Coop thoughts?

[Lenny loves chickens]

Won't work to put a roost bar there, there's not going to be any head space above it.

There should be 1 or 2 roosts running lengthwise in these coops, IIRC.

That's true I forgot I am used to my coop were the nesting boxes and a little above ground

 

[Lenny loves chickens]

That's true I forgot I am used to my coop were the nesting boxes and a little above ground

Maybe I could put a dust bath there

 

[rosemarythyme]

Maybe I could put a dust bath there

Not sure if it'd be enough space for a dust bath (maybe a temporary one, in a bin) but it also depends on how you manage your coop, if you want the dust being flung around in there, or food or water in there (if you opt for a feeder or waterer in that spot, for example).

If nothing else it's just a bit of extra floor space for the chickens to use if needed.

 

[Lenny loves chickens]

Not sure if it'd be enough space for a dust bath (maybe a temporary one, in a bin) but it also depends on how you manage your coop, if you want the dust being flung around in there, or food or water in there (if you opt for a feeder or waterer in that spot, for example).

If nothing else it's just a bit of extra floor space for the chickens to use if needed.

I wouldn't mind dust flying I clean the coop weekly so it doesnt get bad at all

 

[3KillerBs]

Is this a good coop for 12 chickens?

OverEZ are much better built than many prefabs, but they're still too small for the numbers they claim to hold and poorly-ventilated.

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.

12 hens

• 48 square feet in the coop. 6'x8' is more practical than 4'x12' since a long, skinny coop like that would be difficult to work inside.
• 12 feet of roost
• 120 square feet in the run. 10'x12' or 8'x15' -- 8'x16' means fewer odd cuts than either of those. 6'x20' is possible, especially if your run is an open-topped, fenced area instead of fully-enclosed with a solid and/or wire roof but risks social problems because subordinate hens need to be able to pass the dominant hens at a respectful distance.
• 12 square feet of ventilation.
• 3 nest boxes.

At 12 chicken size, if you're looking to buy rather than build you should covert a shed -- because with any prefab you're going to have to do work on it anyway to add ventilation and, probably, modify the roosts and nests.

Shed Conversions

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-mulligan.74743/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-coop-page.65912/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-scoop-on-a-rubbermaid-big-max-coop.76444/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/toy-shed-conversion.64879/

But will it be okay if they only sleep in it! And free range all day?

From an article I'm writing:

But I free range/have a huge run and my chickens only use the coop to sleep and lay eggs! Why do I need all that space inside?​

You might not. As I've said, these are guidelines, not hard-and-fast rules.​

If you never close the pop door so that your coop and run function together as a fully integrated system that is the equivalent of a huge, open-air coop, then your flock might be just fine for years, even decades.​

If you are always out there to open the pop door at the crack of dawn or you have an ultra-reliable automatic door so that your chickens never lack access to their free range territory during the daylight hours, then your flock might be just fine for years, even decades.​

If you live in a mild climate where chickens can always go out into their run/range and are never kept in by snow or storms, then your flock might be just fine for decades. People who keep chickens in places with tropical and subtropical climates do successfully go without a coop at all, just offering a covered roost and some nestboxes.​

But when something happens ...​

When a determined predator moves in and breaks through the fencing so that you have to confine the flock to the coop itself so that you can fix the run,​

When an extreme weather event prevents your chickens from leaving shelter for days,​

When an emergency calls you out of town and you can't find someone willing to be there at the crack of dawn to open the pop door,​

Then you could have a mess on your hands.​

Which brings us back to the issue of flexibility and options. Any time you push a system hard against it's limits you have to count on everything remaining stable -- exactly as it is without any changes. How well that's likely to work depends on your specific circumstances. You may never encounter an unfortunate circumstance -- some people DO hit the lottery, after all. ​

My own "something happens" is having Avian Flu in my state -- so my chickens are shut up for at least a month.

Maybe I could put a dust bath there

If your chickens are outside all day they will dig their own dustbath in a place of their choosing.

