Expanding tractor supply coop into run

[ziggywiggy1]

Has anyone added walls to a tractor supply coop to turn the run into expanded coop? I’m buying a dog kennel to go around my coop and I’m thinking of walling in the bottom run and adding some roosts to make it one big coop. Possibly doing hardware cloth floor with sand over it as a floor. I wouldn’t wall the hole thing to leave it somewhat open air. I’m looking to add 4 more chickens to my 3 now that I’ll have a 10x10 run without having to buy/build a new coop.

 

[Sally PB]

Those prefab coops are not a great base to add on to. They're small, flimsy, made of cheap materials, and don't have enough ventilation. It looks like you're thinking ahead on this, so that's good! Here are some thoughts/questions to get some more info so people can give better advice.

Can you get some pictures of your set up as it is now? How close to another building/fence/trees, etc.

Where do you live? Your climate matters a great deal for building a coop, even if it's modifying an existing one.

What will you use for the walls? What kind of predators do you have to deal with?

Possibly doing hardware cloth floor with sand over it as a floor.

Chickens like to scratch. The hardware cloth is not going to be a good floor for them, even if you cover it with sand. Take the hardware cloth and use it to make an apron around the run instead to keep out predators. Depending on your climate, sand may be a great floor, or terrible.

A starting point for space is:
4 square feet per chicken in the coop
10 square feet per chicken in the run
1 linear foot of roost per chicken
1 square foot of ventilation that is open 24/7/365 per chicken. (Open means covered with hardware cloth to prevent predators from getting in.)

There are lot of articles on building/modifying coops. Read through some of those and you might get a better idea of what to do with what you have.

And, welcome to BYC.

 

[aart]

Can you get some pictures of your set up as it is now? How close to another building/fence/trees, etc.

Yes, pics please @ziggywiggy1 .

Where do you live? Your climate matters a great deal for building a coop, even if it's modifying an existing one.

Welcome to BYC! @ziggywiggy1
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[ziggywiggy1]

Current coop is this one:
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...MIvdmwi5-78QIVJgaICR0DZAwWEAQYASABEgKlafD_BwE
It’s in an open field about 30 ft away from my house, no trees yet. Climate is hot and humid, southeast u.s.

Dog kennel will have tarp/shade cloth and hardware cloth around the lower half to prevent raccoon decapitation. There are raccoons and possums, dogs, and several hawks. I want to get a rooster so the potential to free range is there I just want to create more hiding places first.

I want to attach some plywood over the hardware cloth on the coop, leaving some openings here and there for ventilation. I could put some plywood down as floor with bedding if hardware cloth is no go. Then I would just attach a couple more roosts.

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC.

I want to attach some plywood over the hardware cloth on the coop, leaving some openings here and there for ventilation.

Here's a thread from one member's conversion: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-renovated-prefab-coop.1440258/

Since you're in the Steamy Southeast ( from the NC Sandhills), you probably don't want an enclosed coop but, instead, should consider an Open Air Coop -- essentially a roofed run with a 3-sided shelter on the windward side.

This is the inspiration for my current build:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/jens-hens-a-southern-texas-coop.75707/

And my in-progress Chicken Palace: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/large-open-air-coop-in-central-nc.1443812/page-12

The Usual Guidelines are that each adult, standard-sized hen needs:

4 square feet in the coop,
10 square feet in the run,
1 linear foot of roost,
1/4 of a nestbox,
and 1 square foot of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation, best located over the birds' head when they're sitting on the roost.

In our hot climate that ventilation minimum isn't enough.

I have 16 square feet of permanent ventilation and another 10 feet of supplemental ventilation in my Outdoor Brooder and still had to put a picnic fly over it to keep the temperature under 100F on a 93F day.

 

[rosemarythyme]

3KillerBs linked the thread I was thinking of. Prefabs can be converted, but the overall size of what you're working with is around 19 sq ft if I calculated correctly, which isn't really enough for a flock of 7. If you still want to try converting it, keep in mind that in your climate you really need to maximize ventilation, so keeping a full wall as mesh would be advisable, if that's possible.

 

[aart]

Prefabs can be converted, but the overall size of what you're working with is around 19 sq ft if I calculated correctly, which isn't really enough for a flock of 7.

Let alone trying to integrate 4 in with the 3.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Let alone trying to integrate 4 in with the 3.

Oh yes, that too. Integration favors more space over minimum - especially as the newcomers attempt to move into and roost in the coop.

 

[Sally PB]

I could put some plywood down as floor with bedding if hardware cloth is no go.

What is on the ground where you're going to put the coop/run? Is there a reason you can't have the floor be dirt? Dirt covered with lots of wood chips leaves, pine straw, or other plant material makes for a good floor. It can cushion the birds' feet as they jump down off roosts, it can mitigate the poop smell issue, and it can help with moisture issues too. You still need to take care of drainage to make sure rain doesn't puddle in or around the run.

If you're a gardener, the floor of the run becomes some of the best garden compost you could want.