My Grand Plan...

[sphillips]

Good morning! I am getting back into chickens after a few years, and am super excited! I wanted to share my ideas with you guys, and see if I'm headed in the right direction. My old coop was in an old 'barn' building that was torn down a few years ago to make room for our horse/hay barn. It was infested with mice, leaked when it rained, but was nice and large, had an attached run, etc. So, now I'm starting from scratch.
My plan is to purchase a coop kit from our local farm supply store here, I've narrowed it down to the 'Annex II', after much consideration. I will make 'upgrades' etc, once the kit arrives. The description says it will hold 6-8 chickens, but I don't think it will hold more than 6 regular birds comfortably. They will have a larger run attached at first, and then get to free range once they are big enough, so even though this coop is small, I think the girls will be okay there for awhile.
We have an storage shed that was used for rabbits by someone, and it needs to be moved. It's 8x8, but will need to be 'converted' for chickens. I have great plans for it. It will also have a large run.
Since I don't want to work my hubby to death, I've decided to go ahead and do the kit, and then once the larger coop is done, move the girls in there. That will give hubby more time to help me get it ready. Then I'll have room for more chickens!
I want eggs, so I'm interested in good layers.
I'm starting with Leghorns, but want to get some 'broodier' hens and a rooster later on to try to see if I can hatch some chicks. Confused on what breed, as we do get very hot summers here, and my Barred Plymouth Rocks and my Wyandottes suffered in the heat in the past. I've considered Bantams, but don't know what breed, which ones are heat hardy, and how big their eggs are. Any suggestions, ideas?
Also, even though the coop kit is smaller, do you think 6 hens will do okay in there for the time being? I'm planning on ordering chicks for delivery around the end of April when I know it will be warmer. Thanks!

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

Usually the kits hold about half of the lowest number they say it will. So, without seeing it, I would say it would hold 3 full sized birds. The 8x8 sounds like a good plan.

 

[Cyprus]

I would suggest getting an easter-egger or two. They are easy to find, and they are heat hardy. As a bonus, you'll get a colorful egg basket.

Silkie, Andalusian, White Faced Black Spanish, Welsummer, and Egyptian Fayoumi are some other standard breeds that are heat hardy.

D'uccle bantams and polish bantams are good heat hardy bantams. D'uccle's are fair to poor layers of small cream eggs. Polish hens have a fair laying rate and lay small eggs, but not too small.

P.S Silkies make fantastic broody hens. They often go broody and have good hatch rates and wonderful maternal instincts. They also lay pretty well.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

Ok, just found it.
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/tractor-supply-walk-in-annex-2-chicken-coop
It is about 6' total length including the "run". So, that doesn't count for coop size. The width is less than 4'.
It looks like the coop could be about 3', but that also includes the nest boxes which shouldn't be included when calculating space. So, you have less than 11 sq foot. 6 chickens would need 24' sq to be comfortable. People do it on less, but also end up with issues.
I have a prefab kit and it was labeled to hold 8-10. I have 4 in there and if they all used the roost bars, they would comfortably sit in there. No way for 8 though. We added a run extension for them to use when they can't be out in the open run. It is barely enough for the recommended sq footage. I feel like they are cramped. They love their free time in the mornings and evenings when I open it up to their 16'x16' open run. If I ever enclose the run, I would let them out all day in it.
I am in the process of coming up with a better coop for them since I want to get more birds.
But, for 6 birds you want to start with a bigger prefab if that is the route you are going.

 

[Cyprus]

Is this coop mobile? It does seem too small for 6 chickens to live comfortably in. If you really want to house 6 birds including a rooster in there, I would make the run larger.
A mobile kit would be a bonus, as you could move them to fresh grass every couple of days as they scratch up the area.
You also might be able to attach nesting boxes from the outside of the coop, where the entrance is cut into the wall, but the back of the boxes are outside of the wall. This would leave more ground space inside the coop, and if you have a lifting top over the back of the boxes you could collect the eggs from outside.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

This guy got a coop from tsc and made it into a tractor. Some tsc stores have it on clearance. It is much bigger than what you are looking at.

 

[aart]

Welcome back @sphillips !
Love your thread title!

Ok, just found it.
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/tractor-supply-walk-in-annex-2-chicken-coop

Good sleuthing......it's tiny. Will be great for chicks(or an isolation or broody coop), now and down the road....but @sphillips, go for the 8x8 sooner rather than later.

This guy got a coop from tsc and made it into a tractor.

I saw these at the store, not a bad coop(for a prefab kit), it's still small and over rated for population, but the increased roost height and that big metal roof alleviates many of usual prefab issues.

ETA: Just watched the vid......funny...not sure the 'tractor' base' is sufficient....and I'm guessing he was paid(or given coop for free) by TSC to review.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

Welcome back @sphillips !
Love your thread title!

Good sleuthing......it's tiny. Will be great for chicks(or an isolation or broody coop), now and down the road....but @sphillips, go for the 8x8 sooner rather than later.

I saw these at the store, not a bad coop(for a prefab kit), it's still small and over rated for population, but the increased roost height and that big metal roof alleviates many of usual prefab issues.

ETA: Just watched the vid......funny...not sure the 'tractor' base' is sufficient....and I'm guessing he was paid(or given coop for free) by TSC to review.

It is one of the only prefabs I have seen with a raised roost. I think it is made better, but still has drawbacks.

 

[sphillips]

Thanks all for your input! I've been gone the last couple of days, and this morning am rethinking my idea of the annex. TSC also sells a coop, 'Innovation Extra Large Green Walk In Coop'. Understanding that their statement as to how many chickens a coop will hold is 'generous' at best, I believe this one will work better for just a few more $$. I haven't done the math yet, but with the ad saying it will hold 18, I should be more than safe with 8. I'm hoping to have the 8x8 done by summer, so I will then use the kit house for isolation etc. I will be putting the kit house inside a 10x10 enclosed run, so the chickens should have plenty of run space when they are locked up to start with.
Soon2B: Thanks for the breed suggestions. I loved the amount of eggs I got from my Leghorn hens, they are not broody, but do tolerate the heat well. The 'sweeter' chickens all suffered in the heat. I will look at a couple of the breeds you suggested, and try some of those. I am also interested in incubating eggs, but it sure would be fun to have a broody mom and babies around! Thanks guys, will keep you posted. Off to look at paint colors for my new coop.................

 

[aart]

TSC also sells a coop, 'Innovation Extra Large Green Walk In Coop'.

Keep in mind that these dimension include the 2 set of nests
"105 in. x 84.6 in. x 77 in."
Am betting coop itself is about 4x5'...good for about 4 birds.