My chicken coop

[Jad1977]

What do you think of my chicken coop? It houses 3 but could probably get a couple more in there comfortably. Its got a modified run for when there's predators around and automatic door to avoid those early morning wake up calls!

 

[DobieLover]

It shouldn't be housing three chickens unless you keep Seramas.
LF chickens should be provided 3.5-4 sq ft per chicken in the coop and 12-15 sq ft per chicken in the run. When you pack too many birds in a tight space, they start to become aggressive and go after each other in their frustration. This is why commercial chickens are debeaked.
You will also have a much higher than normal ventilation requirement for healthy air in the coop overnight so ammonia and moisture can escape. Those tiny pre-fabs never have enough ventilation for even a pair of chickens and unfortunately, yours is no exception. Cleaning it is going to be a pain and with the overpopulation of birds, the poop load will build up fast.
You will also find that the wood is going to rot out very fast.
They are also very easy for larger predators to just push over. A dog could easily push that coop over. Here is a larger prefab that a bear tossed:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/bear-flipped-over-coop.1465540/
I personally tore one apart with my bare hands trying to load it into my trailer to haul to the dump.

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC. If you add your general location to your profile we can give better-targeted advice. Climate matters.

I'm sorry, but you've been fooled by the unscrupulous makers of coops that look pretty but are almost entirely unsuited to keeping chickens healthy and happy.

The number of chickens they claim to hold is based on the legal minimums for commercial chickens and not healthy backyard practices.

The Usual Guidelines

For each adult, standard-sized hen you need:

• 4 square feet in the coop (.37 square meters)
• 10 square feet in the run (.93 square meters),
• 1 linear foot of roost (.3 meters),
• 1/4 of a nest box,
• And 1 square foot (.09 square meters) of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation, preferably located over the birds' heads when they're sitting on the roost.

These numbers are guidelines, not hard-and-fast rules, but are usually considered minimums. This article has a more in-depth and nuanced look at the problem: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/how-much-room-do-chickens-need.66180/

This is a coop designed specifically to meet all the minimums for a flock of 4 hens: The Little, Monitor Coop

And this is about providing good ventilation -- an area that almost all prefabs, regardless of size or manufacturer, have problems in. Repecka Illustrates Coop Ventilation

 

[Jad1977]

Did you use something to seal it to help it last longer outside?

Did you use something to seal it to help it last longer outside?

S

Did you use something to seal it to help it last longer outside?

I used some silicone bead around all the joints and since posting my video I have tightened the screws and joints of the timbers. I think next, I'll find a sealer paint and give it a once over. Checking after rain its pretty good. The chooks remain dry.

 

[Jad1977]

It shouldn't be housing three chickens unless you keep Seramas.
LF chickens should be provided 3.5-4 sq ft per chicken in the coop and 12-15 sq ft per chicken in the run. When you pack too many birds in a tight space, they start to become aggressive and go after each other in their frustration. This is why commercial chickens are debeaked.
You will also have a much higher than normal ventilation requirement for healthy air in the coop overnight so ammonia and moisture can escape. Those tiny pre-fabs never have enough ventilation for even a pair of chickens and unfortunately, yours is no exception. Cleaning it is going to be a pain and with the overpopulation of birds, the poop load will build up fast.
You will also find that the wood is going to rot out very fast.
They are also very easy for larger predators to just push over. A dog could easily push that coop over. Here is a larger prefab that a bear tossed:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/bear-flipped-over-coop.1465540/
I personally tore one apart with my bare hands trying to load it into my trailer to haul to the dump.

Thanks DobieLover. You're correct about the poop build up so it gets cleaned pretty regularly. Not as worried about dogs as the yard is very secure just outside the view of that video. No bears as I'm in Australia. Some foxes though which haven't proved a problem yet however I have taken some extra measures with higher strength screws and bolts.

 

[aart]

I'm in Australia

Welcome to BYC! @Jad1977
Here's how to add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[3KillerBs]

I live in sub-tropical Brisbane Qld where summers are warm and humid nights and winters are mild with no frosts. Due to that I leave the door to the secure fine wire meshed run open at night to allow for some airflow which helps. In the peak of summer when they go to bed at night they pant a little but as it cools off and in the mornings they aren't panting any more.

Here's my hot climate article: Hot Climate Chicken Housing and Care

In your climate you'd do very well to take out the interior walls to turn it into an Open Air style coop. That being a roofed wire box with a 3-sided shelter on one end.

I've actually got two for sale cockerels in a version made from a dog crate right now so you can see the concept (I'm moving it around like a tractor rather than try to keep bedding fresh).

*Technically* it's exactly 4 square feet each for the two of them, but you can see how cramped they look.

Neuchickenstein, the big coop in the article is an Open Air design. Camp Cockerel is another -- this time a lightweight, low-security facility for temporarily housing the for-sale birds. I actually had birds in the "winterized" version through all but the two coldest months here in North Carolina even though we had the NC version of a severe winter.

 

[Jad1977]

Here's my hot climate article: Hot Climate Chicken Housing and Care

In your climate you'd do very well to take out the interior walls to turn it into an Open Air style coop. That being a roofed wire box with a 3-sided shelter on one end.

I've actually got two for sale cockerels in a version made from a dog crate right now so you can see the concept (I'm moving it around like a tractor rather than try to keep bedding fresh).

View attachment 3537428

*Technically* it's exactly 4 square feet each for the two of them, but you can see how cramped they look.

View attachment 3537431

Neuchickenstein, the big coop in the article is an Open Air design. Camp Cockerel is another -- this time a lightweight, low-security facility for temporarily housing the for-sale birds. I actually had birds in the "winterized" version through all but the two coldest months here in North Carolina even though we had the NC version of a severe winter.

I like it. After your pointers today I actually went and had a closer look and before next summer will remove some panels relace with fine mesh wire and increase the ventilation. Love the open-air coop you have there. Very Good tips!

 

[Lor]

What do you think of my chicken coop? It houses 3 but could probably get a couple more in there comfortably. Its got a modified run for when there's predators around and automatic door to avoid those early morning wake up calls!

Did you use something to seal it to help it last longer outside?

 

[Jad1977]

Welcome to BYC! @Jad1977
Here's how to add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!
View attachment 3537188

Done! Thanks aart. everyone on here is so helpful!