Help planning new coop/run

[tabs_flock]

Hello there! Due to sad and unforeseen circumstances (my "hen" was a rooster all along and I miss him), I'm looking at getting another 2-3 pullets to add to my flock. The problem is that the coop I currently have is waaaay too small for more than 3-4 birds (see pic), so I need to figure out a new configuration for a larger coop/run. I've read a lot that prefab coops are expensive and not very good, and I haven't seen one that look like they are worth the money. I feel like I have a decent opportunity to DIY something but to say that I'm not handy is an understatement. I can follow instructions and know just enough to get myself into trouble. So I need advice so I don't waste too much money or do something silly!

I am in the East Bay Area of the SF Bay Area in CA. We don't get much rain and temperatures rarely drop below freezing. Since I live in a relatively urban area (getting more urban every season) I don't have a gigantic back yard, so whatever I build needs to fit my current space and last a fair while. Part of my yard is already partly fenced off and I'm having thoughts about swapping the chain link fence for something that would better keep the chickens confined to their new run. They've squeezed out from under the gate before. If I remove the plants at the end of the season, I can pretty safely add a dust-bathing area for them (part of my original plan until I wound up with way more veggie plants than anticipated). Predator-wise, my biggest concerns are currently feral cats and hawks. We do have raccoons and the like but I haven't had any problems with them getting into my yard.

So that would take care of a proper run for a bigger flock. But what about a coop design? I decided to plop the current coop where it is so I could easily access all sides of it and I get the feeling this space will be too crowded for me to do that. Any thoughts or inspiration would be great! I'm already trawling the small coop articles for inspiration but I figured asking for additional help wouldn't hurt.

 

[little chick-y baby mama]

well, even though it is a little expensive, (okay it is a lot) Omlet website has a TON of good coops, runs, and automatic doors and coop lights! their biggest coop holds up to 15 bantams and 7 large hens! There's also chicken fencing where u can create your own run.

 

[3KillerBs]

The Usual Guidelines

For each adult, standard-sized hen you need:

• 4 square feet in the coop,
• 10 square feet in the run,
• 1 linear foot of roost,
• 1/4 of a nest box,
• And 1 square foot of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation, preferably located over the birds' heads when they're sitting on the roost.

The coop in my coop page link is 4'x4' -- designed to meet all the minimums for a flock of 4 hens (I will admit that I currently have 5 in it, but I have an over-sized run). It has plans included but would probably require enlisting a friend or family member with handyman skills.

In your climate you might consider an Open Air coop -- a 3-sided box with a roof and the fourth wall wire.

 

[Ridgerunner]

They've squeezed out from under the gate before.

Consider putting a sill under that gate. You can use cinder block, brick, pour some concrete, I use a 4' x 6" piece of treated wood. Position it so it is barely under the gate or, even better, high enough that the gate bumps against it when it is closed. It needs to close tightly against it, no wiggle room.

That can be a tripping hazard, you might want to fill the back side with dirt to reduce that risk. Just don't overdo it.

 

[Auntiejessi3]

You could turn that whole side into an open air coop/run. You would need some kind of roof, leave the front open. You'd get a lot of ventilation from the lattice(which you'd need to cover with hardware cloth) Just throwing out ideas Prefabs are junk, way over priced with pitiful space and ventilation, I started with one and learned my lesson

 

[little chick-y baby mama]

If you are not worried about hawks, then you can construct a 4 by 4 wood box with door and latch and then put hardware cloth as long as you want it to be for the run; hardware cloth is safer then chicken wire.

 

[BleuSaphir]

That entire back side can be a open air coop!

 

[rosemarythyme]

I've seen that prefab a number of times but don't recall the size. You could look into turning the entire thing into a coop, which may be enough space for 3-4 birds.

So to turn it from 2 small "boxes" (tiny coop above tiny run) into 1 bigger "box" you'll want to remove as much of the inside coop wall as possible, plus the floor. Take out the old roosts too.

Nests might be able to stay as is, or may need to be relocated elsewhere or replaced - depends on the structure of the coop and how things inside stack up once done.

Run a new roost(s) lengthwise across the newly open space. Ideally you’d like 12” per bird but 10” can suffice in many cases.

Board up some of the external wire walls so that the roost area is protected from winds and rain. Do NOT fully cover up all the wire, you need ventilation and natural light, so at the very least a few inches under the roofline should remain open. If your climate allows for it, you can leave entire walls open with just the mesh, or make it convertible for the season by covering up open walls for winter, and then uncovering for summer.

A thread where someone did just that: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-renovated-prefab-coop.1440258/

As far as the chain-link, it's suitable fencing with some work. I'd overlay hardware cloth on at least the bottom few feet to deter some pests/predators, and then you can extend it upward to make it taller by using T or U-posts and just adding additional fencing or netting.

As far as birds squirting out from under the gate, note that I have a white wire closet shelf wrapped in hardware cloth over the front of my gate - it keeps the chickens in when I open the door, and helps cover up the gap under the gate as the ground is uneven right there. It's just hooked in place with bungees so I can easily remove it to have full gate access.

Example with my run, 4' on the short side: