Please help me expand my coop properly

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

Hi everyone. I am a new chicken owner and so far I love it! I started out with two chickens in this prefab coop (brand name Aivituvan) and even though it was slightly cramped, it was okay because they were only in the coop to sleep. I now have 4 chickens and this coop is way too small, even though it was advertised as fitting 2-4 chickens.

My question is, can I add some plywood coverings to the "run" part of the prefab coop to turn that whole thing into the coop? I have another external run for the ladies which I will also expand. But my hens pretty much free range all day.

Here is the prefab coop/run combo from the front:

From the side connected to the run:

Attached run which I will expand when I lose run square footage when I convert the coop/run combo:

So, do you think I could just cover/replace the hardware cloth parts of the mini run with plywood? I think I would leave the top panel of the side door as hardware cloth for ventilation. I would install roosting bars/ladders inside that area as well.

What about the floor? Can I keep it dirt or should I raise it onto some blocks and add plywood? That area gets wet around the coop, but not really under it. I am wondering if I could do the "deep litter" method.

To predator-proof it if I keep the floor dirt, should I just dig some hardware cloth into the soil so no one can dig in?

Thanks for the input! Btw, I am in northern Ohio near Lake Erie. We get warm summers and cold, snowy winters.

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC.

Here's a useful thread about how someone converted her prefab coop-and-run into a coop: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-renovated-prefab-coop.1440258/

And here is some general information for you:

The Usual Guidelines

For each adult, standard-sized hen you need:

• 4 square feet in the coop (.37 square meters)
• 10 square feet in the run (.93 square meters),
• 1 linear foot of roost (.3 meters),
• 1/4 of a nest box,
• And 1 square foot (.09 square meters) of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation, preferably located over the birds' heads when they're sitting on the roost.

4 hens

• 16 square feet in the coop. 4'x4' is the only really practical build for this given the common dimensions of lumber.
• 4 feet of roost
• 40 square feet in the run. 4'x10' or 5'x8'. 6'x6' is a bit too small, 6'x8' is more generous and easier to build than 5'x8'.
• 4 square feet of ventilation. A 2'x2' window is theoretically enough, but in practice doesn't create any air FLOW so better to spread the venting around (and even better to exceed the minimums, especially in warm climates).
• 2 nest boxes, to give the hens a choice

So that you can see what those numbers look like in action, this coop was designed to exactly meet all the minimums for a flock of 4: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-little-monitor-coop.76275/

There are lots of different options for litter in your run.

Coarse wood chips, the sort you get from a tree trimming service, are often considered the gold standard for controlling odor and mud but you can use shavings, straw, fall leaves and other yard waste, and a load of other possible materials.

 

[perkolator]

Yes, I think you'll be ok sheeting over that prefab coop's run to expand the enclosed portion. Doesn't really resolve your other issue of wet areas, but you could easily install some corrugated roofing over the top to make it wider -- also the angle of the roof makes all the water go against the house and back into the coop/run area; this is less than ideal for both the coop and for you house, I would recommend flip it around if you can.

What's your plan for the expansion? Are you covering just the adjacent panels and leaving the last section open, or are you making the whole run into enclosed space? I think either could work, but if you need the extra enclosed space for winter then just do the whole thing. Leaving that end panel as HC window is a good idea for ventilation. I'd even consider leaving one of the other sections open, such as under the nest boxes, so you get cross ventilation. You can also add panels with hinges so you can swing it out of the way to increase ventilation when you need it.

As for the deep bedding, if you're keeping HC on the bottom, just add some wood to keep the bedding from spilling out. I did this on my coop with fence boards because the bedding is so deep and was getting kicked around through the HC. You'll likely have to hang/elevate your feed/water setup to keep from bedding getting kicked into everything.

If you're buying a roll of HC for adding the skirt around the bottom perimeter, I'd consider putting HC on that chicken wire run too, like up the walls at least, the whole thing even better.

Good luck!

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

Welcome to BYC.

Here's a useful thread about how someone converted her prefab coop-and-run into a coop: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-renovated-prefab-coop.1440258/

And here is some general information for you:

The Usual Guidelines

For each adult, standard-sized hen you need:

• 4 square feet in the coop (.37 square meters)
• 10 square feet in the run (.93 square meters),
• 1 linear foot of roost (.3 meters),
• 1/4 of a nest box,
• And 1 square foot (.09 square meters) of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation, preferably located over the birds' heads when they're sitting on the roost.

4 hens

• 16 square feet in the coop. 4'x4' is the only really practical build for this given the common dimensions of lumber.
• 4 feet of roost
• 40 square feet in the run. 4'x10' or 5'x8'. 6'x6' is a bit too small, 6'x8' is more generous and easier to build than 5'x8'.
• 4 square feet of ventilation. A 2'x2' window is theoretically enough, but in practice doesn't create any air FLOW so better to spread the venting around (and even better to exceed the minimums, especially in warm climates).
• 2 nest boxes, to give the hens a choice

So that you can see what those numbers look like in action, this coop was designed to exactly meet all the minimums for a flock of 4: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-little-monitor-coop.76275/

There are lots of different options for litter in your run.

