Is my coop too small?

[pennyJo1960]

Welcome to Backyard Chickens. This is a great place to hang out.
You can buy a shed at any hardware store of the 5 x 8 or 8 x 12
and turn that to a coop. Be sure to use hardware cloth not chicken wire.

 

[ABQ chicken keeper]

lol, I did return! Now I have to figure out what I want to do instead. I know building is best or finding a random shed and converting but honestly I don’t know how to do any of that.

707,
Where are located? Is there a Homedepot or a lumberyard near you? Places like those usually point you to someone who can do the job for you. You purchase the material, have it delivered they do the work.
This assumes labor and material are in your budget. Plans are readily available.
How much yard space do you have available? Also check with neighbors and local codes if there are any. HOA's can be VERY restrictive!
Good luck!

 

[chickenana707]

707,
Where are located? Is there a Homedepot or a lumberyard near you? Places like those usually point you to someone who can do the job for you. You purchase the material, have it delivered they do the work.
This assumes labor and material are in your budget. Plans are readily available.
How much yard space do you have available? Also check with neighbors and local codes if there are any. HOA's can be VERY restrictive!
Good luck!

Thank you! This is through Home Depot, is something like this what you mean? https://www.cottagekits.com/products/value-a-frame-chicken-coop

 

[ABQ chicken keeper]

Thank you! This is through Home Depot, is something like this what you mean? https://www.cottagekits.com/products/value-a-frame-chicken-coop

That would work. My preference would be something with a taller side wall.
Like this

 

[BigBlueHen53]

This product comes delivered to you as a kit. You provide the labor as well as roof shingles, exterior paint and some kind of waterproof coating for the floor. It does not appear to have adequate ventilation, which should be about 1 sq foot per bird. Other than that it seems to be a nice, solid building.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Depending on your budget and labor + material costs in your area you can always pay someone to build or modify a shed for you. Nothing shameful about having help in putting something together.

 

[K C]

I’m good at chicken math, but not regular math. I bought this coop but haven’t set it up yet. After further thinking, I’m worried it’s not going to be big enough, but this is my first time having chickens. Reviews for all prefab coops seem to be so hit or miss...I get that it's not the best, but realistically is it safe/healthy? One person says don't put more then 4, another says they have 10 ducks living in here. So confusing! I live in the Midwest and was hoping for 6-7 chickens to start. We are not allowed to free range because we are in a neighborhood. We were hoping to build or get an omlet coop next year. Will this coop fit 6-7 until then? I’m open to getting a second run to put off the other side too. Also, any recommendations on “winterizing” a prefab coop like this? View attachment 4309501

Something to consider might be choosing bantam birds (more smaller birds equals more egg quantity overall unless you strictly choose production breeds). I have a small back yard with a limited space and happy, healthy girls in a condo-style coop and 5'x20' fenced run. If your space is limited, smaller birds require less space per square foot. I purchased a prefab coop from Tractor Supply that required fairly simple assembly. It fits my space and has held up really well for over five years. Several of my bantams lay eggs that are the size of large regular eggs from full-size hens.

I have all bantams: five Cochins, one Barred Rock, one Phoenix and one Seabright. Three of the Cochins lay very large eggs and the other two are medium sized. The Seabright lays the smallest and the Barred Rock and Phoenix are in-between. On average during peak laying season they average four eggs a day from the eight girls. This past winter it was more sparse at one to two eggs per day and I ended up buying free range organic eggs several times through most of winter. Two of the Cochins usually go broody for at least part of the summer months and one of the girls usually has a hard molt and doesn't lay at all through winter. In the years I've had all eight, only once did I get seven eggs in one day, never eight and not usually even six. Normally a bonus day is five eggs. Occasionally there's a day with no eggs, but that's pretty infrequent.

If high egg production (quantity) is what you are looking for as priority then I suggest you will need the maximum number of hens for the space you have.

 

[Ted Brown]

lol, I did return! Now I have to figure out what I want to do instead. I know building is best or finding a random shed and converting but honestly I don’t know how to do any of that.

I recommend you haunt the local "market place" sites and find a shed with the intent to modify to suit.

Your plan should be: 1 find/modify/install coop & run; 2 find a small flock. If you keep at it step 1 could take a year...

You said "...6-7 to start". What is your max? Multiply max * 4, that is the size in sq ft of your COOP. Find a shed of that size on line, take your time find out what is out there.

Once you have your shed, come back on BYC and folks here will be thrilled to walk you through the what & how of modifications to make it work. You should also post right away asking for the "top n" things you should be looking for in a used shed.

Once you have your shed and are modifying it you can start to think about the run, it should be max * 10 sq ft.

Easy peasy. Good luck!

 

[Briarhopper Ranch]

@chickenana707 dropping a quick note to remind you that the *upfront* costs of chicken rearing are always shocking, but things level out from there. This is not to say the ongoing costs don’t exist - far from it - but just to give some assurance that once you get your coop, run, feeders, waterers, med kits, brooders, etc. established, the ongoing costs aren’t quiet as painful.

Enjoy your chicken journey!

Thank you! This is through Home Depot, is something like this what you mean? https://www.cottagekits.com/products/value-a-frame-chicken-coop