No hen house?!

[mrybells]

I bought this coop from someone on Craigslist. The guy is bringing it next week but I just noticed there is no hen house, just a perch. Do chickens need a hen house? How will I keep the chickens warm in the winter if there is no way to close them in?!

 

[Peppercorngal]

The section with the nesting boxes IS the hen house. It's protected and except for adding a higher roost should be fine. Chickens have feathers and can keep warm on their own. I do hope you are not planning on keeping more than 3 hens in something this small.

 

[mrybells]

Thanks for the quick reply! I was just noticing most other coops have a closed in box for the chickens to go at night so i got nervous i missed something important with the build. He is making me a larger version of this. 10x4 for our 4 ladies.

 

[RojoMarz]

I bought this coop from someone on Craigslist. The guy is bringing it next week but I just noticed there is no hen house, just a perch. Do chickens need a hen house? How will I keep the chickens warm in the winter if there is no way to close them in?! View attachment 2272656View attachment 2272655

Where are you located. For my area, the coop needs to be enclosed with four solid walls.

 

[mrybells]

Where are you located. For my area, the coop needs to be enclosed with four solid walls.

I am just north of Atlanta. We have cold days but nothing too harsh.

 

[David61]

The nest boxes need to be lower than the roost..
Chicken wire does not stop predictors from getting to your birds. You should have a ground wire apron so nothing digs into coop.

 

[Ryguy3684]

Looks like the average low temp in Atlanta, in the winter, is just above freezing. That should be fine for the birds. I would try to make sure the open side isn't facing the wind, if possible. If you have predators, I would definitely put a hardware cloth apron around the base, to keep them from digging in.

 

[3KillerBs]

Those open-air coops are a great choice for the steamy southeast. Chickens tolerate cold much better than they tolerate heat due to their natural down coats.

I second hardware cloth instead of chicken wire and the use of an anti-dig apron.

(You can put your general location in your profile so that people can easily give climate-targeted advice).

 

[mrybells]

Those open-air coops are a great choice for the steamy southeast. Chickens tolerate cold much better than they tolerate heat due to their natural down coats.

I second hardware cloth instead of chicken wire and the use of an anti-dig apron.

(You can put your general location in your profile so that people can easily give climate-targeted advice).

Thanks..now to find the perfect spot in the yard so the sun doesn't cook them.

 

[3KillerBs]

Thanks..now to find the perfect spot in the yard so the sun doesn't cook them.

I had my in-town coop in deep afternoon shade under trees but on my country property I had to put up a picnic fly for the temporary setup (we can't make it permanent until the house is placed).