Coarse wood chips, the sort you get from a tree trimming service, are often considered the gold standard for controlling odor and mud but you can use shavings, straw, fall leaves and other yard waste, and a load of other possible materials.

Thanks so much for sharing! What that person did to their coop is exactly what I have in mind.

I see they added a floor and raised theirs on some blocks. I'm trying to avoid this if possible because of my limited building abilities. Are you saying you think I could keep the dirt floor if I use something like (untreated) mulch? I use the pelleted pine shavings for their current coop and run, and I scoop it like cat litter to get the poop out. Would this kind of bedding not work if I keep the coop on the ground and it occasionally gets a little moist from a storm?

Also, thank you for providing those dimensions and measurements.

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

Yes, I think you'll be ok sheeting over that prefab coop's run to expand the enclosed portion. Doesn't really resolve your other issue of wet areas, but you could easily install some corrugated roofing over the top to make it wider.

What's your plan for the expansion? Are you covering just the adjacent panels and leaving the last section open, or are you making the whole run into enclosed space? I think either could work, but if you need the extra enclosed space for winter then just do the whole thing. Leaving that end panel as HC window is a good idea for ventilation. I'd even consider leaving one of the other sections open, such as under the nest boxes, so you get cross ventilation. You can also add panels with hinges so you can swing it out of the way to increase ventilation when you need it.

As for the deep bedding, if you're keeping HC on the bottom, just add some wood to keep the bedding from spilling out. I did this on my coop with fence boards because the bedding is so deep and was getting kicked around through the HC. You'll likely have to hang/elevate your feed/water setup to keep from bedding getting kicked into everything.

If you're buying a roll of HC for adding the skirt around the bottom perimeter, I'd consider putting HC on that chicken wire run too, like up the walls at least, the whole thing even better.

Good luck!

Thanks so much! My plan is to make the whole (prefab) run (NOT the larger metal frame one with the partial tarp roof) into an enclosed space, and that will be where I lock them in at night as their coop.

I love the idea of leaving the one other low panel as HC to get some cross ventilation. Two of the panels on the front (the ones under and to the right of the window) are already doors, so those can be used for extra ventilation during the day.


How many inches of HC would I add as the "skirt"? And do I bury this vertically into the ground, or can in just bend outward and I bury it in some soil and grass (attached at bottom of coop and bent to be parallel with ground, but buried)?

 

[3KillerBs]

Are you saying you think I could keep the dirt floor if I use something like (untreated) mulch? I use the pelleted pine shavings for their current coop and run, and I scoop it like cat litter to get the poop out. Would this kind of bedding not work if I keep the coop on the ground and it occasionally gets a little moist from a storm?

Yes, Deep Litter is a moist, actively-composting system that benefits from ground contact and moisture (not *soggieness* but moisture).

You'll need to make sure that you have excellent ventilation though. I'd suggest expanding the roof in all directions to make larger, protective overhangs and putting vents right at the very top of all 4 sides.

You can see how I did that on my brooder -- though I had to make awnings instead of expand the roof: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/run-to-outdoor-brooder-conversion.76634/

Winter might be an issue if everything freezes solid, but you can keep adding dry material on top of frozen poop. Or, at least, people in areas that have winter say that's what they do. I'm in North Carolina myself.

 

[3KillerBs]

How many inches of HC would I add as the "skirt"? And do I bury this vertically into the ground, or can in just bend outward and I bury it in some soil and grass (attached at bottom of coop and bent to be parallel with ground, but buried)?

Most people make skirts 18-24" wide when laid flat on the ground for the grass to grow through them. For burying vertical wire most people go for 12". You can do it either way.

 

[perkolator]

For the skirt - most people go well over a foot horizontally from the walls. I think the shortest roll of HC is 24" long, so figure 18-22" outward if you bend the lip a few inches to attach to your structure....unless you're planning to cut a wider roll of HC lengthwise, which is a chore - but an angle grinder makes that easier if you have access to one. You don't really want it "buried" but just under the surface

 

[MadGardener]

I'll second the roof angle being bad. Any coop runoff is going to drain to your foundation. Any chance you can flip the coop and run so the roof angles away from the house?

 

[perkolator]

Re-reading through things, I would consider elevating the coop, or at least get it away from being in direct contact with the ground. Mainly this is because of the questionable quality of lumber I'd assume they use on those pre-fab coops, and I'd be concerned of it rotting away sooner than later. I'd either get some pressure-treated 2x4s to install on the bottom, or elevate it on something like cinder block cap stones before doing the skirt.