 

[DobieLover]

That's a lot of money to spend on a coop. You could spend that on modifying a shed into a coop and building a huge run on it for less money.

 

[Lenny loves chickens]

OverEZ are much better built than many prefabs, but they're still too small for the numbers they claim to hold and poorly-ventilated.

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.

12 hens

• 48 square feet in the coop. 6'x8' is more practical than 4'x12' since a long, skinny coop like that would be difficult to work inside.
• 12 feet of roost
• 120 square feet in the run. 10'x12' or 8'x15' -- 8'x16' means fewer odd cuts than either of those. 6'x20' is possible, especially if your run is an open-topped, fenced area instead of fully-enclosed with a solid and/or wire roof but risks social problems because subordinate hens need to be able to pass the dominant hens at a respectful distance.
• 12 square feet of ventilation.
• 3 nest boxes.

At 12 chicken size, if you're looking to buy rather than build you should covert a shed -- because with any prefab you're going to have to do work on it anyway to add ventilation and, probably, modify the roosts and nests.

Shed Conversions

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-mulligan.74743/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-coop-page.65912/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-scoop-on-a-rubbermaid-big-max-coop.76444/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/toy-shed-conversion.64879/




From an article I'm writing:

But I free range/have a huge run and my chickens only use the coop to sleep and lay eggs! Why do I need all that space inside?​

You might not. As I've said, these are guidelines, not hard-and-fast rules.​

If you never close the pop door so that your coop and run function together as a fully integrated system that is the equivalent of a huge, open-air coop, then your flock might be just fine for years, even decades.​

If you are always out there to open the pop door at the crack of dawn or you have an ultra-reliable automatic door so that your chickens never lack access to their free range territory during the daylight hours, then your flock might be just fine for years, even decades.​

If you live in a mild climate where chickens can always go out into their run/range and are never kept in by snow or storms, then your flock might be just fine for decades. People who keep chickens in places with tropical and subtropical climates do successfully go without a coop at all, just offering a covered roost and some nestboxes.​

But when something happens ...​

When a determined predator moves in and breaks through the fencing so that you have to confine the flock to the coop itself so that you can fix the run,​

When an extreme weather event prevents your chickens from leaving shelter for days,​

When an emergency calls you out of town and you can't find someone willing to be there at the crack of dawn to open the pop door,​

Then you could have a mess on your hands.​

Which brings us back to the issue of flexibility and options. Any time you push a system hard against it's limits you have to count on everything remaining stable -- exactly as it is without any changes. How well that's likely to work depends on your specific circumstances. You may never encounter an unfortunate circumstance -- some people DO hit the lottery, after all. ​

My own "something happens" is having Avian Flu in my state -- so my chickens are shut up for at least a month.



If your chickens are outside all day they will dig their own dustbath in a place of their choosing.

They do but they are also weird and will fall asleep and a dust bath and I have to pick them up lol so theres that. Thanks for you advice that was helpful. Especially since I live in iowa. I have not had to much of a problem with predictors. At least none of my chickens have been injured or killed by one. But my winter It can stay negitive 10 alot. But I dont mind adding ventilation and such to be honest I am pretty handy if that's an issue

 

[Lenny loves chickens]

That's a lot of money to spend on a coop. You could spend that on modifying a shed into a coop and building a huge run on it for less money.

I have look at sheds and for a 6x8 what I originally was gonna do is anywhere from 3 thousand to 5 thousand. But if you can find or know where to find one cheaper I am open to suggestions. Indo look one marketplace and stuff often to see if there are any cheap ones

 

[Lemon-Drop]

In my opinion, I would just build one. There's tons of ideas, and it's (usually) a lot cheaper than buying one online, plus you can make it specifically how you want. 2,000+ is a lot to spend on a pre-fab, especially if you're handy.

 

[Silkie Princess]

That's a lot of money to spend on a coop. You could spend that on modifying a shed into a coop and building a huge run on it for less money.

I agree....I would never spend so much money on a pre-fab coop