Coop Ventilation

[aart]

That thing is smaller than my brooder

Many who are misled into buying the tiny coops,
do use them for chicks/isolation after building bigger coops.

 

[Yonah Feld]

I agree with the above. That coop is much too small.

The usual guidelines for space are that every adult, standard-sized hen needs:

4 square feet in the coop,
10 square feet in the run,
1 linear foot of roost.
and 1 square foot of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation.

Additionally, the roost needs to be above the nestboxes and the ventilation is best placed above the birds heads when sitting on the roost -- almost impossible to achieve unless the coop is at least 4 feet tall from floor to roof-peak.

Your run, however, is very nice! Space in the run compensates for lack in the coop up to a point -- that point being the time when weather or other circumstances require the chickens to be shut up in the coop.

Since you've got the building skills, you'll probably want to upgrade to a new coop as soon as feasible. There are a lot of good, small-coop designs in BYC's coop pages.

If you add your location to your profile we can give you better targeted suggestions tp suit your climate.

Seattle

 

[3KillerBs]

Seattle

So mild winters and mild summers but a good deal of rain?

Unless you're worried about predators getting into your run at night, you could easily create an open-air style coop by making a 3-sided shelter on one end of that lovely run. That would be putting up walls (which don't even have to be full-height), on the end toward your prevailing winds and setting the roost and nests in that end.

If you are concerned about predators at night, my Little Monitor Coop is designed for 4 hens in a wet climate: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-little-monitor-coop.76275/

It could easily be attached to your run.

 

[Yonah Feld]

So mild winters and mild summers but a good deal of rain?

Unless you're worried about predators getting into your run at night, you could easily create an open-air style coop by making a 3-sided shelter on one end of that lovely run. That would be putting up walls (which don't even have to be full-height), on the end toward your prevailing winds and setting the roost and nests in that end.

If you are concerned about predators at night, my Little Monitor Coop is designed for 4 hens in a wet climate: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-little-monitor-coop.76275/

It could easily be attached to your run.

The run is already predator proof with an apron extending on the bottom and half inch hardware mesh around the run.

 

[3KillerBs]

The run is already predator proof with an apron extending on the bottom and half inch hardware mesh around the run.

Excellent! You might want to look into the Open Air Coop concept then.

 

[Yonah Feld]

New idea:
I attach plywood panels to the run part of the coop from TS. I would measure the size of the run panels, get a custom cut piece of plywood, make room for the door, get wood for the bottom and add a simple roosting bar.

What do you guys think?

 

[MixedFlock23]

If I were redoing this coop, I’d build the extra part up even with the floor level of the original part. I’ll attach a pic with my scribbles.
If you only board up the ground area/original mesh walls, they will still go up the ramp & be squished into 7 sq ft (9 sq ft if you open up two boxes as floor), but if you build an evelated extension of the coop and move the ramp outside (& the original wall with sliding access door), then they will truly have 19 sq ft of floor space on one level (one sq ft is a nest box, so 18 sq ft for 3 is more than enough). Great idea!!

 

[rosemarythyme]

New idea:
I attach plywood panels to the run part of the coop from TS. I would measure the size of the run panels, get a custom cut piece of plywood, make room for the door, get wood for the bottom and add a simple roosting bar.

What do you guys think?

Just remember to leave some openings for ventilation - recommended minimum is 1 sq ft per bird but that maybe be difficult to achieve in a small coop.

 

[Yonah Feld]

Hi!
I bought this coop from Tractor Supply and will be moving 3 chickens in. I was wondering if someone can take a look at the link and let me know what to do about ventilation. There are two maintenance doors and some spacing in between the parts. Is it fine or do I need to drill in a vent.
What should I do??

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...WtfDoiFfXQLAt2F2c0SW1ned4hBwkAsxoCv4cQAvD_BwE

Does this coop need bedding? I want to utilize the dropping pan that is pretty thin and I think bedding wont allow me to pull it out. What do you all think

 

[3KillerBs]

Does this coop need bedding? I want to utilize the dropping pan that is pretty thin and I think bedding wont allow me to pull it out. What do you all think

The purpose of bedding in the coop is to absorb the moisture of the droppings so that they dry out quickly -- neither stinking nor attracting flies.

A coop without bedding would be like a catbox without the cat litter.