My Coop -- Any advice?

[Kokkekokou]

Hello everyone. Here are some pictures of the coop I built a few weeks ago. It will house 5 chickens -- 1 silkie and 4 regular-sized chickens. I still have a few tweaks to make to it, but it's mostly ready to go. My chicks won't be moving in for another couple of weeks, so if you have any advice please share it.

I based it on the Purina Mills plans, though downsized and re-shaped a little.



I added a small covered run. It doesn't get terribly cold here in the winter, but we do get some snow and lots of rain, so I wanted some place for the chickens to be able to stretch their legs and get some fresh air in the winter. It also gets really hot here in the summer, and this coop is pretty exposed to the sun, so I wanted a shaded area for them to hang out when they aren't out in my garden.



I've added a ramp and a roost to the run since this picture was taken.



Inside of the coop. Two doors open up completely for easy access.



I also made a screened insert so I can keep the doors open as much as possible to allow for fresh air and light. I've already been told I should add a window -- maybe somewhere down the line. I'm thinking of putting a string of Xmas lights or something inside the coop for the winter months.



The coop backs up to a 6 foot retaining wall, so no predators from that side. We have some fox, weasels, tanuki (like a raccoon), and hawks around here. I've taken all the usual precautions to ensure that the coop is safe from those critters. But if you see any shortcomings of my coop, I'm all ears!

 

[CascadiaRiver]

I almost feel like it's a bit small, will they have free range time? I think the rule is 2sq feet inside the coop per bird and 10 in the run? I may be wrong on that but I feel like they'd need more room. How big is it?

 

[Kyanite]

I almost feel like it's a bit small, will they have free range time? I think the rule is 2sq feet inside the coop per bird and 10 in the run? I may be wrong on that but I feel like they'd need more room. How big is it?

This would be my concern as well. It's hard to judge scale from the photos though so only you know. I believe the 2 square feet would be for bantams. It's more like 4-5 square feet per bird for a full sized chicken in the coop. Yes, 10 for the run is correct. Keep in mind that those are recommended minimums too. Birds are kept in more confined conditions for commercial purposes, but they also end up with more health concerns too.

 

[Kokkekokou]

Sorry, should have included dimensions in my original post. The coop is about 3ft x 5ft, and probably 3-4ft tall inside. The run is a similar area, plus the open area under the coop. So it's a little tight, but my chickens will have some time in my garden every day as well.