Good coop for 4 hens?

[Doug in NY]

It costs more but modifying a garden shed to accommodate both chickens and storage for the chickens seems like it would be the best of both worlds.

 

[AmeliaBedelia]

If you're in the "no snow" south, you can get away with a bit smaller of an enclosed coop IF you leave it open to a predator-safe run all the time. So the indoor coop is basically a laying box and shelter from the rain, but the chickens can also roost outside to spread out most nights. That is what we have, but again, only works if you have a very mild winter. You still need about a foot of roosting bar per bird, but you can count the outdoor space in your sq ft per bird and have additional roosts there.

Then you'd either want to free range every day or have an additional larger run they have access to each day. The minimum I've heard is 10 square feet per bird daytime space. But more is better to avoid boredom behaviors like pulling out each other's feathers, fighting, etc.

But like others said, you are probably better off repurposing a kid playhouse, XL dog house (make sure it has a lift off roof to collect eggs), etc from a financial perspective - often larger and cheaper, even after you pay for supplies to cover openings and add nesting boxes and a roosting bar or two. But they aren't as "finished" looking as the prefab coops.

You can also look on local social media for chicken groups ans often find people who build custom coops. You'd likely get a MUCH better product for not much more money.

 

[3KillerBs]

These dollhouse coops are way, way too small for more than a couple chickens and too poorly-ventilated for any chickens at all.

This is a coop for 4 chickens: The Little Monitor Coop

It's original configuration, with a 4x8 run, which extended under the coop for a total of 48 square feet was quite suitable for an in-town, backyard setup -- though I recommend a walk-in run because that short run was murderous to clean while bent over.

 

[rosemarythyme]

The coop you have pictured is the same one I've helped folks make alterations to in order to fit the chickens they have. If you really want to order that coop/run, plan on turning the entire thing into the coop. You will also need to buy a separate run, and I suggest going no smaller than 10x10 (so dog kennel size) which you can plop the entire coop into. That should give you space enough for your flock of 4.

 

[ChunkyBirb]

Like everyone is saying. You’re probably going to want to build something. I find that store bought coops are poorly made and don’t last longer than a year or two anyway. I bought a large coop/run with a 8x5 run and a 3x5 coop and it fell apart in about a year. Building also allows you to customize it to put in little conveniences like bigger doors for cleaning or a built in watering system or whatever you can come up with!