Is my coop big enough, and do these breeds get along?

[keller298]

Mine will have a lot of run space that shouldn't get any rain or snow on it. I wonder if I built a little deck for their water and food right outside their door if that would help in winter. Then if they are sissies they won't have to go out into the big part of the run, but I won't have to put it inside their coop. I have seen some pretty neat space saving feeders and waterers though!

Not every flock is the same, some can handle a little overcrowding and others can't. It will just depend on how YOUR chickens behave together.

Another thing you have got to think about it winter. During nice weather your chickens will not stay in the coop but during rain/snow you might discover that your flock would rather stay inside. My coop is bigger than the minimum "requirements" but during snow/rain they refuse to come out. So even though the coop is technically larger than I need I've still be having some small issues because they will stay in their coop for a straight week if there is snow on the ground (they are a bunch of sissy birds)

 

[JadedPhoenix]

Unfortunately I cannot afford a shed size coop. The ones I see on here are similar dimensions and say they fit 6-8 chickens so I didn't think I was too far off. We decided to put the nest boxes out the back to give us 3 more sq ft. I hope it is enough because it was almost done when I posted this besides the nest boxes and front door.
If I find it is too crowded we will have to come up with a solution. The run itself is completely covered, I was hoping that would help.
Thanks for all the replies! Suggestions are welcome

In my experience, a coop that is on the small size works well if a person allows the chickens to freerange, not so much if the chickens are confined. Coops that I myself used when I freeranged were not enough when I penned my flock up. The less space the chickens have on a regular basis the fewer chickens can be kept happy, healthy, and quietly if you need to be stealthy. Crowded chickens are noisy chickens.

 

[JadedPhoenix]

And here is the front. This entire front will be a door so I can easily clean it. It will have a remove able board to keep the litter in as well. That dark board is a piece leftover flooring I was using to hold up the temporary roosts. It won't be there and the final product won't be crooked.

I had one that was nearly identical to this one when I had chickens the first time. I had a total of three different coops and the other two were up on legs while this one was on cinder blocks. In the end, it ended up being more of a storage box (it had a roof on hinges and lifted up) since my chickens stopped using it altogether. Compared to the others, I'm thinking they felt it was too dark since light only came in through the pop door. The others had a screen door in the back to use for cleaning.

That said, you will probably be okay for the simple fact that the first time that people keep chickens, unfortunately, a chicken or two is lost before they reach maturity. Also, you may find yourself getting a second coop later on anyway. Chickens are addictive.

Oh, just thought of something, since you have to be sneaky. My last run before I built my 22'by40' run I currently have was actually a trampoline with chicken wire around it. My coops were just on the outside of the circle so it didn't take up any of the run space. If you need to hide the feathered little ones, folks might not give a trampoline a second glance. Check craiglist and you might could get one cheap from someone trying to get rid of one.

 

[keller298]

That is a good point about the light. Maybe we will make a window with screen that has a door to cover it during the winter. Extra ventilation can't be a bad thing in the summer, right? Maybe I could cover it with plastic in the winter if they need more light.

I had one that was nearly identical to this one when I had chickens the first time.  I had a total of three different coops and the other two were up on legs while this one was on cinder blocks.  In the end, it ended up being more of a storage box (it had a roof on hinges and lifted up) since my chickens stopped using it altogether.  Compared to the others, I'm thinking they felt it was too dark since light only came in through the pop door.  The others had a screen door in the back to use for cleaning.  

That said, you will probably be okay for the simple fact that the first time that people keep chickens, unfortunately, a chicken or two is lost before they reach maturity.  Also, you may find yourself getting a second coop later on anyway.  Chickens are addictive.   

Oh, just thought of something, since you have to be sneaky.  My last run before I built my 22'by40' run I currently have was actually a trampoline with chicken wire around it.  My coops were just on the outside of the circle so it didn't  take up any of the run space.  If you need to hide the feathered little ones, folks might not give a trampoline a second glance.  Check craiglist and you might could get one cheap from someone trying to get rid of one.

 

[JadedPhoenix]

That sounds like a good plan about adding more light. And it isn't hard to winterize a coop or run. My dad raised parakeets and finches to sell to pet stores when I was little and he did it to his aviary every year.

 

[JaceAgain]

You might rethink your placement, with this they will have to walk under roosts to get to the nests and that makes for poopy eggs.

 

[keller298]

I was going to make poop boards right under the roosts so they could walk under without getting pooped on. That way the entire floor is usable space plus the roosts and 3-4 nest boxes. Does that work?

You might rethink your placement, with this they will have to walk under roosts to get to the nests and that makes for poopy eggs.

 

[JaceAgain]

I was going to make poop boards right under the roosts so they could walk under without getting pooped on. That way the entire floor is usable space plus the roosts and 3-4 nest boxes. Does that work?

You might rethink your placement, with this they will have to walk under roosts to get to the nests and that makes for poopy eggs.

So theyd only have a 12" space to walk under? With the roosts at 15? Im not seeing how that will work...

 

[Original Recipe]

Quote:
Please keep in mind that my hens spend very little time in the coop, only roosting and accessing the nest. The attached run is really just to give them some protection from the weather when they need it. They free range every day and also have a 50' long scratch pen for when we are away during the day. So I disagree that my coop is too small. Now, were my birds confined to the coop and small run 24/7 then I would wholeheartedly agree that it would be too small. The OP stated that they have a decent size enclosed run and that is why I feel that their coop is not too small for their flock of six.

 

[CrazyChickGirl]

I assumed my chickens would only sleep in their coop and never spend time in it during the day... But for some reason they like to go hang out and take naps in there... Especially when we use the screen door and it allows extra light and air flow. They seem to love it. I call them free range... Basically they have a fenced in yard just for them of 12X42 or something like that. So maybe not truly free range. So I wonder if maybe the more pleasant the coop is, the more likely they are to spend time in it. I think your coop will be fine for a while, but they grow A LOT. When they reach adult hood it may cause problems. You can always find a friend or neighbor who wants just two chicken? It seems very popular where we live to have a couple and I know I would have no problem unloading a few if problems arise.