Indoor Coop Adjustments

[MixFlocksRule13]

Hey everybody! Man, it must have been a year since I've last been here. Good to be back!

So, I have 5 chickens in my barn. We took a stall and converted it into a chicken coop. There's a feed trough that we converted into nest boxes (we have some better ones built now, so I think I'll get rid of the feed box ones). We have 2 roosts for them, a feeder, a water tank, a heat lamp above the water, a small feeding bin for oyster shell and grit (I toss dried bugs and scratch grain on that when it's feeding time),and a bigger metal feeding bin full of dirt from the arena (they like to roll in it).

As mentioned earlier, it's a stall in a barn. There is no window, but they are let outside frequently for sun and exercise. With it being in a barn, it's with barn cats. We have 6 of them. We also have 2 pet goats. They all do good with the chickens, but they like to eat the chicken food, the goats more than the cats (but the cats still do it from time to time). So if there's a way to let chickens go in and out of the coop without goats or chickens doing the same, I need it.

I want to add some enrichment as well. If they don't have food or outside access, then they're pretty bored. I've tried food on a rope, they don't care about it and the food rots

So any ideas on how to make this a better coop? I'll be working for my dad and saving some money, so I hope to have money for some adjustments this summer

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC. Where, in general, are you? Climate matters.

Your chickens really do need a run to access fresh air and sunshine outdoors. You can make their area proof against goats and cats by securing it with appropriate wire fence.

 

[MixFlocksRule13]

Welcome to BYC. Where, in general, are you? Climate matters.

Your chickens really do need a run to access fresh air and sunshine outdoors. You can make their area proof against goats and cats by securing it with appropriate wire fence.

Thanks! I'm from Montana

I'll see what I can do for a run. Would it be smart to let them have free roam during the day and close them in at night? Our ranch is small and surrounded by neighborhoods. We don't see predators. There's our cats, but they met the chickens when they were all babies and all know to mind their business

 

[3KillerBs]

Thanks! I'm from Montana

I'll see what I can do for a run. Would it be smart to let them have free roam during the day and close them in at night? Our ranch is small and surrounded by neighborhoods. We don't see predators. There's our cats, but they met the chickens when they were all babies and all know to mind their business

I don't free range because I value my garden too much.

Whether or not to free range is a matter of risk-balancing. You almost certainly have predators you're not aware of and having chickens will draw them out of hiding. But many people do free range successfully.

How much would it upset you to lose chickens?

 

[Alaskan]

Thanks! I'm from Montana

I'll see what I can do for a run. Would it be smart to let them have free roam during the day and close them in at night? Our ranch is small and surrounded by neighborhoods. We don't see predators. There's our cats, but they met the chickens when they were all babies and all know to mind their business

I would want to stick a lean-to roof up against the outside wall of the stall with the chickens... fence that new lean-to roof area as a perfectly predator, AND cat and goat proof run.

Then pop a small chicken door from the stall into the new run.

You run the risk of your goats getting bloat and actually dying, if they get too much of the chicken feed.

And... now that the goats know where the chicken feed is, it will be a bear to keep them out of the feed. So, good construction is probably now needed.

If you set up the stall as the "coop" and make your entrance into that stall/coop both cat and goat proof.... then, with my first suggestion of adding a predator proof run... you are now set.

Also, the roofed and predator proof run will be most excellent come winter time, since it will give them a mostly snow free area to play in.

 

[Iluveggers]

I would want to stick a lean-to roof up against the outside wall of the stall with the chickens... fence that new lean-to roof area as a perfectly predator, AND cat and goat proof run.

Then pop a small chicken door from the stall into the new run.

You run the risk of your goats getting bloat and actually dying, if they get too much of the chicken feed.

And... now that the goats know where the chicken feed is, it will be a bear to keep them out of the feed. So, good construction is probably now needed.

If you set up the stall as the "coop" and make your entrance into that stall/coop both cat and goat proof.... then, with my first suggestion of adding a predator proof run... you are now set.

Also, the roofed and predator proof run will be most excellent come winter time, since it will give them a mostly snow free area to play in.

Great advice!

 

[MixFlocksRule13]

I would want to stick a lean-to roof up against the outside wall of the stall with the chickens... fence that new lean-to roof area as a perfectly predator, AND cat and goat proof run.

Then pop a small chicken door from the stall into the new run.

You run the risk of your goats getting bloat and actually dying, if they get too much of the chicken feed.

And... now that the goats know where the chicken feed is, it will be a bear to keep them out of the feed. So, good construction is probably now needed.

If you set up the stall as the "coop" and make your entrance into that stall/coop both cat and goat proof.... then, with my first suggestion of adding a predator proof run... you are now set.

Also, the roofed and predator proof run will be most excellent come winter time, since it will give them a mostly snow free area to play in.

Great, thanks! Seeming as I would want to try for a sizeable run, I might remodel their current coop back as a stall, and move them to another stall. The back of this one is right at a road, which can have some space taken from it, but probably only a couple yards in. We can make it long, though. What do you think?

 

[Alaskan]

Great, thanks! Seeming as I would want to try for a sizeable run, I might remodel their current coop back as a stall, and move them to another stall. The back of this one is right at a road, which can have some space taken from it, but probably only a couple yards in. We can make it long, though. What do you think?

Just depends on what makes the most sense in your layout.

You want it safe for the poultry, but also convenient for you.

Bigger is always better!