilation is also a problem - you have to add more and in the process can wind up with drafts / breezes directly on your sleeping birds because of the limited head room above the roosts.

How many chickens do you have?
You get waaay more for the money if you build your own.
We just did an 8x8 coop for $600, the carpentry is not perfect, but it's designed to suit our needs and climate

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

Welcome to BYC!!

I read your Reddit post and it sounds like you have an semi-urgent need because the current pre-fab coop is failing after just a year, is that right?
Let’s start by getting some basic Q&A done so you don’t have to repeat yourself for others:
Generally where are you and what’s your climate like? What predators are of concern?
Also need to know how many chickens you have/want and if they are bantam, standard or extra lrg breeds.

First, I have to agree with @SourRoses, the coop you referenced is of poor quality material for the money. It’s also small, housing maybe 3 standard birds comfortably.
In your Reddit thread you gained some excellent advice on how to shore up the roof so it doesn’t rot in a year like your present coop: shingles, metal, etc. That will obviously cost more upfront but it solves problem immediately (after assembly). Adding tar paper and shingles or metal on top of the existing roof will extend the life of the coop by a couple of years barring no other structural issues down the road. Ventilation is poor so consider adding more.
Regarding the coop fitting the pen, well that’s hard to say without knowing measurements of the connection opening. Clearly some fitting and minor construction will be needed to make it fit and predator proof. It may be cost effective to simply build a coop to fit the pen if you have the skills, tools and time or know someone who can help.

 

[Wot The Flock]

It may be cost effective to simply build a coop to fit the pen if you have the skills, tools and time or know someone who can help.

I agree. Those pre-fab things are effectively 'toys'. Good for an emergency fix (I got one when unexpectedly got given a chicken many years ago). But if looking for a permanent solution, build one, or buy a shed that you can convert. Go for something you can get into and clean, so people height!

And don't forget (for the run and the shed), being digging predator/pest proof.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Hi, welcome to the forum from Louisiana. Glad you joined.

I'd need better photos and some dimensions of both of those to come up with details but you can join them to share the run portion. It may not be real convenient for you to get from one to the other but my first thought would be to butt the two fence sections up to each other, cut out a door in the wire, and sandwich the two sections of wire in between boards with screws. I've done things like that before.

I don't know how suitable that would be for you. That's a different question. But yes, you can link them.

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC.

How many chickens do you have/intend to have?

Where, in general, are you?

The more information you give us the more readily we can help you.

I would not consider that coop for anything other than a dire emergency because it is undersized, very poorly ventilated, and reputedly poorly-made.

Here's some general information,

The Usual Guidelines

For each adult, standard-sized hen you need:

• 4 square feet in the coop (.37 square meters)
• 10 square feet in the run (.93 square meters),
• 1 linear foot of roost (.3 meters),
• 1/4 of a nest box,
• And 1 square foot (.09 square meters) of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation, preferably located over the birds' heads when they're sitting on the roost.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/repecka-illustrates-coop-ventilation.77659/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hot-climate-chicken-housing-and-care.77263/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/cold-weather-poultry-housing-and-care.72010/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-extreme-weather-spiel.75893/

 

[Salacker]

I was considering buying this house for my ladies & I also have this tractor supply 8X8 pen but i want to know if it would still work with my pen? if anyone has the same pen you know has an open square on one side that you can unscrew & i didn’t know if i could get my house to fit that way? I need an answer asap please! thank you!!!Pictures

I have 2 of those 8x8 pens on either side of one of my coops. I attached them to the coop with tunnels that I made out of 2"x2"s and 1/2x1/2 wire. I love the pens. My neighbor has a coop like the one you are considering. I'm not sure of its condition. Most prefab coops don't seem to be sturdy just my opinion. I made another 4x7 coop out of pallet wood and some 4x4's and 2x4s that I'm sure was less costly than a prefab coop. I'll attach some photos.

 

[Salacker]

I was considering buying this house for my ladies & I also have this tractor supply 8X8 pen but i want to know if it would still work with my pen? if anyone has the same pen you know has an open square on one side that you can unscrew & i didn’t know if i could get my house to fit that way? I need an answer asap please! thank you!!!Pictures

Here's some photos of the coop I made out of mostly Pallet wood. Pretty simple if you have some tools and a little skill.