Is my coop too big?? Should i make adjustments..??? pics...

[AlicesSilkies]

I have just finished my coop and run, i am sooo pleased with it,



But when i put them to bed, they all go into the nesting boxes, btw i have 9 bantams in there, and they dont use the actual sleeping area, this a picture of them eating tea in there.







Do you think i should add something to make it more snug??
Any ideas byc friends???

Thankyouuu so much

 

[CrzyCknLady]

Just a thought too - I love your coop, it is so cute - but is there any way you can put a piece of rain gutter or anything under the lower part of the roof. I think when it rains, all of the water is going to be sent directly into your run - which could make a muddy mess.....It could just be my personal preference to diver the rain and snow away and I could be totally wrong......

As for the roosting bars - it would be really easy to attach two boars on the sides and then "lay" roosting bars across those. It would make it easy to remove them to clean too that way - especially if you notch them in.

I hate it when my girls sleep in my nesting boxes - it makes such a mess!

 

[DianaMallory]

I had the same problem, my girls would all try to cram into the same box! I added a roost higher than the nesting boxes and that problem was solved. But it created another problem, the roost was above the nesting boxes, my boxes are inside my coop and they would poo on and in them from the roost. So new project started as we speak my hubby is moving the nest boxes outside the coop. Looks like you have enough room but there is information on that in the learning center here. I can't remember how much room you need per bird but that is what I went by. It is so many square feet per bird in the coop and so many square feet per bird for the run. Good luck. Cute coop!

 

[JanetS]

Cute chickens! I don't see anything for them to roost on. This may help. How old are they? My chickens slept on the floor for the first few weeks in their coop. Good luck!

 

[AlicesSilkies]

I haven't made one yet, i am unsure on what height i should do it...

anybody have ideas...

 

[JanetS]

You can make a few roost at different heights. That way they can choose which one they like. I started out with one at about 8 to 10 inches off floor. Now
that my chickens are 6 months old its about 3 ft.

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

Is there such a thing as a coop too big. Wait until chicken math comes into play, you will be expanding/improving your coop. But I would put a roost about midway up from ground to ceiling. And maybe block off nest boxes until they roost, unless they are already laying.

 

[DianaMallory]

Just a thought too - I love your coop, it is so cute - but is there any way you can put a piece of rain gutter or anything under the lower part of the roof. I think when it rains, all of the water is going to be sent directly into your run - which could make a muddy mess.....It could just be my personal preference to diver the rain and snow away and I could be totally wrong......

As for the roosting bars - it would be really easy to attach two boars on the sides and then "lay" roosting bars across those. It would make it easy to remove them to clean too that way - especially if you notch them in.

I hate it when my girls sleep in my nesting boxes - it makes such a mess!

Thank you! For pointing that out, we have been in a drought here and finally got a good rain the other day and my run was a 1/2 muddy mess! The other half had sand on it. I need more sand now because the run is on a slope and it all ran to onside of the run. But a gutter would help! Thank you!

 

[DianaMallory]

Get a 2x4 and screw it in about half way up but above the nesting boxes! Make sure they can get up and down with no problems. And you might want to replace the wood shavings with sand! I put sand in my coop and I love it! I had straw and found it very messy to get rid of and cost more. Sand is so easy use river sand, keeps the smell down and you can scoop the poo! And if you have a chicken like mine who started laying from the roost, when it hit the sand it didn't break!

 

[galefrances]

In answer to your question about space: You need 4-6 sq.ft. per bird in the coop and 10 sq. ft. per bird in the run. That is for regular size chickens. You can go less for bantams, but I don't know how much smaller.