do i realy need a coop...?

[ChickenCanoe]

you can often find free/cheap materials. look for free pallets. keep an eye on craigslist, people will list there just to get stuff carried off.
Lowe's sometimes has pallets of warped lumber or damaged plywood for half price or less. It is perfect material for coops.

My neighbor's Siberian Husky/Malamute cross pack has been my worst predator.

 

[rancher hicks]

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Since you will be raising them in the house no you don't need a coop. I keep chickens in a room of the garage til they can be moved to the coop so they are practically in the house. So keeping yours in the house is up to you.

I wish you well,

Rancher

 

[froggiesheins]

CONGRATULATIONS on your new chickens

and

Please tell us how old your new chickens are, it would be SO much more helpful to direct your question.

For chicks [fuzzy-butts]

you will be keeping them in the house or garage with a heat lamp till they are fully feathered so there is PLENTY of time to find free wood etc....to build an enclosed structure of somekind. EVEN if it is just a three sided affair so they have a safe place to "hide" and roost if they feel threatened. Size-wize it can be as small as like a half sheet of plywood [4'X4' floor space] just a draft free hidey-hole with a roost and nest box.

Once we [humans] confine chickens we take away that ability to run/fly from "predators" so it is up to US to give them a "saftey zone" back aka: coop......The coop can be nothing more than sturdy cardboard w/ a tarp over it for the winter....use your imagination, look on the curbs around town and for sure somewhere you will find the "perfect" coop building materials for free! Check out Craigslist for free stuff......an old bookcase / a desk / a table can become your new coop..... [this is how I did it LOL]
Make sure you have a TOP/roof of some kind over your 16X16 run. I live in the city too, and the neighborhood tom-cat could become your worst enemy...... also there are sparrow hawks and larger ones that would love a tasty young chicken for a meal....
You have invested your hard earned money in your chickens, keep them safe so that you can enjoy them stress-free for a long time......

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Here is my coop: it is an old folding table that I framed with 2"x2" and nailed paneling to it with insulation in between the inside and outside paneling. You can also see one of the roost poles with a poop board under it for EZE cleaning. Second roost is in the back with a poop board over it as well and the nest boxes are underneath. ALL the materials [minus the hardware} were found FREE around town. There is a opening in the floor under the poopboard, with a ramp so my birdies can go in and out to the run anytime they want........

 

[chicken grandma]

When we owned chickens in Hawaii we let them roost in trees at night. They laid eggs under the house.

I did have a lean to shed for them to go in when it rained hard and got windy.

If the temperature is about 50 degrees you could leave it open on one side and just make a lean to shed.
Good luck to you!

 

[nurse_turtle]

As far as predators are concerned... if you build it, they will come. Dogs are just as big a predatory problem as raccoons are. Word gets around fast among predators. Once they hear/smell that there are chickens in the neighborhood, you're going to see critters in your yard you've never seen there before. Promise.

 

[froggiesheins]

Man you got that right! I personnally saw a sparrow hawk divebomb at 2 fuzzies w/ mama that I was letting have some SUPERVISED grass time......scared the begeezus outta me!


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[Tallulah Chicklet]

Eric, this is a great time to use your imagination...a lot of BYC members use recycled and repurposed stuff. For me, one of the great joys of keeping chickens is learning how to build, building and tweaking their space, and things change as you go along. You can check out freecycle, craigslist, etc. I use an old kitchen cupboard for the nests, some people use 5 gallon buckets on their sides, for instance. Hats off to you for taking on this project and finding a good place (here) to get info!

 

[1muttsfan]

Urban areas are awash with predators, including (but not limited to) raccoons, hawks, owls, cats, oppossum, dogs, and even coyotes. You may not see them, but they will be very attracted to your birds. You may want to read this post about predators

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=18670

Good luck with your birds, and welcome to BYC

(we have all the predators listed above plus bobcat, fox, bears and wolves. I love it.)

 

[OldGuy43]

It gets a lot colder here than where you are and this is all I built for ours:

It's just someplace for them to get out of the weather, no heat. As you can see it's open on the southern face. Just some wood shavings on the floor.

Once I got my fencing weaknesses fixed I haven't had any problems with predators.

 

[humpbacks1962]

As an owner of pet hens who were viciously attacked by predators (and althought they survived the attacks, died of subsequent infections), I say it is more than necessary to have a sheltered coop. It is the humane thing to do.