Chicks Don’t Like Their Coop?

[KristyB]

Thank you!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Thank you for your suggestions!View attachment 1483530

This photo was great to help visualize. This is what I was thinking of as far as changes:

- roosts up where the pink bars are
- open up the aqua tinted area front and back and cover with wire mesh instead.

Also I have to be realistic, this looks too small for 8 chickens once they're adults. I would at the very least remove the dividers from one side of nest boxes and treat that as floor space, as it's too many boxes for the size of coop and number of chickens anyhow.

Taking the back off will give more air, but in full sun like shown it's not going to keep it cooler. They need some serious shade in your climate.

Also your ramp is too steep with not enough cleats.
I'd add 1 or 2 cleats between each existing cleat,
and put a concrete block, or something about 16" high, under the low end of ramp.

Taking off the back at night also negates the point of having a coop (which is to keep the chickens safe at night), if there's no wire or anything else to provide protection there.

Another option with the ramp is using a few concrete blocks as stairs instead of using a ramp, since it doesn't look like your coop is set up very high. Even little chicks can hop up and down using the blocks as mini landing platforms.

 

[KristyB]

This photo was great to help visualize. This is what I was thinking of as far as changes:
View attachment 1484777

- roosts up where the pink bars are
- open up the aqua tinted area front and back and cover with wire mesh instead.

Also I have to be realistic, this looks too small for 8 chickens once they're adults. I would at the very least remove the dividers from one side of nest boxes and treat that as floor space, as it's too many boxes for the size of coop and number of chickens anyhow.



Taking off the back at night also negates the point of having a coop (which is to keep the chickens safe at night), if there's no wire or anything else to provide protection there.

Another option with the ramp is using a few concrete blocks as stairs instead of using a ramp, since it doesn't look like your coop is set up very high. Even little chicks can hop up and down using the blocks as mini landing platforms.

Oh wow, thank you for the suggestions and the visual. That helps a ton! I was telling my husband about the rest of the comments as we figure out how to improve our coop. He was asking where we should put the bars. This answers that well. Thank you!

 

[aart]

Oh wow, thank you for the suggestions and the visual.

Don't forget about this part...

Also I have to be realistic, this looks too small for 8 chickens once they're adults.

How big is the coop, not including the nests, in inches by inches?

 

[KristyB]

Don't forget about this part...




How big is the coop, not including the nests, in inches by inches?

It’s approximately 42”x42” but I’ll get exact measurements in a bit.

 

[rosemarythyme]

If it's 42" square as floor space, and let's say you remove one bank of nest boxes, the coop holds about 4 standard birds. Since your climate is good year round, going with the minimum 4 sq ft per chicken should be ok. 5 or 6 maybe doable if they're really friendly with each other and you have the door open as soon as they're up, but 8 is pushing it. Crowded chickens are more likely to develop bad behaviors, so better to head it off before it starts.

 

[KristyB]

If it's 42" square as floor space, and let's say you remove one bank of nest boxes, the coop holds about 4 standard birds. Since your climate is good year round, going with the minimum 4 sq ft per chicken should be ok. 5 or 6 maybe doable if they're really friendly with each other and you have the door open as soon as they're up, but 8 is pushing it. Crowded chickens are more likely to develop bad behaviors, so better to head it off before it starts.

Yikes. We bought this coop because it said specifically that it was good for 10-15 chickens. I expected that my chicks would have extra space with this coop. I don’t think I can take it down and send it back. We can remove the dividers in the one nesting box. Do you have any other suggestions?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Yikes. We bought this coop because it said specifically that it was good for 10-15 chickens. I expected that my chicks would have extra space with this coop. I don’t think I can take it down and send it back. We can remove the dividers in the one nesting box. Do you have any other suggestions?

First thing, I'd grab a measuring tape and get measurements for floor space of the middle box area itself, and then the entire unit, with nest boxes on both sides. Just want to make sure we're using correct numbers first of all.

Obviously you were hoping to have more than enough space, but manufacturers are sneaky. The reason they claim a coop like this can hold 15 is because they're calculating by factory farm conditions, and many backyard keepers try to avoid just that. My area only requires 1 sq ft per hen - if you see an adult hen, they take up 1 sq ft just standing still!

Because your climate is usually moderate and dry you can possibly pack in birds a little more because there won't be many days where they'll want to remain inside, but each night they should be in there for safety.

I started off with a prefab as well and I think underestimating the amount of space you need, as well as how quickly you need a coop due to the speed chicks grow up at, are two of the most common mistakes first time chicken owners make.

 

[HazelandPearl]

This is my coop and it was stated 8-10 chickens. I am going to be tight with just 4. Sneaky manufacturers! Hope your modifications help out! Super cute coop

 

[aart]

Well, those tiny coops, often called 'Doll Houses' or 'Easy Bake Ovens' by the experienced, can be great grow out coops for chicks or a broody hen, or a 'hospital' or 'jail' coop.
So keep it out of the weather(they are also notoriously susceptible to rot) and it may be useful for years.