Nighttime Coop for 6 Hens

[Araucana16]

I have a run, about 8x10, maybe a bit smaller, so big enough for 6 chickens in the daytime. I am covering the top with chicken wire and a piece of plywood for shade, then putting rocks around the edges.

I was going to spend about 150 dollars buying supplies to build a 5x5 wooden coop for nighttime, but I recently realized I could buy something for that price supposed to be for rabbits. I have links to a few, I'd just like two answers on each one. 1 - is it big enough for 6 hens at nighttime only, and 2 - will it keep out predators most of the time.

http://www.petco.com/product/119366...t=MM_SmallAnimalSupplies_CagesHabitatsHutches ( I would detach the two layers and put each at a small entrance to the coop so the chickens could go inside at any time, and at night I would make sure I had 3 hens in each. )

http://www.amazon.com/Frugah-Durabl...ie=UTF8&qid=1373398770&sr=1-26&keywords=hutch ( I would attach this to the run so they could have access to it at all times. )

http://www.amazon.com/Pawhut-Deluxe...ie=UTF8&qid=1373398870&sr=1-58&keywords=hutch ( Same as above. )

I know the last two say 2 - 4 hens, but I feel like as long as there is some shelter in the run, and they only sleep in it, it wouldn't be a problem.

- Mac

 

[HeatherEmme]

My advice is to spend the money and go larger. I bought a coop that said up to three full sized hens. It's not big enough and now the girls are soon to lay. I have 3 standard sized chickens. The roosting bar will only fit 2 of them so usually they sleep in their nesting boxes which is not ideal come laying time and they're just about there. They are getting cramped and I am in the process of building their new 4x4 coop but it's a little at a time. I wish that I had not gone with the smaller one now. You don't want them cramped, trust me.

The first one you listed you should scrap all together as it's not even made for chickens and doesn't look functional for what they'll need, nor is it big enough. The second and third say they will only hold 2-4 chickens so I wouldn't push it. Truth be told if you ordered them and saw them in person they would probably come much smaller than you'd think and wouldn't hold more than 3. The first two coops DH and I ordered were like that. For $150 you could build your own, much nicer and higher quality coop than anything you could order for the same price. We ordered pre-made coops and the materials were as cheap as they could be. I was highly disappointed.

HTH and good luck!

 

[teach1rusl]

Even if it's just for night time, I'd say no, that neither of the two coops are large enough for six hens. Nesting boxes aren't usable space (because you don't want them rooster THERE - poopy eggs). Without the nest boxes, each of those are a little under 9 sq. feet, not even TWO square feet per bird...which is the MINIMUM recommended...other than in factory farms. Denver gets decent snows...I'd be looking at more space rather than less space.

If you boxed in the rabbit hutches, they'd be more doable. They won't want to be separated, so all will end up in the same hutch, so that's kind of a waste of space - and the space they will use still will be quite small. For $150, you could build a very simple raised coop (if you build a raised coop - legs 18 - 24 inches - it will fit inside the run without taking away from run space, plus it'll give them a place to go under in foul weather) much larger than either of those coops...I'd do a 4 x 8...(12 2x4s and 3 sheets of plywood plus hardware)
A 5x5 coop wastes a lot of lumber, since most lumber comes in 8 ft. sections...

 

[Araucana16]

I actually found that it's MUCH cheaper to build an A - frame coop for them! And easier. It'll be about 3-4 feet high, 4 feet long, and 8 feet long. So 24 square feet, which is optimum!