new to chickens, coop for 2-4 chickens?

[morgandrew86]

Just thinking about building a coop is overwhelming lol, ive never owned chickens and i have no idea where to begin. We will not have over 4 chickens but we would like them to have a fair amount of room. Is buying a coop online thats already designed gonna be easier? any suggestions on some? I dont want to invest in something that will turn out to be awful. I just need a starting point, and somewhere to begin.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Just thinking about building a coop is overwhelming lol, ive never owned chickens and i have no idea where to begin. We will not have over 4 chickens but we would like them to have a fair amount of room. Is buying a coop online thats already designed gonna be easier? any suggestions on some? I dont want to invest in something that will turn out to be awful. I just need a starting point, and somewhere to begin.

I recommend you build your own or repurpose a shed. Those prefab coops aren't well made and very expensive and crowded. Lot of good ideas on this site. Good coop people like @21hens-incharge , and @aart may give you a few ideas. Otherwise searching the various coops on the coop pages can maybe inspire you.

 

[Harley Chick]

We are in the same boat as you, new to chickens, should we buy or build and just got 4 lil girls at Easter time, like you have no interest in having more. I will tell you this, we searched high and low for a decent pre-fabed coop/run from local stores but for the money you are better off building. (the pre-fabbed ones are rickity ut of cheap wood and rated wrong for the amount of chickens. We found a design we liked (Taj Macoop) hubby made a few adjustments and now we are in the process of building. Our girls will have more than enough room to stay in the run when we work late. I think bigger is better when you are talking chicken LOL. Good luck!

 

[Ursuline Chick]

You can use re purposed material to help keep costs down. There are some very good articles and threads on this site that will help you to decide what is right for you and your flock. My one suggestion would be to insure you can add on if chicken math kicks in, as it has with so many of us. Good luck and happy reading.

 

[karrie1052]

Just thinking about building a coop is overwhelming lol, ive never owned chickens and i have no idea where to begin. We will not have over 4 chickens but we would like them to have a fair amount of room. Is buying a coop online thats already designed gonna be easier? any suggestions on some? I dont want to invest in something that will turn out to be awful. I just need a starting point, and somewhere to begin.

Hi There! I just recently became a first time chicken parent and bought a SummerHawk Vintage Red Barn Chicken Coop that you put together yourself. Super cute on-line and says it's good for up to 4 chickens. Yep, its super cute and super small and super flimsy. I would totally build one from scratch if I could do it over. Take a look at other coops in person so you know what you like and pay a little extra to have one custom built. Buying online is rarely what you expect and receive. Just my opinion of course.

 

[Dayrel]

I would totally build one from scratch if I could do it over.

Pretty much this. Starting with some type of shed and building your own is a very worthwhile project. Good luck.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Where are you located, that would matter as to how much "protection" from weather & predators you need. The latest trend here (HI) has been those chain link dog kennels & adding a dog house in for the "nest/coop". Storage sheds have been improvised for a coop and an exterior run attached. Due to the rain & heat here, I went open air ... 8x12x7 walkin, works great for me, keeps my Chicken Math in check I've had 5 Wyandottes work perfect, sold them. Next set were 4 BOs, wasn't crowded but anymore would have been "tight" for me.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Howdy!

I have begun recommending that folks either repurpose a shed into a coop and add a hoop run or go with a hoop coop.
Really the run wont cost much but can be walked into which makes tending the birds super easy.

If things don't work out for you keeping chickens the shed can become a shed again and the run can be a protected veggie bed or even a greenhouse area.

The coops section is awesome for getting all kinds of great ideas.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/

 

[aart]

Welcome to BYC!!

Just thinking about building a coop is overwhelming

Yes, indeed it is...like getting a sip of water from a a full on fire hose.

I infer from you avatar you already have chicks?
So you're under the gun to get it done....
....or do you have time to research, plan and build??
ETA: just read your intro...that friend is not a friend IMO(mostly kidding).

Buying or building a shed is a good suggestion...it will have plenty of space and can be used as a shed if you decide chickens are not for you.
The super-cute coops you see all over farm stores and the internet are junk,
tho they can have their uses one of them is not your main coop.

Where in the world are you?
Climate is everything, so putting your location in your profile is very helpful,
it's easy to do and then it's always there.

 

[dunnmom]

Bear in mind that chickens aren't as picky as humans can be about living quarters. Our coop was built mainly from salvaged fence panels, and scrap wood. Most of the cost came from hardware cloth, screws, locks, hinges, and such. My 6 girls sleep in a 4X4 coop with external nestboxes with no problems, but they all get along really well, so that helps. I even have a broody in there right now and no one seems to mind the floor space being taken up. What I have is considered small, and some chickens really do need more space, and won't do well in a small coop. It is easier to buy a coop, but it was impractical for us, and we wanted a solid coop that would last.