how to select the right coup and run. I have been looking at tractor supply at coups and runs for about 14 to 16 chickens, why only 3 nesting boxes.

[pathomechicks]

Are these coups and runs, like at tractor supply any good or do they not last. If you have 14 chickens why only 3 nesting boxes. As you can tell i am a beginner and don't want to waste my money or time. I would like enough eggs to support food for 8 family members and to sell some. I would appreciate any guidance you could give me. Thank you

 

[ChasingChooks]

Are these coups and runs, like at tractor supply any good or do they not last. If you have 14 chickens why only 3 nesting boxes. As you can tell i am a beginner and don't want to waste my money or time. I would like enough eggs to support food for 8 family members and to sell some. I would appreciate any guidance you could give me. Thank you

From what I know, chickens don't need multiple nesting boxes. They like to share.

 

[nuthatched]

Pass on prefabs. They are nothing but trouble
They can only hold a fourth of the birds They say, underventilated, not predator proof, and are made cheaply.
A coop should have atleast 4 sq feet per bird in the coop, 8 sq per bird in the run, 12" linear per bird for the roosts, 1 square foot per bird in ventilation, and 1 nest box per 4 birds.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/categories/large-coops.20/
A chicken lays every 26-29 hours at the most, most lay an egg every other day or longer.
I recommend brown leghorn, prolific layers with good feed conversion.
For eggs for 8 people, plus to sell you'll need about 20-25 birds and cycle every 2 years.

 

[Happy hen lover]

Pass on prefabs. They are nothing but trouble
They can only hold a fourth of the birds They say, underventilated, not predator proof, and are made cheaply.
A coop should have atleast 4 sq feet per bird in the coop, 8 sq per bird in the run, 12" linear per bird for the roosts, 1 square foot per bird in ventilation, and 1 nest box per 4 birds.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/categories/large-coops.20/
A chicken lays every 26-29 hours at the most, most lay an egg every other day or longer.
I recommend brown leghorn, prolific layers with good feed conversion.
For eggs for 8 people, plus to sell you'll need about 20-25 birds and cycle every 2 years.

Ditto those cops only hold baby chicks. I would go for a shed on Craig list and modify it instead of possible. I love my leghorn hens, they are a smaller birds and lay a ton of eggs.
What is your general location such as I live in SW Nebraska. That makes makes a big difference in coop setup. Hens share nest boxes usually about 3 to 4 hens per box but they'll end up all going in one box once in awhile.

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

Prefab coops are junk in my opinion.
They dont last. Im glad i built mine i only spent about $150 building the coop. Then $150 for the auto door and $40 for the feeder if i remember. We had pvc laying around so the water cups were 20. So $360. And my coop is a 8 x 4. The water holds over 20 gals. And feeder holds half a bag of food.

Prefab coops also dont hold as many as they say. So cut that in half 7 chickens in a coop meant for 14.
Make sure they have 4sq ft or more per chicken in the coop.

I have 2 nesting boxes with 5 chickens they prefer to share. Or lay right outside the boxes. I rarely see one of the boxes used.

 

[McChooky]

I have one large community nest box attached to the coop with doors on both ends( bi level- below floor level) I also have 3 nest boxes in the run for girls who demand less privacy (my girls only lay in one of these )

 

[Chicken_tiger_catt]

Try to get some free pallets, you can deconstruct them with a electric saw, then design your own coop, or check the pallet coop thread. Here’s mine, half done, stepdad for scale

 

[RcoM]

Are these coups and runs, like at tractor supply any good or do they not last. If you have 14 chickens why only 3 nesting boxes. As you can tell i am a beginner and don't want to waste my money or time. I would like enough eggs to support food for 8 family members and to sell some. I would appreciate any guidance you could give me. Thank you

By the way, I think get fewer chickens. 6- 8 will be plenty of chickens for your size family, usually. I had 8 in my family and found that 4 -6 laying chickens was enough. I had too many left over eggs and it’s wasted money on chook feed then.
You can glass the extra eggs when you have extra eggs to preserve them though

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome!
Don't buy a prefab coop! A garden shed, modified with more window openings and upper ventilation will work well, you might find one on craigslist if you can manage moving something like that. Your location matters, what's best in cold climates isn't so useful in the south, or the arid southwest.
And more than four sq. ft. per bird in the coop and twice that in the run, all predator proof, no openings larger than 1/2" diameter.
Best to start small, with maybe six to ten birds, and learn how to manage them. Brown leghorns are very nice, or consider a couple of several breeds, to see who you like. there are so many choices!
Mary

 

[Tumbleweedlynn]

Pass on prefabs. They are nothing but trouble
They can only hold a fourth of the birds They say, underventilated, not predator proof, and are made cheaply.
A coop should have atleast 4 sq feet per bird in the coop, 8 sq per bird in the run, 12" linear per bird for the roosts, 1 square foot per bird in ventilation, and 1 nest box per 4 birds.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/categories/large-coops.20/
A chicken lays every 26-29 hours at the most, most lay an egg every other day or longer.
I recommend brown leghorn, prolific layers with good feed conversion.
For eggs for 8 people, plus to sell you'll need about 20-25 birds and cycle every 2 years.