Pre-fab makeover

[rosemarythyme]

I left the original coop as a second level. Should I got that and just add riding bars?

I would tear out any remaining interior walls, and if needed just add a bar for nest access (you may decide later on to move nests, but that can be addressed later).

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC. You've gotten great advice so far so that I don't know that I have much to add.

Think in terms of sq feet, not sq inches.

YES! Very important.

One of my Rules of Thumb is that any coop measured in inches instead of feet is too small.

I'm torn tho bc I thought the ventilation had to be above their heads. I don't have a ton of clearance u less they just roost on the ground...

Yes, that's a common issue with pre-fabs. Even a small amount of roof-peak ventilation is critical because heat and ammonia both rise. There are ways to baffle lower windows though -- even covering them with furnace filter.

This diagram is from an article on cow barns, but the principles hold in re: airflow patterns.

And I live in PA. It gets cold at night

You can add your general location to your profile to help people give better advice. PA's a big state (I grew up in the mill towns downriver of Pittsburgh), so breaking down to a region is probably a good idea since the climate is different in Erie vs. Pittsburgh, and State College vs. Philly.

As for the cold, chickens tolerate cold very well, easily coping down to 0F as long as they are dry and out of the wind.

 

[cavemanrich]

I refrain from commenting on prefab coops post usually;; because some of the pros here want to for my views...
Yes I am aware that most of the prefab coops are too small, and not QUALITY MADE.

Yes, I am aware that they state the capacity unrealistically.

BUT I DO NOT DISCOURAGE PEOPLE FROM BUYING THEM. We all need to start somewhere,, Some peeps get chickens,, and after short time,, decide chickens are NOT FOR THEM. Then they are not too much $$$$in the hole.

Then it comes to a point like where you are at. You want to keep chickens,, and decide to modify, and enlarge. Nothing wrong here.

Here is where I stand,, and have been in the past, and see no change in the future. If someone is new to chickens,, and asks what to house them in. I will suggest an entry level prefab coop. It is much better than trying to convince them to build a structure costing the EXPEN$IVE building materials,,, and some of them are not capable of such construction.

In your case,,, you ask questions ,, and I will offer answers.
I suggest you add some more ventilation high up in that gable. It is best to have ventilation well above the chickens heads when they are perched on their roosts. Important year round,,, but especially in winter. (if you have winter where you are at)
I only see one picture in your post so not able to offer more advice at this time.
Ask anything else you need to know..

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and

 

[Callender Girl]

Some good advice from @cavemanrich. I also commend you for realizing you needed more room and doing something about it.

I used to watch a TV series that touted a particular brand of pre-fab, and I bought a small used one off Craigslist. I quickly realized that while it was strong enough to deter predators -- though not large enough to house all the chickens it allegedly could -- it didn't offer adequate protection from the cold, wintry weather of northern Iowa, and I did some (ugly) remodeling to make it warmer.

Based on my construction skills, using the "bones" of the pre-fab was much better than me trying to build from scratch. I'm sure my chickens think so, too -- they've seen me in action!

BYW, my avatar coop is a pre-fab that required very little modification and has withstood the derecho of 2020 along with a downed tree on top of it. However, I could not have afforded to buy it new; it was a Cragislist find.

 

[kburruano]

I refrain from commenting on prefab coops post usually;; because some of the pros here want toView attachment 2933460 for my views...
Yes I am aware that most of the prefab coops are too small, and not QUALITY MADE.

Yes, I am aware that they state the capacity unrealistically.

BUT I DO NOT DISCOURAGE PEOPLE FROM BUYING THEM. We all need to start somewhere,, Some peeps get chickens,, and after short time,, decide chickens are NOT FOR THEM. Then they are not too much $$$$in the hole.

Then it comes to a point like where you are at. You want to keep chickens,, and decide to modify, and enlarge. Nothing wrong here.

Here is where I stand,, and have been in the past, and see no change in the future. If someone is new to chickens,, and asks what to house them in. I will suggest an entry level prefab coop. It is much better than trying to convince them to build a structure costing the EXPEN$IVE building materials,,, and some of them are not capable of such construction.

In your case,,, you ask questions ,, and I will offer answers.
I suggest you add some more ventilation high up in that gable. It is best to have ventilation well above the chickens heads when they are perched on their roosts. Important year round,,, but especially in winter. (if you have winter where you are at)
I only see one picture in your post so not able to offer more advice at this time.
Ask anything else you need to know..

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and

Thank you so much for your response. I'll attach more pictures. I figured today, that I should remove the tray from the original "coop". But now I'm afraid if I do that and have them roost there, that the ventilation I have would be "under" them...also with not boarding all the way up that it will be more if a draft and less of ventilation.

 

[3KillerBs]

Thank you so much for your response. I'll attach more pictures. I figured today, that I should remove the tray from the original "coop". But now I'm afraid if I do that and have them roost there, that the ventilation I have would be "under" them...also with not boarding all the way up that it will be more if a draft and less of ventilation.

Taking the siding out of the gable peaks both in the "coop" section and the "run" section would be a good start.

 

[kburruano]

Taking the siding out of the gable peaks both in the "coop" section and the "run" section would be a good start.

But wouldn't that cause a draft bc on the non coop side it's under the roost bar

 

[3KillerBs]

But wouldn't that cause a draft bc on the non coop side it's under the roost bar

Not when it's only on one end that way.

"Draft-free" doesn't mean "no air movement at all". It means no breeze strong enough to ruffle the chickens' feathers.

You have to have airflow to carry away the moisture and the ammonia.

 

[kburruano]

Not when it's only on one end that way.

"Draft-free" doesn't mean "no air movement at all". It means no breeze strong enough to ruffle the chickens' feathers.

You have to have airflow to carry away the moisture and the ammonia.

So the boards not being fully to the top, the triangular section on the non coop side and then the peaks in the coop part is all ok?

 

[3KillerBs]

So the boards not being fully to the top, the triangular section on the non coop side and then the peaks in the coop part is all ok?

Yes.

You need that airflow to keep the chickens healthy.

You can take a light ribbon out there on a windy day to see if you've got any strong air currents and thus need to baffle any openings, but it ought
to work.

Better to start with too much and carefully close off a little than to have too little.