I need help and tips so i can start building a chicken coop before winter

[Pullet Press]

Alright, so currently have a 3x4' coop in my 16.5' chicken pen. I have 15, soon to be 24 chickens, and I don't want them all squeezed in that tiny coop if it snows. The pen's gate is too narrow to bring a finished coop into it, so I am going to have to build the coop in the pen. I'd like some tips and tricks for building a budget coop, along with winterizing it.

 

[Ted Brown]

Good lord, you are way under what is normally recommended for square footage per bird!

The least expensive (ie free) materials for coop building is pallets; they can be used as is or pulled apart to use the boards. There are examples on this site and folks have done marvels with them.

Winterizing coops consists of lots of ventilation and weather tight to keep things dry. Roosts should be out of drafts (although I live in Canada and Texas is a vastly different climate). If you get snow (I seem to recall that Texas does have that stuff?) you do not need heat.

Perhaps think about fewer birds as 24 means at least 72 preferably 96 square feet plus 240 sq. ft of run.

 

[Percheron chick]

Look up hoop coop. Perfect for Texas.

 

[Acre4Me]

Since you have a run that you will be building inside of, you will need to plan for those constraints. Is your run 16x16? That is plenty for 24 chickens. You are in Tx, and I don’t think it gets really that cold in TX, even if it snows. However, chickens get freaked out by snow, so covering your run will help keep all that run space available when it snows. Some coop designs for cool winter areas (not really cold areas) are actually only covered in the upper half where roosts are at to keep drafts off the birds. Or sometimes there are only 2 or 3 solid walls - the others are sturdy HWC. The solid walls protect from the winds and rains.

no reason when you can’t even convert the existing run into an open coop-run combo of sorts. Roosts in a covered/protected corner or side. But the whole area would need to be secured with roof and anti-dig apron.

 

[TARDIS37379]

I’ve now have put up three plastic sheds as coops. Add a Hentronix from the door to the run and you’re in business.
https://www.rubbermaid.com/sheds

 

[Pullet Press]

Thank you all!

 

[Alaskan]

I would just greatly increase the size of the run, and add a few pallets on the walls to block wind, definitely add a roof for shade and protection in general.

But for Texas, a box type coop is a bad idea, a mostly wire coop is great.