Roosting in the Run and Not the Coop!

KimberK8 I have the same coop, at 7 chickens it seemed a little crowded, I had 3 that would sleep under the coop in the run until it started getting colder at night. I extended the coop, I'll attach a photo here, it almost doubled the inside space and I now have 8 chickens who happily sleep in it.
I took the same external dimensions and extended it down to the gate. The floor is just open, no additional nesting boxes, with a cutout allowing access to the lower level. I still need to add a roost, but I have a couple floor sleepers who are happy perching on a 2x4 set on the floor.
 

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Measured the coop and took a couple pics. The coop inside is 2 feet wide with 4 roosting bars. The roof if pitched at 44" at the highest. I have 5 roosting boxes but they lay their eggs in one or two boxes only.

That is indeed quite small.

I am wondering how hard it would be to add at least another 2' in width (the direction the roosts are running) and follow the existing roofline. I would move nest boxes to one end 90° position from what they are now and extend the mod all the way to the end of the run. That would make it roughly a 4x10 coop. Again though that would only fit 10 birds but the run already is only sized for 10.
It would maintain the look of the coop while making it more functional.
If your gate is next to the coop on the same wall can that section be moved to the opposite side of the run?

I would suggest drawing it out on graph paper to scale so you can plan for the new set up as well as clean out doors and more ventilation.

I think you forgot to put the full measurements in your post but going by looks it is roughly 2'x4'. My starter brooder is that size. That is very tiny.
 
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KimberK8 I have the same coop, at 7 chickens it seemed a little crowded, I had 3 that would sleep under the coop in the run until it started getting colder at night. I extended the coop, I'll attach a photo here, it almost doubled the inside space and I now have 8 chickens who happily sleep in it.
I took the same external dimensions and extended it down to the gate. The floor is just open, no additional nesting boxes, with a cutout allowing access to the lower level. I still need to add a roost, but I have a couple floor sleepers who are happy perching on a 2x4 set on the floor.
Thank you! This is very helpful. I never thought to extend the coop. I wish the advertisement for this coop didn't false advertise the number of chickens it could house. Major rookie mistake on my part being a first time chicken owner.
 
Thank you! This is very helpful. I never thought to extend the coop. I wish the advertisement for this coop didn't false advertise the number of chickens it could house. Major rookie mistake on my part being a first time chicken owner.
I like the coop, my husband and I went back and forth for it seems like weeks between buying and building. We finally just bought this one, I like it, the run is great, overall it was the easy solution. We originally had 5 chicks and they fit in there great. 2 ended up being roos so I sold them and bought 4 laying pullets. And then 3 more, then 4 more... we have built a second cook for the youngest 4 and 6 guinea keets, it is one structure with a divider to keep them separate.

You could make the addition any shape but since I had to build toward the house I kept the same shape. My yard slopes down a bit so I tucked my addition under the roof overhang of the original. Since I'm not a carpenter, I took off the two doors and re-used them on the addition. I drew everything out and made a cut list first then gave it a go. We took a door before it was hung in to the paint store and got some color marched paint. Its paint vs the original coop having more of a stain, but its looks pretty darn good from a few steps away.

Here are a few construction photos, I mostly took shots of my 'building inspectors'. There's a few things I'd do differently, I didn't account for the 2x4 frame for the top door and ended up cutting into the one 2x4 and going clear to the edge on the other side so I had to get a little creative, but overall it worked.
 

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I like the coop, my husband and I went back and forth for it seems like weeks between buying and building. We finally just bought this one, I like it, the run is great, overall it was the easy solution. We originally had 5 chicks and they fit in there great. 2 ended up being roos so I sold them and bought 4 laying pullets. And then 3 more, then 4 more... we have built a second cook for the youngest 4 and 6 guinea keets, it is one structure with a divider to keep them separate.

You could make the addition any shape but since I had to build toward the house I kept the same shape. My yard slopes down a bit so I tucked my addition under the roof overhang of the original. Since I'm not a carpenter, I took off the two doors and re-used them on the addition. I drew everything out and made a cut list first then gave it a go. We took a door before it was hung in to the paint store and got some color marched paint. Its paint vs the original coop having more of a stain, but its looks pretty darn good from a few steps away.

Here are a few construction photos, I mostly took shots of my 'building inspectors'. There's a few things I'd do differently, I didn't account for the 2x4 frame for the top door and ended up cutting into the one 2x4 and going clear to the edge on the other side so I had to get a little creative, but overall it worked.
You did a great job! And the paint matches perfectly from the photos! I think an addition is a must, I have 13 overall - 12 hens and one Bantam rooster (Tractor supply mistake) but he's cute! Do you live in an area where it gets into the single digits in the winter? Do you use a great lamp? I didn't my first winter and they seemed fine. The lamps make me nervous.
 
You did a great job! And the paint matches perfectly from the photos! I think an addition is a must, I have 13 overall - 12 hens and one Bantam rooster (Tractor supply mistake) but he's cute! Do you live in an area where it gets into the single digits in the winter? Do you use a great lamp? I didn't my first winter and they seemed fine. The lamps make me nervous.
This is our first winter, I have a CozyCoop radiant heater, I'm thinking it will be safer than a bulb. The weather totally depends on the year, we'll typically get one or two cold weeks, staying below freezing during the day and teens at night then several weeks of freezing nights with high 30s to 50s in the day, but some years we hit low single digits for a few days. I used the radiant heater a few nights early this spring and it kept the coop warm.
 
The run is not around any trees to break the wind, open all around but it is safe from predators. Currently we are falling into the low 20s at night, but it will get colder into the winter (single digits). I'm afraid they don't know they are able to roost in the coop at night. They lay their eggs in there, I just don't understand why they won't shelter there. Wondering if I need to train them to go in there at night?
I'm having the same problems with mine they will go in to lay eggs but not sleep I'm in NC so it hasn't gotten to cold yet
 

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