Coops... How does anyone manage?

[PuppyBantamCochin]

I managed to build a coop this summer than fit all my chickens (14)....but then....my broodies hatched chicks....and I remembered my guineas would need to come in sometimes during the winter....so I need space for 24 birds...how does anyone manage housing for their flock when it's growing all the time??!!

 

[gryeyes]

More coops. That's what I do. I now have a total of 8 coop or coop-ish buildings for my chickens. Plus a rabbit hutch used for quarantine or "hospital" segregation. One coop housing four pullets is a transformed, plastic Little Tikes playhouse. Another was supposed to be a Duck House, just a 3 ft by 3ft square box with a lid to open and door to close in the "ducks" - but the ducks didn't like it at all. So 3 bantams and one full-sized cochin sleep in it at night. I built two coops, commissioned another by a builder, and bought some coop kits. So I have a kind of Chicken Compound, or permanent Camp for Chickens and everybody just has their particular "room mates."

 

[dsqard]

I have to agree with Linda. Started with four pullets and one coop that was just big enough for them. Then got four more and another coop that was supposed to house all of them but was smaller than I thought so I had to build another one. Now I have seven (lost one to my dogs GRRRRR

) and three coops. Built the last one myself. Supposed to hold 30 chickens so I have room to grow. I am keeping the original coop to grow out the ones I am planning on hatching and I am not sure what I am going to do with the second coop I got. Pretty much have to plan for a lot more chickens (or any type of bird that you prefer) once you get some! Never knew this could be so addicting!

 

[rockinpaints]

I agree, I think I am building coops weekly (on number 12....)

 

[annie3001]

more coops. but i only get as many animals as i can house/handle. seems only fair to the animals as well.

 

[annie3001]

more coops. but i only get as many animals as i can house/handle. seems only fair to the animals as well.

 

[patandchickens]

To some extent, build extra pens/coops.

The rest of it, I sell the nicer-but-not-keeper birds and eat the not-so-nicer ones, and try to remember that just because I admire something does not mean I actually have to own and breed it

Pat

 

[BWKatz]

I bought my first coop( a reconfigured plastic doghouse) with the intent of repurposing as a brooder/growout or disposing of it by selling if the chicken experiment didn't work out. So now I have started my winter project of a new coop/storage shed that I can convert to just a coop if I need to. The key is to plan ahead and know ur limits. Don't take on more than u can handle. As Pat and Chickens said either give away or sell to new homes or eat em. Keeps everyone happy.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I have a lot of little coops too. I like to get rabbit hutches and modify them a little for the bantams. They are movable by one person, and don't cost toooooo much on sale at the farm store. I tried building a couple of coops too. And I have a shed coop. Also some prefabricated coops.

Basically, my chickens are used to being moved around from coop to coop to make way for someone else who needs a grow-out coop. One coop doesn't work too well with lots of age groups.

Also- I just wanted to mention that it is EXHAUSTING to deal with coop cleanouts of many coops. I underestimated how tiring it would be. Try to get as FEW coops as you can.

I would just do shed coops from now on if I could do it all over again.

 

[gryeyes]

Quote:
Oh, that's a BIG 10-4! Maaaaaan! If I could have seen back then that I'd get so attached to SO many chickens, and addicted to hatching, I would have started with a big, ol' shed coop... or two.

On the other hand, the Chicken Compound does make for an interesting back yard.

Rather an "eclectic" look, one might say.

...or not....