Need another coop/run for the little ones. Opinions

[sarahandjay]

Need opinions on the ware chicken ranch/cottage. I just need something temp. to keep my 5 chicks in until I can let them out with the big girls/guys.
Hubby does A/C work and has no time to help me until it cools off.
Give me the good the bad and the ugly
Thank in advance

60.75 30.50 37.50​

width depth high

 

[FridayYet]

Looks good as a grow-out pen. One thing I don't see is ventilation in the coop. It needs some airflow. Roof looks like it's just stained/painted wood. If out in the elements it would probably rot eventually unless you roofed it.

Security wise, the sides could be dug under unless the whole floor is hardware cloth.

All in all, for your purposes, it would probably work well.

 

[sarahandjay]

Thank you for your response. Yes the roof is just stained so I know that will become problematic down the road. I will have to check out the ventilation as this is going to be a sight unseen in person purchase

and I do have hardware cloth to shore up the protection as well.
Roomy enough for them? I am new at this. My first round of chicks went directly into the big coop from inside brooder. Just want to make sure they will have enough room.

 

[FridayYet]

How old are they and when do you plan on integrating them?

My 6 week olds are out with the big girls already, but in a pretty good-sized run. The do sleep in a separate box in the coop.

 

[sarahandjay]

They are about 5 weeks. The others free range on about 2 acres. I was going to give them about a month or two grow out time.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I wouldn't wait too long, the older your chicks get the more trouble you'll have integrating them, mine go out from 5-8 weeks, and my birds have 40 acres to free range on, but of course they don't go that far, the pen looks nice, if you go that route, maybe put it where your older hens can have look, and get to know them through the fence, I agree with Friday, needs ventilation, but maybe we can't see it.

 

[sarahandjay]

I am planning on putting this coop next to the big coop so everyone can see each other. I have had them out with the bigs one when they are in a larger dog crate so they have seen each other. Really I just want to give them time to be able to defend themselves if need be. I have never intergraded myself so I just want to make sure everyone is safe.
Thank you for the advice.

Do you just let the younger out or do you have a seperate place for them at night like friday? if i dont have spend money thats always good

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Mine are in a pen with in the shed I keep them in, they are locked up for the first week, so everyone can have a look at them, then I just open the door and away they go, start close and slowly get farther away everyday, I lock them up at night separately until it becomes impossible, but that's because they get out pretty early and I'd prefer they wait until I'm up, the older hens peck them here and there, but because they're so young they don't really hurt them, it doesn't hurt to have an extra coop around though, you'll find many uses for it

 

[3riverschick]

Hi,
That Ware will fail you. I have handled them at a store. Not the quality you need. Too lightweight. Why not just put them out with the older birds and give them a "run under" shelter to escape of they need to while integrating with the flock? A shelter with a door they can get thru and the bigger birds can't. They are almost ready to go out... are their breasts fully feathered? If so, they should be good outside. Maybe something like this without the lights and stuff. http://tinyurl.com/pcv6jbp
Just find a panel of this which has holes large enough for the chicks to get thru. Bend it and secure in a circle and throw a tarp over the top. If you want get some tent stakes and stake it to the ground. Put a small feed and waterer inside. That way you can give the chicks their extra goodies without the adults eating them all. Set it out with the adults. At night you can set the wire dog crate in the coop and put the chicks in it. In the day time they can run with the flock and escape to the inside of their "run-in shelter if they need too.

Best,
Karen

 

[azygous]

Karen's right. Save your money. Those flimsy coop/runs are not even worth the price of gas to get them home.

Do you have any type of run at all? Or is it strictly a coop that your flock comes home to at night to roost in? You will need something, as Karen suggests, for the five-week olds to run to for safety from older chickens or even danger from the sky. At night, it will be best for them to have their own sleeping quarters for a while until they get more self confidence in dealing with the flock. If you try to stuff them into the coop with the older ones too soon, their fear will make it very hard for them to integrate.

Do you have a large dog crate? You can easily create a cover for the doorway with a 5X7" hole cut into it. Remove the door and fasten hardware cloth over the entrance. This creates a safe shelter that the older chickens can't enter. Place food and water inside so the chicks don't need to compete for essentials.

I would place this inside the coop if it's large enough to accommodate it. Let the chicks determine when to leave the coop environment and venture out to free range. From there, it should be easy to graduate them to living in the coop proper when the time comes.