Rabbit cage as coop

[Segwyne]

Hello, I am very new here and was just getting some advice in the flock management forum on how to introduce to single hens to each other. We have two chickens and recently lost one, so we replaced her so our first would not get depressed from being all alone. Anyway, we don't have the best coop system. We adopted these two chickens (and a rabbit) from neighbors who had to move and couldn't take them with them. We got their entire setup, which consisted of food and water dishes (obviously), two outdoor rabbit cages on stands (one for the rabbit, one for the two chickens), and an indoor cage for the rabbit. The chickens have always been free ranging. The best place to put them when we got them in November was in our garage, so over the winter, I have been opening their cage and letting them roam around the huge garage during the day and then at night, they always went back into their cage, and all I had to do was latch the door. This, of course, has made a made a mess of our garage, and it isn't really ideal for the chickens, either, I don't believe. We have a large unused bay of the garage that is not currently securable and has driveway gravel for the floor that we wish to renovate into a better coop. So I have two questions. First, what do you suggest we can do to improve what they have before we can renovate? And second, what should we keep in mind as we renovate? The garage bay has very high ceilings, probably 10' or more. Actually, I just remembered a third question: Can we house goats together with the chickens, or should we segregate them? We don't have goats yet, but it is on our to-do list.

Here are a couple of pictures of our current setup:



I have since found a nice long board to act as a ramp to the higher cage, but I have to take it down each night to close the garage door.

Thank you very much.

Judy

 

[aart]

So you're going to use the whole garage as a coop and goat barn?
Lots of options there!

The only thing about goats and chickens that I know is that goats will try to fatally gorge themselves on chicken feed, so they must be kept away from it.

Take a look at My Coop page, link under my avatar. I built a coop inside a large shed, it has a mesh ceiling that I can store stuff on and cover with cardboard in the winter to deter drafts.

 

[cavemanrich]

Looking at the picture of your garage, I can see that you would be able to make a good enough coop in the corner. You don't have many chickens , so a small section of the garage would do well. I would make a small port opening on the bottom, to the outdoors so that chickens could get out. You said they were free range and used to it. Have a small door that you would close for the night. I am talking something 16" x 16" Another option especially for small number of chickens is a $200. wooden coop. You can keep it in the garage all winter and place outdoors in the spring. I see your location is NH. It does get cold in your area. I am pasting a random picture, so please don't think it is one that I am selling. You can also just take the idea and build your own. You will save some $$$ that way. You can also go the

repurpose route like my coop. Lil tykes Childrens Playhouse, RETIRED.

 

[Segwyne]

It is starting to warm up here (no more negative degrees and only one more night in the teens that I see), and since I discovered one of my chickens stuck and with some injury to her head just behind her comb (bad scrape? It doesn't look pecked), I am thinking it might be time to just move the rabbit cages outside of the garage. This would mean that the nesting boxes are their only weather protection, but we could leave the garage closed so they don't get hurt anymore, and my younger kids can help with taking care of them. The garage door is too heavy for anyone not adult sized to move it. I can probably find some plywood to put over the top for rain protection. Is there anything else I should do for them? The neighbors had the cage inside a big dog kennel that was covered with a tarp on top, but we don't have a kennel we can use like that. Also, should I do anything particular to help the chickens reorient? I would just be moving it probably 40-50 feet to outside the garage to the side nearest the house. Thank you!

Judy