NEED TO BUY A COOP!

[bluefrog87]

If you are talking about the snapLock coops - it partly depends on your chickens. Mine are outdoors except when laying, and roosting at night. To roost at night, they only need space on the roost. In the small size, I have right now 4-hens and a rooster. Probably not optimum but it is particularly cold - so they can help keep each other warm, and I have fairly small 'standard sized' chickens. My hens weigh about 4-pounds and my rooster weighs a bit over 5 at the last weighing. There is one roosting bar and they all fit on - and they have three nest boxes, of which they all lay in the one farthest from the door - only 3 of the four have picked up laying this year.

The larger one - has 3-roosting poles the same size as the one roosting pole in the small coop. If you live where the weather is bad, or if your chickens are indoor chickens, then it would be too small for them to live in. Mine used to free-range and then I would close and latch the door at night -- Now they have the cattle panel "run" and when I have to be gone, I just keep them locked in there - so I know they are safe, I have had a LOT of racoons kill a lot of my chickens and chicks...sadly, and I have hawks, snakes, - you name it - they are here. Oh now, since they are safe inside the wire I don't open and close the coop door - just let them come and go in and out as they wish ---- easier on the chicken owner....

Here's a link to snapLock's website - they cost a lot - but they can be assembled in a VERY short time, I know for a fact racoon cannot get in if it is properly latched at night - and racoons are wicked smart....so I am very happy with them, and probably would get more if I expanded to more breeding pairs or trios to keep them all separated.

ETA - snap lock gives you plans to build the 'legs' with the correct sizes to cut the 2x4's and the legs fit both the large and the small coop base...how cool is that?ETA- earlier I had said that the large size has 6-nest boxes, but looking at the picts, I see that it is 4 - which is a LOT of nest boxes... That large coop is at a different ranch than this - so I didn't check it - I was just going from memory. :O)

http://snaplockchickencoops.com/chicken-coop-pictures.html

Snaplocks are only 40-60 pounds so I can easily move around by my self if I need to, and they meet my criteria for safety, low maint, easy to clean, and I can build and relocate with no one helping me. :O) HTH

The only problem I had with snap coops is their sq ft. The big one would of suited my needs but it was $700. The big one would of given me 4 sq ft for the 4 birds and a nest box for each. Yes, you can get away with 2 sq ft anywhere else and it fit 8 standard birds/ 12 bantam. But with my extreme high temperature issues, I'd be asking for trouble.

 

[ChicKat]

The only problem I had with snap coops is their sq ft. The big one would of suited my needs but it was $700. The big one would of given me 4 sq ft for the 4 birds and a nest box for each. Yes, you can get away with 2 sq ft anywhere else and it fit 8 standard birds/ 12 bantam. But with my extreme high temperature issues, I'd be asking for trouble.

Good point, they must be in the shade!! Are your temps above 115F?

 

[bluefrog87]

Good point, they must be in the shade!! Are your temps above 115F?

110 F at worst but consistent 100+. I live in Texas.

Most chicken keepers here deal with it by focusing on a lot of ventilation. Winterizing is not too bad but it gets down to 10 degrees.

I would of built my own if I could because I like building stuff. But, I have 3 herniated disk and a whole lot of arthritis. It's a result of the military.

I bought a tractor ark coop from a local farmer. It's floor less and bottom half is hardware cloth. It's made of cedar and made near me. It's a 16 sq foot coop with 2 nest boxes and has big doors for cleaning and a decent nest box window. This coop is meant for 3-4 birds. I paid 499 not including tax.


This is a picture from the farmer's website. The roost bars are hard to see but they are up in the coop and there's 2 approx 3 ft long.

he has a variety of window selections to choose from and I chose the one in the picture above. I might make some easy clean features like tubbaware that fit in the nest boxes and pvc sheet removable covering on the roost bars that I can hose off and possibly put in the dishwasher. That wouldn't be too hard

Winterizing involves no heater. It's just putting PVC roofing panels over the hardware cloth and maybe putting a blanket on it at night. It takes a him a month to build. The builder is in Quinlan, TX. This is a small town roughly an hour or 2 east of Dallas, depending where you put Dallas.


