Coop And Run Ideas/Blueprints?

[HannahL]

Hi all. I'm remodeling my chicken coop and I wanted to build/buy a chicken coop that had a large run attached to it. I have four hens and a rooster. Does anyone have any blueprints, ideas, or coop
suggestions that I can buy or build? Thanks in advance for anyone who takes the time to respond!

 

[PouleChick]

There are thousands of ideas in the coop section of this site - I would suggest spending some time looking through to find ideas / plans etc then come back if you have any specific questions.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/category/coops.12/
Also photos of your existing set up will help us to be able to offer you advice on what you could do.

 

[Ridgerunner]

A lot of the coops in that section have plans, step-by-step instructions and photos, and even material lists. It is a great resource though you may wind up spending a lot of time trying to decide on a specific one.

In general you are usually much better off building your own though a lot of small flocks are kept in prefab coops. It's not like you cant get a prefab but they usually advertise them as handling a lot more chickens than they really will, they are sometimes made with less than robust materials, they often don't have adequate ventilation, and the layout is often not very practical for chickens. They can be pretty expensive too. If you have basic skills and the time you can usually build something much better for the same or less cost.

When looking at size, think in the future. Will you be hatching chicks or adding more later? Think about what you will have and plan for that. Don't just think in terms of coop only in isolation. Your run area is part of your space system so consider that space too.

As I said some people are happy with their prefab coops. They can work. But a fairly common occurrence is that someone buys a prefab coop and are not happy with it. They gain some experience and then build a coop and run that is more what they need. That prefab coop still makes a good emergency asset. It's a good place to isolate an injured chicken, brood baby chicks if you add to you flock, or even stick a broody hen.