I'm kind of afraid, but here is my coop! Thoughts?

[Cl2Abbeyrd]

New chicken friend here. Been lurking for awhile and finally ready to post my new coop!

No chickens yet, but we're hoping to get 2-3 Easter Eggers. If after a year, we're really enjoying the art of city hens, we will build/invest in a larger, more appropriate coop.

For now, though, do you think this will be sufficient with some modifications for 2-3 Easter Eggers? I'm leaning towards 2...The coop and run is 30ish sq feet. 6.5 feet long, 5 feet tall, 3.5 feet wide in total. We will also be putting a fence around the area where the coop is. It's a safe haven from wind behind our garage. The hens will have free range within that fenced area during the weekends and after work in the evenings for a couple hours. Additionally, we have a large, fenced yard - but they will probably not have access to that.

We will be fitting those boards around the bottom for extra stability. We sealed the whole thing with Thompson's water seal. We will also be sealing some areas around the roof, adding predator-proof locks, some simple insulation for winter, and a solar light. We'll be fitting a sandbox underneath that we currently have sitting in our yard. Going to put hardware cloth under the box to keep critters from digging their way up. It will be pretty secure and also leveled.

Food and water will go below in the covered (by the coop above) and enclosed portion of the run and up on pavers. We will be putting fitted clear material around the run in the winter with velcro or magnets to keep out wind/snow (Wisconsin).

My main concern is the coop itself. There are 2 nest boxes, but the roosts are low to the ground (there is a pull out tray that we will probably just put a board over with pine shavings). If I raise the roosts above the nest boxes, then the hens would be too close to the ceiling vent. Could I put a cover over the door and vent to provide extra protection from drafts?

Will this coop fit 2 Easter Eggers? I thought that would be a good breed since they have pea combs for the WI winters, and aren't huge birds.

Picture attached. Collie for scale.

I'm learning, so please go at least kind of easy on me - thanks friends!

 

[Frazzemrat1]

are you going to build them a run? or free range them in your yard? Also, is it open bottomed?

The reason I asked those questions is that this looks like a prefabed coop... which are notoriously flimsy and generally don't have enough space to comfortably fit the 'recommended' amount birds. I looked into them myself and ended up building one. If the bottom is open, with the winters you get in WI, yes your birds will be cold in winter. Also, the attached run space isn't enough to keep a couple of birds happy. I would think that for two or three birds a 6' run would make them happier.

We built our coop inside an existent covered dog run. There is an uncovered portion to the run as well, but the birds don't go out there yet. I will have to cover the extended run, and I plan to build another run this summer (8'x8'x6') and connecting it to the main run with either a wood and wire tube I'm going to have to make, or some other sort of tubing.

 

[Cl2Abbeyrd]

are you going to build them a run? or free range them in your yard? Also, is it open bottomed?

The reason I asked those questions is that this looks like a prefabed coop... which are notoriously flimsy and generally don't have enough space to comfortably fit the 'recommended' amount birds. I looked into them myself and ended up building one. If the bottom is open, with the winters you get in WI, yes your birds will be cold in winter. Also, the attached run space isn't enough to keep a couple of birds happy. I would think that for two or three birds a 6' run would make them happier.

We built our coop inside an existent covered dog run. There is an uncovered portion to the run as well, but the birds don't go out there yet. I will have to cover the extended run, and I plan to build another run this summer (8'x8'x6') and connecting it to the main run with either a wood and wire tube I'm going to have to make, or some other sort of tubing.

Yes, this is a prefab coop. The run itself is 6ft, but we will be fencing an 8x12' area around it for them to come out and free range for a couple hours each day.

It is open bottom, but we are modifying that with a sandobox and hardware cloth far under the sand.

This coop is def flimsy, it's not toooo bad, and should last a year until we can build. Just hoping 2 birds will be happy in it to start. Thanks for the suggestions!

 

[Frazzemrat1]

I know my explination of my setup was probably confusing... I found my coop thread...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/our-new-coop.1177567/

Those birds are still juveniles and still growing, so that's why I'm talking about more space.

 

[Birdydeb]

I have an almost identical coop that I bought a year ago for a separation coop. 2 roosters overwintered in it and now it has 4 six week old pullets in it. The run around it shares a side with my main pen so I am using it for integration. I took out the floor that was in the one end and we put 1/2 inch plywood around all the sides leaving ventilation at the top. It sits in a covered run that is 8'x4' or a bit more. I also put a different latch on the door and it is sitting on a piece of stucco wire for a bottom. This was a fast solution to separate two Roos last year. Truthfully they spent more time roosting on top than in it and since it was in a covered pen I let them. The pullets go in each night with no problem and roost. And I lock them up. I am pleased with it since it has served the purpose intended. The wood used in those coops is not very sturdy though. If we had not covered the sides with plywood, I really wonder if it would have lasted a year. So I guess I am saying to you...turn the whole thing into a little coop and put a nice little run around it and it should get you through a year. It should hold two hens easily and 3 should work also. The 4 young pullets I have in right now are doing fine. I feel 4 would be a max. Hope that helps.

 

[Cl2Abbeyrd]

I have an almost identical coop that I bought a year ago for a separation coop. 2 roosters overwintered in it and now it has 4 six week old pullets in it. The run around it shares a side with my main pen so I am using it for integration. I took out the floor that was in the one end and we put 1/2 inch plywood around all the sides leaving ventilation at the top. It sits in a covered run that is 8'x4' or a bit more. I also put a different latch on the door and it is sitting on a piece of stucco wire for a bottom. This was a fast solution to separate two Roos last year. Truthfully they spent more time roosting on top than in it and since it was in a covered pen I let them. The pullets go in each night with no problem and roost. And I lock them up. I am pleased with it since it has served the purpose intended. The wood used in those coops is not very sturdy though. If we had not covered the sides with plywood, I really wonder if it would have lasted a year. So I guess I am saying to you...turn the whole thing into a little coop and put a nice little run around it and it should get you through a year. It should hold two hens easily and 3 should work also. The 4 young pullets I have in right now are doing fine. I feel 4 would be a max. Hope that helps.

This is super helpful! Do you happen to have any pictures of your coop/set-up?

The wood in this coop definitely isn't sturdy, but I feel with some adjustments we'll need to make it work now that we have it and cannot return it. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[Birdydeb]

This was when I was cleaning it out back in April and painting it in preparation for the chicks. It sits in a covered pen and under an apple tree. For winter, I had the top half of wire just covered with plastic, may end up putting plywood up a bit higher on that half this year or stay with plastic...it gets HOT here and I like the ample ventilation since it is protected by a covered pen.

ETA: I also hadn't put a roost longways in it here...was in the process of painting.