Need some help on improvements for coop

[CLUCKING CHICKENS]

A guy that I work with was throwing out a old coop that he had made and offered to let me just take it off his hands. I had no prior experience raising chickens and thought it was as good of a time as any to start. The coop was rough to look at but I loaded it in the back of my truck and when I got it home I cleaned it off, added vertical boards on the outside for aesthetics, painted it, and bought a chicken door off Amazon that I installed. This was in June and I have been learning more as I read these posts that It may need more work or I may need to trash it and shop around. I already know that I need to add venting, but any ideas on how I should go about that? Also, should I try to add perches?
I am setting up another coop and run on my property but for that I bought an Eglu Cube from Omlet with a 13 foot run for that area. I have yet to set that one up and still have it sitting in boxes.
I am hoping to salvage the refurbished coop and avoid issues down the road. I do not want to spend what I spent on the Eglu Cube to replace it.

 

[CLUCKING CHICKENS]

Eglu Cube I have yet to put together. This will be put together and set up once my Brahmas get a bit older and are ready for it.

 

[CLUCKING CHICKENS]

Eglu Cube I have yet to put together. This will be put together and set up once my Brahmas get a bit older and are ready for it.

Lol, if you are looking at the background in this picture and wondering about that kennel, I have an Australian Shepherd red tri and he has his own room so that he isn’t cooped up while I am at work.

 

[Happy hen lover]

Ok I see your location and I like the the idea of keeping the old one as well as Eglu.( more about that later)
I have just seen a post where someone had that very coop and they removed part of the panels of that vertical section between the 2 white roofs? ( I hope that make sense.) The space that raised the top roof up 8" or so. They covered it with hardware cloth to create a cross breeze to remove moisture and ammonia build up. As long as you keep air flow above chickens heads I think you'll be fine.
I like the idea of an extra coop for baby chicks, sick chickens, quarantine etc. Some folks have even used one for laying and one for sleeping, or split flocks between the 2 coops.
How many chickens are you planning on? Helen

 

[rosemarythyme]

I have just seen a post where someone had that very coop and they removed part of the panels of that vertical section between the 2 white roofs? ( I hope that make sense.) The space that raised the top roof up 8" or so. They covered it with hardware cloth to create a cross breeze to remove moisture and ammonia build up. As long as you keep air flow above chickens heads I think you'll be fine.

Yup, this style of roof is called a monitor roof. So on both sides, replace the line green area with wire mesh for cross ventilation above the birds heads.

OP you mentioned adding perches - does the coop not have roost bars? Where do the birds sleep now?

 

[CLUCKING CHICKENS]

Ok I see your location and I like the the idea of keeping the old one as well as Eglu.( more about that later)
I have just seen a post where someone had that very coop and they removed part of the panels of that vertical section between the 2 white roofs? ( I hope that make sense.) The space that raised the top roof up 8" or so. They covered it with hardware cloth to create a cross breeze to remove moisture and ammonia build up. As long as you keep air flow above chickens heads I think you'll be fine.
I like the idea of an extra coop for baby chicks, sick chickens, quarantine etc. Some folks have even used one for laying and one for sleeping, or split flocks between the 2 coops.
How many chickens are you planning on? Helen

Thanks so much for the idea with cutting out the top front and back to replace with hardware cloth. I actually like that idea and it seems like a project that would be in my wheel house.
It will be 12 total chickens divided between the 2 coop and runs. I have a stair case leading down to my lower yard and the new coop will be set up on the opposite side. So once you go down the stairs to my lower yard there will be a coop and run on either side of the stairs.
I plan to connect the two runs this coming summer with a fenced in foraging area.
I bought my 12 chicks through Tractor Supply and My Pet Chicken websites.
I plan to put the new coop and run together in the next few weeks.

 

[CLUCKING CHICKENS]

Yup, this style of roof is called a monitor roof. So on both sides, replace the line green area with wire mesh for cross ventilation above the birds heads.

View attachment 2949405

OP you mentioned adding perches - does the coop not have roost bars? Where do the birds sleep now?

Thanks for making it easy to understand with the highlighting… I was thinking front and back until I looked at the picture and saw where you highlighted. I will make the change and upload a picture.
There is a picture above that shows the inside of this coop. There is no perches built in. I bought two perching stands off Etsy ( 30 inches long each ) that I just lay next to each other in the center of the coop and gets the chickens about 3 inches off the floor.

 

[CLUCKING CHICKENS]

Thanks so much for the idea with cutting out the top front and back to replace with hardware cloth. I actually like that idea and it seems like a project that would be in my wheel house.
It will be 12 total chickens divided between the 2 coop and runs. I have a stair case leading down to my lower yard and the new coop will be set up on the opposite side. So once you go down the stairs to my lower yard there will be a coop and run on either side of the stairs.
I plan to connect the two runs this coming summer with a fenced in foraging area.
I bought my 12 chicks through Tractor Supply and My Pet Chicken websites.
I plan to put the new coop and run together in the next few weeks.

Meant to say I will be cutting the sides

 

[Banana01]

Wow how can you improve such a nice coop? I dont think ventilation is a problem with the roof on hinges. You can lift up the hatches and put a something under the hatches to keep them open an inch or two, and have perfect ventilation.

Where do your adulta sleep now? Are perches something you have to have?

 

[CanadaEh]

there are 6 nesting boxes currently, you can get rid of all of them but one. This will increase you floor space for chickens to walk on. Elevate the remaining box slightly if you can so they would not kick poop into it from the floor. Depending on your winters don't cut any ventilation unless you know how to close it. Unless in full sun in hot climate, you don't need cross ventilation, it can be all on one side of the coop furthest away from the perches. So with my winters in mind I would make a hinged window in front of the coop and put perches at the back. This window would allow some light into the coop which chickens need for laying. The window should be facing S or SE ideally. Hardware cloth over window opening of course.