Coop?

[crikkit]

I have that exact coop for three chicks. I bought it with the expectation that it might last a couple of years, and painted on a sealer before I put it together. I have it set up as a tractor, and they also get free range time. I would want something bigger otherwise.

 

[edmick]

The reality is (in my opinion at least) is that a coop can be as simple or as complex as you wanna make it. Chickens don't care how fancy it is or how much money you spent on it. As long as they have shelter when the weather is bad, they have enough room to roam and they are protected from predators, They'll be happy. All you need is some 2x4s, plywood and something to cage it in and you got yourself a coop.

 

[lazy gardener]

You can buy the materials to build a shed style 4 x 8 walk in for the price of a shoddy pre fab.

 

[Cindy in PA]

Building is not that tough. I don't even understand the need for "plans". We built a square 8 by 8 coop many years ago. Then you just have to add the roosts, nest boxes, doors, windows & vents. We spent about $500 back in the day & lumber prices were up after the first Gulf War.

 

[Acre4Me]

You can try a farm store or similar as some in my area have med and large shed type coops that are built on skids and very sturdy. The med one would be roomy for 4 chicks plus room for storage. They are stand inside type of coops. They might be Amish built, not sure. But my point is that if you are less interested in building something and/or want/need something durable and attractive then this may be an option. On another thread, I saw a person indicated that they had a handyman build s large coop for them (stand up inside Woods style coop) for only a bit more than supplies (at retail cost) would have cost them. So, depending on your situation you have a few choices.

 

[Chasingcars]

If you aren’t great at DIY then a shop bought coop/run used at night combined with free ranging is a great start..my coops were bought pre owned off eBay to keep costs down and it allowed me to buy a better quality coop than I could have new. Thoroughly cleaned, aired & repainted - looks as good as new! Or convert a shed?
A badly made coop & run will not be secure....not all great chicken keepers are able to construct coops themselves..still great chicken keepers

 

[careeka22]

I had this coop, after a year it basically started falling apart. The nesting area fell through, the dividers between the nesting boxes fell over in just a few months. For 4 hens it was TIGHT. We finally went and bought the one in my profile pic.

 

[Momlife+chicks]

I had this coop, after a year it basically started falling apart. The nesting area fell through, the dividers between the nesting boxes fell over in just a few months. For 4 hens it was TIGHT. We finally went and bought the one in my profile pic.

Where did you buy the one in your profile picture? I’m going to see if my husband wants to build one but if not I want to buy one the will hold up.

 

[careeka22]

Where did you buy the one in your profile picture? I’m going to see if my husband wants to build one but if not I want to buy one the will hold up.

We had it ordered from Leonards they do sheds, coops, etc then delivered to our house. They had a special at the state fair and we got it for $950. Yes I know that's not cheap but it's so nice and dry. They make smaller versions, you wouldn't need this big for 4 hens, but they grow on you! We now have 9 chicks to put us at 11 total.

 

[Cryss]

I need to get a coop for my new chicks once they get bigger. I have 4 chicks. Would this be a good choice?

I have that exact coop. I've never had chickens before and got my first 4 just this last November. I bought this coop with the intent that it would get me started and I could build a bigger coop in the Spring. Well, it's Spring! Boy have I learned a lot, both from experience and from BYC.
First the coop itself. I didn't know it needed to be painted. Heck, it looks pretty cool as is so I thought it WAS painted. This is the being of "What I didn't know that I didn't know". It would have been a piece of cake to paint inside and out by doing so before assembly. Assembly itself was pretty easy. My hubby and grandson did it for me but I could have done it.
Once assembled I saw that the latch for the nest area doesn't close it flush making it easy for a raccoon/rat/whatever to pry it open just enough to reach in or get in. I installed a bolt latch on the top corners both sides and use a carribiner on the original latch to confuse raccoons. Then I stuck my head inside the clean out door and saw light coming from gaps around the nest door. Not good! Drafts are deadly. (More on that in a bit). I screwed thin bits of 1 inch wide wood strips to all 4 of the inside edges of the nest doorway so that when the door was closed the door would be flush against the strips blocking drafts. I ended up needing to do the same to the clean out door. I also saw a gap in the wall between boards. That could be handled the same way from inside or outside. Once again, wish I had known this before assembly. Climbing halfway inside to use a screw driver or hammer isn't easy.
Ok, now I have it draft free. Wait, what about that HUGE gap above the pop door! Do NOT block That! This is for ventilation. Don't confuse drafts with ventilation. Drafts are low enough to blow cold air on birds which can kill them. Ventilation is the open area well above the birds heads when roosting that allows moist warm air to rise up and out preventing condensation which causes frostbite.
I accidentally broke the ramp loose whch just proved to me how weak the "wood" is in this whole construction. I reinforced it with a wider board screwed on underneath.
Weak a$$ wood made me think about how easily a predator could tear into it.
Heck, I could probably rip a hole with my fingernails given enough time. A predator would be through in minutes. I began researching.
So let's stop here a bit and discuss the coops run and a bit about free ranging.
I thought that cute little run would be enough for them. Turns out what I didn't know that I didn't know was that each chicken needs 10 square feet of run space. This coop run is roughly 3x7 which gives about 21 sq. ft. That's only good for 2 birds. In the hen house they only need 4 sq. ft per bird. This hen house is roughly 3x3 giving about 9 sq. ft. Again, only enough for 2 birds. And that measurement includes the nesting area which needs to be a separate measurement! Whew! What I didn't know that I didn't know! So, is free range an option? Not so much for me as I have predators from rats and coons to fox and bear. In the interest of time I bought a 10x10 chain link dog run that I protected by wrapping with 1/2 inch hardware cloth, including an "apron" of hardware cloth to discourage diggers. The coop is inside the new run. Unfortunatey What I didn't know that I didn't know was that the coop shouldn't be directly on the ground. Not only will it break down the "wood" base but stuff gets in the way of opening and closing the bottom double door...dirt, snow, wood chips, anything the chooks scratch up and send flying. I should have put it up on a cinder block base or something. Live n learn.
Guess what. Raccoons can climb. So can almost every predator. And did I mention hawks, owls, etc.? Don't think you have them? They'll show up when your chickens start life in the coop. I covered the run top too. 1/2 inch hardware cloth keeps climbers out.
Ok, all safe. Gotta feed n water 'em. Can't fit it inside hen house. Don't want water inside anyway, causes condensation leading to frostbite in winter, wet dripping humidity in summer. Find a place in the run where the chickens can't be above dishes and poop in them. Hanging them is best. So don't be under roost or ramp. Only area left is underneath hen house, very difficult to access.
One more point. You have to take into consideration Chicken Math. I started in November with 4 pullets (aka young female chickens). I now have 5. I have my eye on 3 more. I dream of 12. Chicken math is calculated in the heart. Always go bigger than you THINK you will need for a coop keeping in mind the dimensions per bird. 4 sq ft inside coop, 10 sq ft in run. Count your current birds, then give Chicken Math some serious thought before you start build.
So. Can you use this coop? Yes. Temporarily with adjustments. But, why spend money on that when you can build cheaper? I'm looking to build using pallets.
Don't let any of this discourage you. Just research here, ask questions, and most of all, enjoy your feahered babies. It's all worth it.