Need bigger coop but no available space

[wyoDreamer]

I know what I'm talking about. No need to quantify with hardcore science.

If in doubt, read up on Temple Grandin for some good background on how I think. My observations regarding animals are always, without fail accurate.

There's you over there and me over here. I like where I'm standing.

Does that answer your question?

Wow ... just wow.
I have read up on Temple Grandin - and even she bases her designs on studies and science.

 

[wyoDreamer]

With limited space you could consider expanding your existing coop in a way that is on stilts and above some of the existing run space so that your square footage is working double time for you and can count as both inside space and outside run space beneath the coop. Also, if your coop is on stilts it can help you overcome the slope/uneven nature of the ground and you can just bury one stilt a bit deeper in the ground than another.

These are good ideas.
Maybe a picture of your existing setup so we could give you some better ideas based on what you have.

 

[Welshies]

Guys, remember... no banter.
I would seriously downsize your flock. 5 chickens (and a rooster at that?) in 8 square feet of space? My gosh!

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

You can level it with blocks, like this

 

[Sunshine Flock]

Wow ... just wow.
I have read up on Temple Grandin - and even she bases her designs on studies and science.

But not her ideas. Her ideas come entirely from keen observations. And then she presents her ideas, obtains funding and supports them with research.

There's an order of events here that is often under appreciated in favor of over reliance on the end product of science: published works, measurable data.

Observations fuel science, and they are no less valid when they remain unsupported by research.

And some things can't be scientifically supported due to limitations in apparatus and methodologies. Just something to chew on right there.

 

[JaeG]

Google Images has some great ideas - just type in "Chicken run on a slope". Lots of different designs and ideas there. Good luck! Really hope you can make it work.

Maybe think about closing in your current run and turning that into the coop, then adding a simple run onto that.

 

[wyoDreamer]

You can level it with blocks, like this

good graphic to show. lots of room underneath for chickens!

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Personally I don't listen to people who think they're infallible. But that aside...

If you have extremely limited space you can do several things to make your pen and coop better. You could add roostbars to the coop. It's a 3' high coop you said, that's enough to add some low bars. If you are concerned about the roostbars getting in the way of cleaning, make them removable.
I agree with 4sqft per bird in and 10sqft per bird out. Those numbers can be flexible, though. If your chickens are let out of the coop at dawn and only closed up at sunset (say, with an automatic door), you can get away with a slightly smaller coop. This is especially true of larger numbers of birds. A chicken might need 2 sqft as "personal space" and another 2sqft to preform normal healthy behavior (stretching, flapping, scratching, preening). But the more chickens you have, the lower the chances of all your chickens doing this at once, so a little smaller generally won't hurt too much if you're planning on 6+ birds, especially if they have near-constant access to their pen space.

You can make a small pen FEEL larger for the birds as well. There were studies done on zoo animals that basically said the animals were more active, responsive, and had better health if they couldn't see their entire pen all at the same time. Something about seeing the entire extent of your world and living space is depressing. So putting in a divider into a small pen, like a wall or a small hedge can make it feel bigger than it is by making it feel like two separate spaces one can travel between. This also gives the chickens space to get away from each other. Having interesting things to interact with can also help, such as chicken swings, treat toys, tunnels and hiding places, dust baths, etc.

Keeping an animal happy in confinement isn't just a factor of space, it can also be factor of other things, so even in a small pen you can improve things.
Also, definitely look into terracing the walls of the pen down the slope. It's not hard and could pay off for you as you expand.
Good luck!

 

[Wickedchicken6]

I can give a few suggestions that have worked for me.

For roosts. A picture would help, but with the dimensions of your coop, is it possible to put a roost across the 25"...which would be at one of the ends. I'm not sure how this would work with cleaning underneath. I use fence posts nailed onto 2x4s that are set against the wall. They entire roost can be moved. Although for you I wouldn't use fence posts, although you could. I'm meaning more this idea, except only 2 feet wide and 3 feet high with 2-3 roosts. You can probably get all the chickens on it.

1) White arrow: To the left of the pic are roosts leaned against the wall. Easy to move, easy to manufacture.

2) Red arrow: In the middle of the pic is an old broken step ladder I refused to throw away because it looked too handy to toss. He cut the broken legs off and cut the other side level. The ladder makes a great roost!

3) Green arrow: The section of good length he cut off makes a great side roost.

#2 or #3 would probably work well in your coop. If you could find an old step ladder someone's throwing away and either cut a side off for roosts or use the ladder parts.

Or perhaps you could have 2x2s cut to fit across the 25" width part. That should accommodate 2 roosts for sure, maybe three. A 2x2 is very inexpensive. Just make sure the corners are sanded round. I've got two small coops for separating breeds laying/setting hens. They have a roost is the length of the coop. Maybe that could work for yours. Or perhaps your roosts could be across at one end. Or both ends.

For my first year I used plastic wire and step-in posts to make a pen. Please note this is not secure for predators, but it worked for me because it was right in front of the house. It worked until we got something better put up...lol. It worked for the chicks and for them as adults.

In canada, the roll of plastic wire was 50' for $20 on sale. Plastic step-in posts are $2-$3/post. A 2x2 is a couple of dollars and a wrecked step ladder would be free. If your chickens seem happy and aren't pecking each other, you are probably fine for right now as you set something better up for them.

I also use height to my advantage. I use bales in my coop, but I don't think yours could accommodate that. I like the idea of putting your coop on stilts if that's possible. That adds instant space. There are some good posts prior to mine as well.

 

[PirateGirl]

Also, I'm not sure your location, but roosts in the run or a 3 sided wind shelter or lean to of sorts in the run might be adequate. Again depends the climate and predator sitution. You may be able to add safe sleeping and nesting space without building a whole new coop.