HHEELLPP::!! chickens coming soon, need coop help..?

[CammieSilkie]

we WERE going to build a simple small chicken coop for my 8 silkie chicks that were scheduled to arrive in OCTOBER!!, but no, we got a message saying they are arriving in a WEEK!!! AAH! of course I'm exited they are coming so soon. Me, my dad, and my mom were going to build this coop. but none of have any building experience, so i don't think we can get it done so soon! We were also thinking of buying one of these coops for them::: (they can hold 8 bantam silkies, apparently..)


heres the first one:

here's the second one:

here's the third (and most price efficient):

yep. those are all the buy-able coops that can apparently hold 8 bantam silkies.
The thing is, if it can hold all my chickens, will they be warm enough? i was thinking they would need an insulated hen house because I live in Massachusetts on cape cod where in the winter it can get as cold as -10 degrees. (Fahrenheit.!) Also, in the summer, i would think they wold be too hot in the night all crammed together like that! it can get into the 80's, 90's, and occasionally the 100's (degrees Fahrenheit) in the summer. can they withstand our ever so changing temperatures on cape cod in those chicken coops??? dont worry we have a nice large run planned out with shade, sun, dirt, rocks, and woodsy parts. (BIG backyard.) plus it snows alot here so the snow would COVER those coops. my dad is like.. refusing to spend money no this, and all those chicken coops are rlly cheap on e-bay. just look up 'chicken coop' and you'll find all of those. I REALLY REALLY REALLY want something nice and big like this:

but, its thousands of dollars. so that stinks.

if you guys know of any cheap, good, hardy chicken coops out there please let me know. OR, if you think we could build one quickly with no experience in 5 weeks, please show me some really good plans easy plans!

Any advice on coops, silkies, chicks, etc. I wouldn't mind.

and yes, i know lots about chickens we had them when i was very little, but them they all died off. we got rid of our falling-apart coop.

Edited to remove private information.

 

[joletabey]

If you have help, you can build something in 5 weeks- I am making a 4 x 8 by myself- large enough to walk in., and I have no experience. Just make sure it's water and windproof and you can access every corner of it easily for cleaning.
Are you in the UK? I checked the Cumfy Pets site, and the prices are all pounds.

 

[bywaterdog]

Welcome

 

[mgw]

there are free coop plans at purina.com. 5 weeks is plenty of time to build a coop that will be sturdier than most of those pictured in post & cheaper to. Plus it will give you &dad & mom somethng to do together. good luck with chicks

 

[midget_farms]

Congratulations on the new birds!

You will have about 2 months before they are ready to move out of the brooder so don't get in a hurry! Build or buy the biggest coop you can.

I have pretty good building skills, but didn't want to spend the kind of $$ it takes to build a large coop. So I bought a pre-cut storage shed.

You can get a very large shed for less than $1000 & in fact I got my 8x10 for $500. All I had to do was put it together! & it came with instructions!

Now - for your quesitons.

Most chickens do great in the coldest of cold. Consider that wild birds live outside in the winter & do fine. Chickens are not really any different as long as the roost they sleep on is flat. If the roost is round their toes are exposed & get frost bite. If it is flat they sit on their feet & keep nice & warm.

The heat is a different story - they dont' do well in heat. The best way to deal with this is to have a coop with lots of ventilation. Large windows or vents that can be opened to let the heat out. Plus lots of fresh water.

Again - congrats on the new flock!

 

[kichohana]

Quote:
Try the purina coop. It seems very sound and cost-effective for a small budget. I bought a lot of my lumber from the "cull pile" at my local Home Depot. It's usually odd lengths, sometimes a bit warped or splintered and 1/2 the price.

If your chickens are coming as chicks you can brood them in a large rubbermaid tub while you build a coop. I think a lot of the pre-fab ones like you pictured will not last in the weather where you live past a season or two, then you'll be double investing when you have to build a new sturdier coop a year from now.

Also suggest checking out your local craig's list for a dog house maybe you could easily convert. A lot ob BYC members have great pages of converted doghouse coops on the coop designs pages.

.. and

remember - we're here to help!

 

[CammieSilkie]

Thanks guys for the advice. Yes, i have been checking out BYC for a while now, and, thought i'd make my account since i had this question. I will check out Purina.com

and all the comfy pets stuff is cheap, but no i don't live in the UK so it might be more expensive..

. Plus i figured they wouldn't survive Cape cod weather. I already have a brooder set up, luckily. I am chicken-obsessed! I have been BEGGING my parents for more chickens since i was like.. 7. Hopefully we can get one build in like.. 6 weeks, i know my dad is rarely ever free (weekends only.. he works alot.) and he is the one who would do most of the building we'd just help him out. One more question: would i need insulation?? I was looking at a website, and it had the US decided into 3 sections: lower US section said chicken coops need extra ventilation,,, Another section was most of the US and said regular ventilation & no insulation was needed,,, And some of the northern parts of the US said insulation in the coop was necessary. Well, where i live was right on the live of no insulation, and insulation.. so I'm confused.

but i think i may need it, your advice???

 

[LeghornLisa]

Hey,

I am also in New England, Leominster Ma. I also had Silkies....I insulated and had a flat panel heater that I bought from www.shopthecoop.com. It kicks on at 32 degrees and shuts off at 45 degrees. I am moving it to my new larger coop so I can rest easy in the freezing weather.

 

[True Grit]

Insulation keeps it cooler in summer as well. You could hire someone to build you a little coop and then you and your Mom and Dad could easily construct a nice big run. Have fun!

 

[atimme]

I'm in Chicago and have a Ware brand coop. We mount a heat lamp with screen over it inside and it's nice and toasty in -30 weather. It stays about 40 degrees in there. Depending on the volume of space in the coop and the number of birds you could get away with heat lamps mounted over the perches to keep them from getting frostbite. Silkies are incredibly fluffy and do well in the cold. And their little feathered feet are great snowshoes!

Congrats on your new arrivals!