Do I really have enough room in my coop??

[EggStatic46]

Thanks Sumi.
Very informative article. But I think that is where I get confused. the article says 4 square feet per chick....that is a lot of space and my coop only measures 25inches wide x 25.5 inches deep. It supposed to be capable of 4large breeds.

 

[Dschwartz]

Wow, I just looked at the pictures again. I must have been in my own world. It will probably be good for the summer because they will spend a lot of time outside, but I worry about being cramped in the winter. I do not know how I missed the dimensions. Maybe you can do something like they do to stretch limo's. Just expand the middle.

 

[sumi]

Thanks Sumi.
Very informative article. But I think that is where I get confused. the article says 4 square feet per chick....that is a lot of space and my coop only measures 25inches wide x 25.5 inches deep. It supposed to be capable of 4large breeds.

Coop manufactures in my experience often sell coops that are way too small for the number of hens they claim it could house. I bought a coop once and I was not happy at all with what I got. I paid way too much for it, for starters, the nest boxes were inadequate and just really badly designed, the "roost" they added could barely accommodate 2 hens and the coop was designed for 12 hens!

4 Sq ft per chicken in the coop is a good space. In foul weather and especially in winter they will spent a lot of time indoors and chickens in cramped conditions can get nasty quickly, so it's better to give them that extra room to stay out of each others' feathers.

 

[donrae]

I think your coop is way to small. I wouldn't put more than 2 full size birds in there. Overcrowded birds are often physically and/or mentally unhealthy, leading to illness or behaviors that are distressing to owners. I think you either need to sell two birds, sell this coop and obtain a larger one, re-model this coop, or purchase a second coop.


There was a great thread quite a while back about a member who started with a dollhouse type coop like this and modified it to fit a slightly larger flock. I can't recall her name, but I do remember Beekissed was guiding her through a lot of it, you could search her old posts. It was over a year ago, though, so quite a ways back.

 

[3riverschick]

Thanks Sumi.
Very informative article. But I think that is where I get confused. the article says 4 square feet per chick....that is a lot of space and my coop only measures 25inches wide x 25.5 inches deep. It supposed to be capable of 4large breeds.

Hi and

That's because a lot of these prebuilt coops state minimums
seen on college educational sites which is basically 2 sq. ft.
per bird. ( which would make this coop capable of 2 grown
fowl or 4 bantams). But if you want to avoid stress problems,
then you want 4 sq. ft. per grown large fowl. Your coop is
basically 2x2-=4sq. ft. that's plenty for 4 growing chicks
which only need 1 sq. ft. each at this age. So you are good
for now. Where do you live and does it get below freezing?
Also if you get strong winds or rain try this: I went to Lowes
and bought enough of the translucent vinyl carpet runner
( smooth both sides) to wrap around the 3 sides of the raised
part of the coop. This makes a great outside foul weather shelter
and scratching/dusting shed. Plus some birds can sleep inside
and out in good weather.
Best Regards,
Karen in western PA, USA

 

[3riverschick]

Hi fellow chicken lovers.
I would love to hear some suggestions and opinions on this matter.

Hi ,
I have an idea. I don't know what your neighbors are like but I know you spent a lot of money on this coop.
I see the lawn is already compromised in this corner of the yard. You could use that to advantage
.I don't know how big your yard is. How far apart are those fence posts? If you want
to put in a poultry yard, you need 10 sq. ft. per grown bird.
That's only 4o sq. ft for your flock. How about putting a fence around the whole coop. So your present
coop/yard combo sits inside a larger yard. That way if you need to secure them in coop/run combo, you can. If not,
you can let them run in the larger , unlocked area. Just a 6x8 area would be big enough. I build mine out of
white painted 2x4's panels ( Lowes white barn paint) with chicken wire stretched across them and stapled down.
Then I just screw the panels together with 3 inch coated deck screws. . Make a simple door that fits inside
one of the panels. Hang with a couple of hinges and fix a sliding bolt to hold the door shut and you are
good to go. Whole thing can be made with handsaw, hammer an screwdriver. I put a horizontal 2x3 in 3 ft.
from the top of the panels. This way you can make the panels 5 ft. high and use 3 ft. tall chicken wire.
Bury the last ft. underneath the round to discourage digging varmints. You said your fence is 4 ft. tall so all
the neighbors will see is the top ft. above the fence. Painted white to match the fence.

This shows how to make the panels only your coop would be inside instead of attached to one end.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/our-recycled-shed-coop
Here's another take on it. You can buy these 6x10 chain link dog runs on craigslist for not much money.
Scroll down to the chainlink part.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/our-little-flock
Raise your chicks in the coop/yard combo. By the time they outgrow it they should be big enough
they can't get thu the chainlink and you would be installing chicken wire around the bottom 2-3 ft.
in height anyway. Example: Here's 2 runs in western PA for only 100.
http://youngstown.craigslist.org/hsh/4473655489.html
http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/grd/4525577198.html
You can usually have your choice of 6x10 or 10x10, some even include a roof for circa 100.

Good news is you only need 1 nest box per 5 hens. The 12 inch box is a bit small , 14 x14 is
recommended for these large breeds you have chosen. Take out the divide and give them a
nice roomy nest box. Easy peasey.
Best Regards,
Karen

 

[EggStatic46]

Yeah, I am trying to get some ideas on how to retro fit what I have now into a bigger coop then build a run around that.

 

[EggStatic46]

Thanks! I actually just PM'ed B so hopefully they will respond.
I would like to reto fit what I have....maybe turn the whole thing into a coop then build a run around it. ....uggg

 

[EggStatic46]

Thanks, I live in South Central PA (York PA). right at the Mason Dixon line. It does get below freezing in the winter. I am trying to figure out how to retro fit what and make the whole thing a coop and then build a run around it....uggg

 

[EggStatic46]

Thanks for your response.
yeah....it was a total rookie mistake on my part. I wanted to save time and figured I would buy one already made. Its is nice. Its made of cedar and I did pay good money for it which sucks!
I will end up building a run in the back corner. My neighbors are great so no worried there but I do want it to look nice for their benefit. Thats why I bought this one. At least it is not an eye sore for them. So in my attempt to save time I have spent lots of money and still dont have what I need.....smh
I am trying to figure out how to retro fit the one I have and make the whole thing a coop then build a run around it.
If I just close it all in with wood you think they will be ok and roost at the bottom or cram themselves in the top where the nesting boxes are?