This coop was recommended to me by a fellow backyard chicken member
http://www.ranch-coop.com/

It's 4 ft L x 4 ft W x 52 in high

 

[momofthehouse]

I like those too bad I am all the way in Washington state. I think we might go with a witchita coop

 

[bluefrog87]

I like those too bad I am all the way in Washington state. I think we might go with a witchita coop

They offer free shipping on some of there coops.

The only thing I don't know is how it hold up in your climate. I don't know your climate at all. It's designed for hot summers (100 degree) and light snow winters (10 degrees)

 

[momofthehouse]

Actually it looks like they ship kits. Opinions on this one ? http://www.ranch-coop.com/large-chicken-coop-B.html

 

[bluefrog87]

Actually it looks like they ship kits. Opinions on this one ? http://www.ranch-coop.com/large-chicken-coop-B.html

Which one? the one like mine but bigger? or the open airy one? What size?

 

[bluefrog87]

The airy ones are nice. Especially in the summer. As long as you don't have harsh really extreme sub zero winters you should be fine. I picked mine over that one because it has pretty window. It's very functional for you though.

The winterizing is a breeze though. It's cutting green house roofing and vinyl cloth to size and screwing it with couple nuts and bolts to the holes in the hardware cloth. Both can be decorated when winterized. He shows it in a video where he decorates it with cloth.

Also you can have him add nest boxes to it easy if needed. Your flock size of 10 would give you 3.2 sq ft per bird which is borderline you could get away with because of the ventilation. 32 sq ft for 490 is pretty good. And the airy one is expandable/modular ( you can expand and un-expand as needed for meat birds). It's 490 per 32 sq ft so you could expand like crazy but I request extra nest boxes for the outside and ask for no nest boxes in the middle one if you go for 96 sq ft. I wouldn't got to 160 sq ft though (5).

The 3x6 times 2 is also another option. You would get 4 nest boxes and 36 sq ft for less than 600 not including tax

I think it be fine for the climate after reading what you posted about climate though. We get snow storms and we get temps to the teens/single digits and we get 110 weather too. He is building for the same weather.

It doesn't have to be moved but I recommend predator proofing the floor if you decide to do that with the hardware cloth.

He will customize it for you with whatever features you ask within reason. If it cost more materials I think he request the cost. (You ask for a couple more nest boxes, Different door set up, different roof set up...)

He's a nice guy and very easy to work with. If you ask a question he gets back to you within hours at decent times.

Con

• Doesn't have floor you wanted. It's a grass dirt floor with a option to predator proof with hardware cloth.
• Not walk through.
• No built in poop trays

Edited for keyboard issue.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Actually it looks like they ship kits. Opinions on this one ? http://www.ranch-coop.com/large-chicken-coop-B.html

An A-frame like that is good for strength. The triangle is a really sound structural shape. The disadvantage is that you quickly run out of space at the top for roosts or other things.

If you are worried about digging predators use the apron idea he describes. I don’t suggest putting wire on the bottom where the chickens are trying to scratch.

It looks like the roosts are the nest box supports? Chickens like to roost at the highest point they can get to. If the nests are above the roosts, expect some to sleep in the nests, where they will poop a lot.

I don’t see a hasp on the door. A raccoon could open that easily.

That's a quick look. Maybe some things to discuss with him.

 

[bluefrog87]

Probably but I don't have raccoons... The coyote problem ate them all. I have hawk, squirrel (eating feed and destroying my stuff in my house), coyote, skunk (if the coyote doesn't get them too) and dog and hybrids of coyote and dog. coyotes roam my neighborhood in large packs (6-8) at night. Animal control is "working on it". They run away from humans. The thing that really irritates me is they don't like to eat my massive squirrel problem.


But yes and if you work with him he may be willing to install it for you or make changes. He is also willing to move the next boxes (like to a dark corner by the angle of roof with the door). He's pretty laid back and easy to work with.