Need Coop Advice for new Chicken Owner

[wardkm2]

I am very new to raising chickens! For background we live in the "city" but are allowed to have chickens. We have 7 currently - 3 silkies, 4 Araucanas & 1 Amberlink. They are still inside, but I think they will be ready to go outside in the next couple of weeks. We live in the Midwest, so weather can be very up and down in spring. I am having trouble finding a good coop that will be enough room for them. I was hoping to just be able ot buy a premade one vs. building it ourselves. I was looking at the Tuscan Villa:

http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/sto...-6-8-chicken-capacity-ca-prop-65?cm_vc=-10005

but not sure if that will be enough room? Also for background I plan to extend their runs greatly once they're bigger, so my biggest concern at the moment is their "sleeping quarters" Help!!

If building one ourselves is the way to go, can anyone point to good plans to use for a medium sized coop?

thanks in advance!

 

[jetdog]

I am very new to raising chickens! For background we live in the "city" but are allowed to have chickens.  We have 7 currently - 3 silkies, 4 Araucanas & 1 Amberlink.  They are still inside, but I think they will be ready to go outside in the next couple of weeks.  We live in the Midwest, so weather can be very up and down in spring.  I am having trouble finding a good coop that will be enough room for them.  I was hoping to just be able ot buy a premade one vs. building it ourselves.  I was looking at the Tuscan Villa:

http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/sto...-6-8-chicken-capacity-ca-prop-65?cm_vc=-10005

but not sure if that will be enough room?  Also for background I plan to extend their runs greatly once they're bigger, so my biggest concern at the moment is their "sleeping quarters" Help!!

If building one ourselves is the way to go, can anyone point to good plans to use for a medium sized coop?

thanks in advance!

For 7 chickens you will need a 4x8 coop nothing special basically a box with a roof,the pre made ones are junk,poorly built and way to small. Check Craigslist you can usually find something that will need little to no work but stay away from the pre made junk don't waste your money.

 

[Judy]

It sounds like the coop section is about 2'x4', or 8 sq ft, which by our site "rule of thumb" would hold two chickens, if you didn't put food or water in the coop. And it is probably not wide enough to keep food dry if kept below the coop. The run is apparently around 20 or 23 sq ft.

Honestly, this is pretty typical of almost all prefab coops. I don't know where they get those numbers. I seriously doubt you could get 8 chickens to go in that coop voluntarily.

That "rule of thumb" is 4 sq ft per large fowl (RIR, Barred Rock, etc.) in the coop and 1- sq ft n the run. For bantams it's probably more like 3 and 8. Now, mind you, this is presumed to be the minimum needed to prevent severe pecking, feather picking, and even cannibalism.

Moreover, most prefab coops are usually not very sturdy and will not last but a few years. For the price, you should be able to pick up a much larger shed which you can easily modify for chickens, and building a run is not a complicated task, just the right kind of fencing and a few posts, perhaps with a top cover, depending where you live and your predator population. Many people have found an excellent buy on Craig's list, even if they have to pay someone to move a building.

Well, jetdog posted my message, but very condensed, while I was typing.

Where you live is also a serious consideration. Unless you are in the deep snow areas of the country, you would do better to consider a much more open design. because chickens can tolerate temps well below freezing but can die at 100 degreesF without a good breeze, good shade, and of course plenty of water. Even iin the far north, a completely closed coop is not needed, and a small box like that can make winter even harder on them. My coop is open to breeze on all 4 sides, acting almost like a wind tunnel, and I still run a box fan all summer.

I will add some links that I hoe you will find helpful. In addition, and especially if you live in the northern US or
Canada, [ease read the firsst two links in my signature line. Actually, I feel everyone should read the ventilation link.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/163417/please-show-me-your-hot-weather-coops

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-much-room-do-chickens-need

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/445004/woods-style-house-in-the-winter (This is an expensive coop to build, but I feel it is good to know that it works very well in the North, with an open front.)