Does this coop and run look ok?

[Cazook]

i agree with blackcat. you might think the space req is over-estimated but just think of winter times (when they will be spending majority of day in the coop) and in situations where the chickens haven't been raised together (ie not from egg or day-old chicks). otherwise fighting and stress can happen.

if they are free range this can mitigate the problem a bit. but they need their space too.

 

[21hens-incharge]

yeah, it’s been one of my concerns, sigh! Do you think the roosting area itself isn’t sufficient to hold 8? I’ll probably be popping on here again about researching to extend the coop. Not sure how to go about doing that. It may be easier to extend the back then the front. I may have to start thinking about this now. I live on Long Island so It’ll start getting cooler by the end of September.

First......don't use solid plastic tarps. A strong breeze and they act like a sail.
Look at shade cloth instead. It does not catch the wind.
https://www.homedepot.com/b/Shade-Cloth/N-5yc1vZ1z0voip

A double layer is on my hoop coop and has withstood 70+ mile per hour winds without popping a clip or budging a bit. Oh and tarps hold heat under them. The shade cloth breathes.

Second.....It may be easier to turn your little red coop with built in run into just a coop by adding siding to what is the original run.

 

[Spikeandbean]

It’s my first time bringing up chickens so I don’t know that much. I 100% agree. I will be putting up the hardware cloth tomorrow. . thanks

This is my first batch of chickens, too! My run has about the same size openings as yours, and I just put up hardware cloth a few weeks ago. Learning a lot from this site, for sure!

 

[tpereira]

First......don't use solid plastic tarps. A strong breeze and they act like a sail.
Look at shade cloth instead. It does not catch the wind.
https://www.homedepot.com/b/Shade-Cloth/N-5yc1vZ1z0voip

A double layer is on my hoop coop and has withstood 70+ mile per hour winds without popping a clip or budging a but. Oh and tarps hold heat under them. The shade cloth breathes.

Second.....It may be easier to turn your little red coop with built in run into just a coop by adding siding to what is the original run.

wow!-how did i not think of that with using the front and put up siding and the bars for perching-way easier!

thank you so much for the advice!

 

[tpereira]

You will definitely need more space in the roosting area. Chickens are supposed to have at minimum 3 square feet each in the roosting space (usually called a 'coop' or 'henhouse' which is how I'm going to refer to it from now on), but preferably 5+ per bird. For 8 birds, you will need at minimum 24 square feet, preferably about 40 square feet. You currently have about 9 square feet, so at minimum 3 birds worth.

gotcha! makes a lot of sense! ty!