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South Dakota Guy said:
To be honest, I did not appreciate your post at the time that you made it. I have been on other forums and it seems that there are always people that are super critical of other people who do things differently than them. This seems to be even more prevalent on forums dealing with pets and children (do we animal lovers even draw a line between the two?). That said, you sent me in a search of more information along with other responses on my thread. My lovely wife did not accept my newfound concerns about the suitability of our prefabricated coop for our chosen chicken breeds and the ultra cold winters that we experience here in South Dakota. Fast forward to about three weeks ago and my lovely wife (Chicken Momma and THE minder of our young flock) finally realized that six large (and growing) Wyandotte chickens cannot live comfortably in that small prefab chicken coop that was advertised as being suitable for 8 to 10 chickens but in reality would be a tight fit for 3. We will finish our new coop tomorrow which is 32 sq ft with a 98 sq ft run. This is for six Wyandotte chickens. So each chicken will have more than 5 feet of coop space and more than 15 feet of run space. We are limited by the city we live in to 30 sq ft of coop space and 60 sq ft of run space but we are slightly exceeding those numbers. We have our coop elevated by two feet and enclosed it with hardware cloth to expand the run by 32 sq feet under the coop to maximize the run space. I will open a thread under Coop Design soon to show how we built it. Anyhow, thanks janiedoe for splashing cold water in my face. We would have realized later rather than sooner that our coop was inadequate. Our chickens thank you as well.
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This forum is a bit different than most. People here aren't trying to be snarky or rude, they're genuinely wanting to help. We all started out pretty clueless, and we want to help others to avoid our mistakes. If you stick around I think you'll see, this is possibly the friendliest group of folks on the web. :)
 
South Dakota Guy said:
To be honest, I did not appreciate your post at the time that you made it. I have been on other forums and it seems that there are always people that are super critical of other people who do things differently than them. This seems to be even more prevalent on forums dealing with pets and children (do we animal lovers even draw a line between the two?). That said, you sent me in a search of more information along with other responses on my thread. My lovely wife did not accept my newfound concerns about the suitability of our prefabricated coop for our chosen chicken breeds and the ultra cold winters that we experience here in South Dakota. Fast forward to about three weeks ago and my lovely wife (Chicken Momma and THE minder of our young flock) finally realized that six large (and growing) Wyandotte chickens cannot live comfortably in that small prefab chicken coop that was advertised as being suitable for 8 to 10 chickens but in reality would be a tight fit for 3. We will finish our new coop tomorrow which is 32 sq ft with a 98 sq ft run. This is for six Wyandotte chickens. So each chicken will have more than 5 feet of coop space and more than 15 feet of run space. We are limited by the city we live in to 30 sq ft of coop space and 60 sq ft of run space but we are slightly exceeding those numbers. We have our coop elevated by two feet and enclosed it with hardware cloth to expand the run by 32 sq feet under the coop to maximize the run space. I will open a thread under Coop Design soon to show how we built it. Anyhow, thanks janiedoe for splashing cold water in my face. We would have realized later rather than sooner that our coop was inadequate. Our chickens thank you as well.
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Thank you so much for your reply.
I'm so sorry if my post came off as rude. My intention was not to offend, but to educate for the sake of the chickens. In the future I'll try to sound less harsh to newcomers.
I applaud you for researching
Inspite of my tone. I am so happy that your chickens are loved and cared for. ❤️ I know all that space will be appreciated, and it will make chicken keeping chores easier for you and your wife.
I hope you have many years of happiness with your flock!
 
Welcome. Here, we get very passionate about the size needed for chickens. Some of us members, me in particular, made the mistake of getting a prefab coop that was too small and you could not walk in to - not once, but I made the mistake twice. The reason we are passionate about it is because it truly does make your life, and the life of your chickens better. Size solves many issues; bullying, pecking on roosting bars, sickness from poor ventilation, and fighting from boredom. I converted a shed by adding ventilation, roosting bars, and nesting boxes. All I have to add is that please remember your hardware cloth apron around the coop and the run to prevent digging predators. Have fun with your chickens.
 
triciayoung said:
Welcome. Here, we get very passionate about the size needed for chickens. Some of us members, me in particular, made the mistake of getting a prefab coop that was too small and you could not walk in to - not once, but I made the mistake twice. The reason we are passionate about it is because it truly does make your life, and the life of your chickens better. Size solves many issues; bullying, pecking on roosting bars, sickness from poor ventilation, and fighting from boredom. I converted a shed by adding ventilation, roosting bars, and nesting boxes. All I have to add is that please remember your hardware cloth apron around the coop and the run to prevent digging predators. Have fun with your chickens.
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The main reason that I went with a prefab was because despite being 61 years old, I have almost no experience with carpentry. It has been an educational experience building our coop. My wife has enjoyed building it more than I have. She loves building doll houses and this was just a giant doll house to her.
 
South Dakota Guy said:
The main reason that I went with a prefab was because despite being 61 years old, I have almost no experience with carpentry. It has been an educational experience building our coop. My wife has enjoyed building it more than I have. She loves building doll houses and this was just a giant doll house to her.
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Tell your wife to join BYC. I want to see some pictures of her doll houses!
 
South Dakota Guy said:
The main reason that I went with a prefab was because despite being 61 years old, I have almost no experience with carpentry. It has been an educational experience building our coop. My wife has enjoyed building it more than I have. She loves building doll houses and this was just a giant doll house to her.
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That sounds wonderful! I'm so happy to hear you are already learning from your chickening experiences and growing as keepers. I would love to see pics! Wyandottes sound like a great breed choice, too. They are hardy birds, and their combs should be less susceptible to frostbite. We got our first two Wyandottes this year, too! :)
 

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