New to me coop with run

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LuckyLucy7 said:
Very excited to be picking this up today. Getting it used for half price. 2-3 chickens that free range during the day. They will stay in it full time when we go on vacation a couple of times a year with a pet sitter caring for them daily.
We live in rural Morgan Hill, CA on a ranch.

My question is what do I need to do to this used coop to get it ready for the full grown chickens who will be using it?
Click to expand...
While you're thinking about getting a bigger and more secure setup ASAP, immediately get some hardware cloth to attach a 12-18 inch "skirt" all around it to deter digging predators! I watched a few good videos on youtube showing how to do it. Also, build/buy some perch toys in that little yard for while they are waiting for you to let them out. And if you're going to have a feeder overnight in there, make sure it is completely rat proof with extra feed tightly secured too. The treadle feeders work well. Also, a dust bath protected from rain is important. Finally, where you put it is critical.

Morgan Hills gets very hot, so under shade is what you want from summer's afternoon sun. (Chickens handle our cold much better than our heat, that can kill them!) Tall broad trees are best, umbrellas can work, [I easily grow thick chayote squash *pick up at a Mexican market to sprout in water on counter then plant early spring) vines on a very sturdy support for summer shade and they can eat it all, too!] Another thing I do is I got a couple 4"? tall 18" diameter plastic buckets and put bricks in with cool water so they can stand on the cool brick when it is too hot. A mister and/or soaker hose to cool down helps too. We still have some very hot days before we get any rains.

Make sure it is not in any depression that will never dry during our rainy winters. If mud becomes an issue, I use megazorb pine pellet with zeolite horse bedding that is cheap and absorbent in my run where it quickly turns to sawdust. Wood chips are good too. And absolutely add much more good ventilation. I drilled sets of 3" holes up high and covered with hardware cloth when I realized how oven-like it got inside my dad's sturdily home built coop. Another thing is getting any sleeping perches up above the nest height so they won't want to sleep (pooping all night long!) in the nests (which you'll need to block off access until they are near lay anyways. These prefabs always put them too low!

If you can move them to a better setup, you'll appreciate having this as backup for any needed isolation/sick bay/chicken jail needs that arise. You might also be able to use it as a brooder coop when you realize you need/want more, cuz, you know... Chicken Math! Or, maybe you don't know that yet???

Welcome and Good luck!

(I live up in Healdsburg, Sonoma County, very similar climate, but spent many days on political canvass in Morgan Hills on break from UCSC decades ago.)
 
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Welcome to BYC. I would not. It is too small and is not sturdy or secure. They wood will rot quickly and the roof will probably leak. A determined predator could break into that pretty easily.
 
FlockVillemaire said:
While you're thinking about getting a bigger and more secure setup ASAP, immediately get some hardware cloth to attach a 12-18 inch "skirt" all around it to deter digging predators! I watched a few good videos on youtube showing how to do it. Also, build/buy some perch toys in that little yard for while they are waiting for you to let them out. And if you're going to have a feeder overnight in there, make sure it is completely rat proof with extra feed tightly secured too. The treadle feeders work well. Also, a dust bath protected from rain is important. Finally, where you put it is critical.

Morgan Hills gets very hot, so under shade is what you want from summer's afternoon sun. (Chickens handle our cold much better than our heat, that can kill them!) Tall broad trees are best, umbrellas can work, [I easily grow thick chayote squash *pick up at a Mexican market to sprout in water on counter then plant early spring) vines on a very sturdy support for summer shade and they can eat it all, too!] Another thing I do is I got a couple 4"? tall 18" diameter plastic buckets and put bricks in with cool water so they can stand on the cool brick when it is too hot. A mister and/or soaker hose to cool down helps too. We still have some very hot days before we get any rains.

Make sure it is not in any depression that will never dry during our rainy winters. If mud becomes an issue, I use megazorb pine pellet with zeolite horse bedding that is cheap and absorbent in my run where it quickly turns to sawdust. Wood chips are good too. And absolutely add much more good ventilation. I drilled sets of 3" holes up high and covered with hardware cloth when I realized how oven-like it got inside my dad's sturdily home built coop. Another thing is getting any sleeping perches up above the nest height so they won't want to sleep (pooping all night long!) in the nests (which you'll need to block off access until they are near lay anyways. These prefabs always put them too low!

If you can move them to a better setup, you'll appreciate having this as backup for any needed isolation/sick bay/chicken jail needs that arise. You might also be able to use it as a brooder coop when you realize you need/want more, cuz, you know... Chicken Math! Or, maybe you don't know that yet???

Welcome and Good luck!

(I live up in Healdsburg, Sonoma County, very similar climate, but spent many days on political canvass in Morgan Hills on break from UCSC decades ago.)
Click to expand...
This is good advice. Thank you so much. I already have the extra sturdy hardware cloth and have been researching how to best install it. I will be looking on YouTube for more information.

The spot I picked is between 3 Oak trees where there is constant shade. I am thinking about some type of wheels so we can move it if necessary when we get the atmospheric River storms. It is small enough that we could wheel it right into our garage and set the light on a timer for sun up and sun down. I saw the chick lift wheels. They look great, but are expensive. Do you have any affordable recommendations?

Thanks again. So happy to finally have something to get started with for our little Lucky Lucy.
 

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