Mail-Order Chicks on Their Way but I am confused???

[JurassicBawk]

WOW...that is neat! I love the window, nesting boxes, ventilation, and access door. It looks easy enough for my husband to make...I will wait to see how the flock behaves to see if the extra covered room is needed. Thank you!

My dad is retired and made it his project, doing tons of research to get the size of things just right, but it wasn't too difficult to build. Just 4 walls, slanted roof (it's plywood with regular tar roof shingles attached,) nest box, door for them on the other side with a self-standing ramp up to it, and the front access door big enough to easily clean. Since they aren't really in the coop and don't mess in it I just put down doggy pee pads and change them out every other week or so, more if it's muddy. The vents are regular house vents that can be open/closed, and the door is screen but has a separate removable wood/plexi covering for winter. If your hubby wants to try to build something similar and needs more info, let me know.

 

[adstowe]

now feel a bit attacked on this forum for being stupid, ignorant, naive?

If you feel like something I said was an attack I apologize. I certainly didn't mean to come across that way. EVERYBODY was new at one point. Good call on reducing the number. Even if you had the space for your original order it's a good idea to leave yourself room to add some new pullets next spring. There's a good chance that you'll be be sucked in by the lure of new birds.

 

[aart]

Thank you aart! You are kind and I still take your words you wrote earlier to heart.

Ha! Thanks!
They usually call me the 'mean one'.
I'm blunt, but do mean well.

 

[featherhead007]

Yah, politics! That was funny.

 

[featherhead007]

I think they should teach chicken math in every elementary school!

 

[analyticalblonde]

If you feel like something I said was an attack I apologize. I certainly didn't mean to come across that way. EVERYBODY was new at one point. Good call on reducing the number. Even if you had the space for your original order it's a good idea to leave yourself room to add some new pullets next spring. There's a good chance that you'll be be sucked in by the lure of new birds.

Hi adstowe,

Thank you for you kind words..I greatly appreciate it. Got the coop/run delivered today and it quite significant...at least the run portion from what I can see. We will be breaking down the shipment and looking over the package but more than likely won't be able to build for a couple of weeks in that there is still snow on the ground and we are predicted to have rain over the next 4 days! Ugghhh....

 

[analyticalblonde]

Ha! Thanks!
They usually call me the 'mean one'.
I'm blunt, but do mean well.

I guess I am the outlier...I appreciate words of wisdom, experience and advice that make sense!

 

[analyticalblonde]

I received the integrated coop/run today from TSC. I now know the coop dimensions...!!!

Coop Dimensions: 48.4" W x 52.7" D x 91.8" H (Basically 4 ft W x 4 1/4 ft D x 7 1/2 ft H)
Run Dimensions: 13.7 ft W x 13.66 ft D x 9.5 ft H
Roosts: 3 - each being 4 ft in length for a total of 12 linear feet

That's about 17 sq. ft of a footprint. The coop is more verticle than horizontal which can be tight for 10 girls if housed every night but as another member suggested, if I leave the coop door open (being sure the entire system has been predator proofed!), then maybe that will compensate for their needs with open, free access to move about and only using the coop as they want/need. This is keeping in mind the swings in weather we have here (i.e. true winters with snow storms and typical spring and fall rains) which would necessitate the need to house them until the weather is more favorable (a day or so). Naturally, when winter comes we will add heavy-duty plastic to the sides of the run for protection and not remove it until the spring showers have passed. As for fall showers, I think putting up the plastic in October might be too soon (?).

The run offers the space for the girls giving >169 sq. ft. of space to move about. That's enough for ~42 girls but that is stretching it! Never would do that!

 

[adstowe]

The generally recited rule of thumb is 4 square feet in the coop + 10 square feet in the run per bird. Your run is fine for 10 birds, but the coop is still small for 10. You may be able to shelter the run with tarps and put perches in it and make it kind of an open air coop till you can build a more appropriate sized coop to attach to that run. Then you'd be able to slap a smaller run on that coop and use it as a grow out/separation pen. IDK. It's a thought.

 

[featherhead007]

Maybe, add on to the coop you now have, following the floor plan. I'm sure the hens wouldn't mind!