Coop big enough for 8 chickens?

[JackE]

I don't have any idea of your budget. But I found this at Lowes. Cut some holes in it, Modify a bit, paint, quick coop. It has the same siding I used on my coop, good stuff.
Jack

http://www.lowes.com/pd_437507-57658-182945_0__?productId=4507030&Ntt=sheds+wood

 

[can you hear me now?]

Here's a link of a guy who built a coop for $40 (with recycled parts). That's much cheaper than any store-bought one I've seen online. And larger as well.

Agreed, we used recycled wood. Our coop fits all of our birds quite well. It measures just over six foot six square. The only money we have in it is our foo Dario. Bricks so it don't sit on dirt and some of the trusses on top. Overall cost 40 tops. Even the tin is recycled. It isn't pretty bit it is very predator proof and functional.

 

[ChickensRDinos]

Unfortunately a lot of the pre-made coops are more about being pretty than being the best functionally and they are very expensive. My coop is not the most beautiful but I do not think it is crazy ugly. A little paint goes a long way.

I made this coop for about $500 including a run that you do not see in this picture because I added it later. It is mostly made out of those weather treated pre-made wooden fence boards that they sell at home depot for pretty cheap. I also used some boards from an old bookshelf. It is pretty basic but is easy to clean. I put vinyl flooring down under the roosts and bought the roof. You could skip both of those things to save more money.

The coop has an aprox 3 by 7 ft footprint. When I first built it and took these pictures I was only shutting them in at night and letting them free range all day but I ended up with a pretty serious hawk issue so I have since built a run that is about 7 by 8 ft that is a simple wood frame cube the same height as the coop that just comes straight out the front of what you see there with poultry netting as a roof and chicken wire as the sides.

Chicken wire is fine for me as I have very few predators in my area. My only real issues is hawks so a covered run became necessary. If you have raccons or possums or anything with grabby hands or digging skills then chicken wire may not be enough. Hardware cloth is more expensive but more predator safe.

This currently houses 6 hens and I don't think I would want to add anymore at my current size. Over crowding can lead to very serious issues and chickens will quickly become cannibals. It is really brutal and a hard habit to break once it is started. I would recommend figuring out what size coop you can afford to build/buy and then adjust your flock size to the coop. The unfortunate reality is that home eggs are better eggs but they are not cheaper eggs.

Looking at the coop you posted I would think it was for about 4 birds. There are lots of good posts on here about recycled coops, pallet coops and coops made from sheds or old playhouse, etc.

 

[Faife6]

I really like your coop! (Is that a compost system next to it??) I found this one on this website :https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/coop-de-la-villes-chicken-coop

I love it and it doesn't look too hard. I can build a run pretty easily, but I've never built anything closely related to a chicken house. That's the part I would have the most trouble with and unfortunately, the user who built this coop didn't share their blueprints.

The more I read about bought coops the less sure I get. I live in Oklahoma, the land of ever changing weather, and I'm afraid a cheaply made coop will not be able to stand up against the weather here. I'd hate to come home and find my girls crushed to death by their own home!

Does the coop I attached look too complex? I'm thinking about recruiting my dad for the process. He's much better at this stuff then I am.

 

[Quailsong]

I really like your coop! (Is that a compost system next to it??) I found this one on this website :https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/coop-de-la-villes-chicken-coop

I love it and it doesn't look too hard. I can build a run pretty easily, but I've never built anything closely related to a chicken house. That's the part I would have the most trouble with and unfortunately, the user who built this coop didn't share their blueprints.

The more I read about bought coops the less sure I get. I live in Oklahoma, the land of ever changing weather, and I'm afraid a cheaply made coop will not be able to stand up against the weather here. I'd hate to come home and find my girls crushed to death by their own home!

Does the coop I attached look too complex? I'm thinking about recruiting my dad for the process. He's much better at this stuff then I am.

I'm not good with math, so for me it looks a touch challenging.

From an artist's perspective, I try to think of a coop in basic geometric shapes. You have squares, triangles or rectangles. You either fill it in, or cut it out (windows/doors). Chickens don't really care about space-age stylized coops with bubble window domes & rocket roofs. They just want somewhere they can feel safe & roost/nest. So break the project down into small bits. Do one part at a time. Then just put them together & volia!

In the end, even if it looks really ugly, a good coat of paint can fool the eye into thinking it's grand.

 

[ChickensRDinos]

I really like your coop! (Is that a compost system next to it??)

Yes! composting made of my recycled barrels.

 

[Faife6]

Very cool!!! And Quailsong thats exactly how I think of things too! Shapes instead of measurements. Math is not my strong point at all. Hey, have any of you guys ever had a chick that wouldn't eat? I'm starting to think this little chick I have is blind...she stubbles around and hardly eats or drinks, but she sleeps a lot. I made a mash out of electrolyte water and chick starter and she'll eat that, but it's like she has trouble finding it herself...any ideas???

 

[boothin]

Depending on what your budget is, we built this coop for about $700 using the 10% off at Lowes from the post office whenever we could. It is about 5.5 ft by 5.5 ft with an 18x20 pen.

Its not quite done yet though so ignore the unfinished corner.

 

[auto5man]

Think outside the box when on a budget. My first coop is pretty ugly but I had to make it quick it has worked well for 2 years. It was a tile crate I got for free, then used chicken wire, hardware cloth, plywood board for a roof and tarp to waterproof (total cost maybe 10 bucks). I have made improvements (metal roof) since then but it is still in use today, the chickens love it. It is 3ft x 3ft and houses 6 chickens, but only to roost in at night...they free range all day.



My next coop which is also still in use was a crudely built cage of some sort I found discarded on somebodies curb. It was 3x4 and I dismantled it, then built what I call my "chick coop" out of it. I intended it as a grow out coop but I had as many as 9 roosting in it at once, and they loved it. Again, free ranging during the day and only using the coop for a roost. Total cost on this coop was 75.00 or less. All recycled wood with the only expense being a tin roof, and the hardware cloth, and hinges...These pics show various stages of construction, but not totally completed:







I respect the 4 sq foot rule, but you can get away with less if the coop is for roosting only (free range during the day). Many BYC'ers could not use my style of coop because of extreme cold, but my open air coops are great in the heat and humidity of the mid-south. I can also get away with a night roost coop/free range during the day because I don't have as severe a predator problem as some others encounter. So remember to think outside the box, and customize your coop to your/your flock's specific needs and location.

 

[joan1708]

If money is an issue I'd go with space vs good-looks. There are some very nice hoop coops that look secure enough out there. The expensive part is hardware cloth. There is so much to think about and consider, it get mind boggling. Just plod through, you will make your own best decisions. It took 6 months for me to build my little coop. You have to consider money, weather, space, drainage, ventilation, security, sanitation and on and on. Every bodies situation is unique to them. No one but you can decide what's best for you and your birds. Keep reading these threads and do individual searches as you come across "glitches" in your plan. When I was planning my coop, I would think about it and make little plans for myself all day. Then when I'd get out there and start working, I would do something completely different. It all works out in the end. Good Luck to you.