Help me decide on a chicken coop

[Lemon-Drop]

The person selling the coop just texted back and answered my question. (Which was "Why are there so many nesting boxes?".)

I quote:
"The reason for that is in any chicken coop or chicken house there should be two thirds as many nesting boxes as there are chickens."

So....either they don't know anything about chickens or.....??

Wow... I have 3 nesting boxes for 15 hens...

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Wow... I have 3 nesting boxes for 15 hens...

1 box per 4 or 5 hens, plus one additional box is the usual thumb rule. I'd want 4 boxes for 15 hens, personally, but yes, 3 boxes isn't completely out of line.

I only have 7 in my main coop, which was intended for 20+ hens - I didn't add boxes when I built my second chicken shelter, and its now serving upwards of 40 hens - though I collect often to avoid accidental crushing/cracking.

Which I guess demonstrates that its one of the more "flexible" thumb rules.

 

[chfriedmam]

I need to know the following.

1. Does it look predator proof?
2. Does it have adequate ventilation?
3. How many chickens can it hold max?

It is about 4x6 and 5'9" from the ground to the peak of the roof.
Oh, and I would definitely add locks to all the doors.
Thank you!
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I'm no pro, but is that 4x6 without the nest boxes? traditional wisdom is 4ft2 per bird, so 6 birds max.Ffor that number of birds maybe get rid of the dividers on half the nests and enlarge the coop? Surely they don't need 6 boxes... Also, you could add ventilation on those sides if necessary. It would be a shame to have to lower the roosts, they fit nice.

did you mention how much It costs? It looks very sturdy and weather-proof and predator resistant

 

[aart]

https://www.facebook.com/marketplac...ghtspeed_banner&referralCode=messenger_banner

Better size, still needs work....biggie is tho, can you move it?

 

[EmmaRainboe]

I think 8 chickens would be fine, according to @WIchickMama's math.

I would not put 8 full sized birds in there. 4 sq ft per bird is the recommended minimum. Which would mean that coop can hold 6 at most. And from the looks of it the dimensions include the nesting boxes, which look to be half the space, meaning three full sized birs is the most I would put in there.

How much is the coop? Is the price worth it for just three more birds?

 

[EmmaRainboe]

@cluckmecoop7 instead of buying a prebuilt coop (which tend to be a ton of money)

Why don’t you check out hoop coops? They’re relatively easy to put together, cheap, and you can build it to house the amount of chickens you are looking for.

 

[3KillerBs]

https://www.facebook.com/marketplac...ghtspeed_banner&referralCode=messenger_banner

This is better. Ugly and you'll probably want to add more ventilation, but it has more size and the generous roof overhangs that we so often recommend.

 

[cluckmecoop7]

Sadly I have no way to move that large coop.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Yes, I'm going to recommend you consider building your own coop. Hoop coops are easy to assemble, require few tools, are resource efficient, relatively inexpensive, and I've seen pictures of them fairing surprisingly well in your environment - which, honestly, I didn't expect.

 

[cluckmecoop7]

How many chickens do you recommend for a 17x14 run?