Coop plan critics needed

[Welshies]

A second coop does not resolve the lack of space. They will all try to pile into one coop, even if it is too small. And a shelf does not equate to a second floor. 3 sq ft per bird is about 10 birds max.

Okay, fine I'll stop arguing because it is not working... I've had chickens before. As well as the fact that a second coop means I can willingly split them up at night, and train them to do this.
However, if you say this isn't enough space, how does 6' by 8' work?

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

Why so small? Is there just no room to put a bigger shed?

Good luck

Gary

 

[aart]

Quote: You know, you did ask for critics.

Pretty hard to train birds to go into separate coops consistently, unless you confine them in separate runs too.
Moving birds every night will get old really fast.
Larger coops are much easier to function in, it's just not the birds 'fitting' in there,
it's being able to get in there and tend to them if/when necessary.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Okay, fine I'll stop arguing because it is not working... I've had chickens before. As well as the fact that a second coop means I can willingly split them up at night, and train them to do this.
However, if you say this isn't enough space, how does 6' by 8' work?

My smaller coop is 6x8 and I feel like that is the minimum size I would want for a walk in coop. That gives you room for 4-5 more birds. I max mine out at 16 even though I have 20' of roost space in there. 16 is actually on the high side but I keep a mix of large fowl and bantams.

Is your run covered? The others are right, during heavy storms they won't want to come out, and some will be brave to venture into the snow and others will stay inside. Room issues aside, the poop will accumulate, and even your "shelf" can't fix that. Some people, including two sets of my neighbors, feel perfectly okay having their birds cramped into small spaces but I and many others do not, and its always easier to build it right the first time than to end up building another and another and another coop, or even trying to modify what you have to make it more functional and adequate.

 

[Welshies]

Why so small?  Is there just no room to put a bigger shed?   

Good luck

Gary

So small because we are on a tight budget and wood is expensive. My current coop right now is 8' by 4' by 4' tall, and divided into two halves.. it works great for 10 ducks, they are all super happy. And ducks require more room than chickens....

You know, you did ask for critics.

Pretty hard to train birds to go into separate coops consistently, unless you confine them in separate runs too.
Moving birds every night will get old really fast.
Larger coops are much easier to function in, it's just not the birds 'fitting' in there,
it's being able to get in there and tend to them if/when necessary. 

Yes, I know. But I'm small, and my current coop IS 4' by 8' divided into two compartments... and only 4' tall... so....
I'm rather used to that. Small coops are and always have been my thing, I'm used to them. As said above my ducks faired well.... AND they were kept only in one half at night.

My smaller coop is 6x8 and I feel like that is the minimum size I would want for a walk in coop. That gives you room for 4-5 more birds. I max mine out at 16 even though I have 20' of roost space in there. 16 is actually on the high side but I keep a mix of large fowl and bantams. 

Is your run covered? The others are right, during heavy storms they won't want to come out, and some will be brave to venture into the snow and others will stay inside. Room issues aside, the poop will accumulate, and even your "shelf" can't fix that. Some people, including two sets of my neighbors, feel perfectly okay having their birds cramped into small spaces but I and many others do not, and its always easier to build it right the first time than to end up building another and another and another coop, or even trying to modify what you have to make it more functional and adequate.

Well, you see, we're running on a pretty strict budget. My run is indoor and outdoor... you see, the chicken door is against a huge three-sided horse shelter that faces east. It's quite warm and bare in their in winter, providing a snow free, and very dry, area. The fence extends past that though, so the run isn't totally covered. The horse shed is about 300 sq ft, the outdoor part 100-150 sq ft.
See, sounds complicated (my logic) I don't build stuff all the time. My current coop is very mismatched and will probably have quail in it once I build another. My parents don't help, and I have limited access to resources, and tools, and my money is tight. So I make do with what I can get- and because I'm from Canada, wood prices are different. Sorry for the confusion.
Here's an idea- what about building a new coop right onto one half of the horse shed itself (the inside)?
Sorry for any confusion, again.


Edited by Staff

 

[aart]

Might have to wait until you can pay the bills to build a coop that will fit the number of birds you want to have.

 

[Welshies]

Might have to wait until you can pay the bills to build a coop that will fit the number of birds you want to have.

I just need the money for wood. I can pay for it, I'm just limited. On top of that, I already pay all the animal related bills, lol.

 

[aart]

Quote: Well, then build as large as you can and you will have to be limited in the number of birds you can have.

 

[junebuggena]

Ducks bear close quarters much better than chickens do. Their social order isn't nearly as ruthless. In chicken society, when the head bird tells another bird to get out of the way, they really mean get out of my sight. Kind of hard to do is such a small space.

 

[Welshies]

Ducks bear close quarters much better than chickens do. Their social order isn't nearly as ruthless. In chicken society, when the head bird tells another bird to get out of the way, they really mean get out of my sight. Kind of hard to do is such a small space. 

In my experience the ducks I raised needed more space. Muscovies. Big birds. Kinda ruthless too, sometimes.