simple question about the house

[Cryss]

. The picture shows it closed but it’s been open. Also open in the back. Enough ventilation

I have that coop. The window in the back above the nesting egg door is not your ventilation. It is good for summer days and hot summer nights. Same for thd one on your clean out door. Your ventilation is above the pop door wall. Air from the roosting area goes up and over that wall through the opening and into the run area. Some people with this coop have mistakenly thought it was a construction error and sealed it up. Don't do that! Think of it this way. A draft is any flow of air that hits any part of the chickens or the area below them as they roost. Ventilation is an opening well above their heads as they roost so warm rising air can carry away condensation/ moisture.
From my own experience, do this check for drafts. Close the pop door, egg door, and egg window. Stick your head inside from the clean out door and look for gaps between wallboards and around window and door frames. You will see light coming through. Do the same thing closing all openings except the one you are looking through, taking turns looking through the egg door and pop door. Seal up all gaps. These will be deadly drafts in winter.
This coop says it holds 8 chickens. It's a lie. First, don't include nesting area in measuring. The roost area is only big enough for 2-3 birds. If you have more, come winter they will be crowded all day if they can't get outside. This can cause pecking and bullying. You need 4sqft/bird indoors, and 10sqft/bird outdoors if you aren't free ranging.
This coop MIGHT last you 2 years. It's very cheaply made of very inferior wood. I've started turning mine into a coop that can comfortably hold 7 birds. If you'd like to see how I'm doing that check out my thread "Altering my terrible TS coop". If I want more than that I need to build it larger, or build a second coop, or build a new bigger coop to house them all.
Good luck and WELCOME TO BYC!

 

[Cryss]

Oh! And to get them to go in at night!! They don't know where HOME is. Lock them inside the roost for about 3 days with food and water (I put these inside the egg door for easy access and clean up). After that they should be putting themselves to bed. All you have to do is remove their food and water and lock them in.
Also, once they know where to sleep block off the nest area. You don't want them in the habit of sleeping there. They poop a lot during the night and later when they lay eggs you will have very dirty eggs. Open the area back up when they are about 18 months old to prepare for eggs.

 

[FrannyLW]

Oh! And to get them to go in at night!! They don't know where HOME is. Lock them inside the roost for about 3 days with food and water (I put these inside the egg door for easy access and clean up). After that they should be putting themselves to bed. All you have to do is remove their food and water and lock them in.
Also, once they know where to sleep block off the nest area. You don't want them in the habit of sleeping there. They poop a lot during the night and later when they lay eggs you will have very dirty eggs. Open the area back up when they are about 18 months old to prepare for eggs.

I noticed they don't sleep in the egg area they tend to lay around the roosting area.

 

[FrannyLW]

I have that coop. The window in the back above the nesting egg door is not your ventilation. It is good for summer days and hot summer nights. Same for thd one on your clean out door. Your ventilation is above the pop door wall. Air from the roosting area goes up and over that wall through the opening and into the run area. Some people with this coop have mistakenly thought it was a construction error and sealed it up. Don't do that! Think of it this way. A draft is any flow of air that hits any part of the chickens or the area below them as they roost. Ventilation is an opening well above their heads as they roost so warm rising air can carry away condensation/ moisture.
From my own experience, do this check for drafts. Close the pop door, egg door, and egg window. Stick your head inside from the clean out door and look for gaps between wallboards and around window and door frames. You will see light coming through. Do the same thing closing all openings except the one you are looking through, taking turns looking through the egg door and pop door. Seal up all gaps. These will be deadly drafts in winter.
This coop says it holds 8 chickens. It's a lie. First, don't include nesting area in measuring. The roost area is only big enough for 2-3 birds. If you have more, come winter they will be crowded all day if they can't get outside. This can cause pecking and bullying. You need 4sqft/bird indoors, and 10sqft/bird outdoors if you aren't free ranging.
This coop MIGHT last you 2 years. It's very cheaply made of very inferior wood. I've started turning mine into a coop that can comfortably hold 7 birds. If you'd like to see how I'm doing that check out my thread "Altering my terrible TS coop". If I want more than that I need to build it larger, or build a second coop, or build a new bigger coop to house them all.
Good luck and WELCOME TO BYC!

what is the pop door? My husband was planning on building a bigger coop I just need him to finish the run first. (long process he works 6 days a week and the temp here has been terrible.) Oh, and got this used for over $100 less than TS. Only 1 month old!

 

[PirateGirl]

Apologies as I haven't thoroughly read all responses, so I may be repeating someone. It sounds as if your chicks have figured out the ramp and go up in the afternoon sometimes. Often chicks find the pop door to be a big dark scary hole at night because it is a tendency to be darker in the coop than outside of the coop at dusk. Sometimes just putting a small flashlight in the coop will help lure them in at dusk when they naturally want to roost. You can then shut the door and turn off the light after they are in there. No electricity needed Good luck. It takes a bit for them to get the hang of things. This is normal.

 

[Grits&Eggs]

It took several nights (almost a week) of carrying mine up/putting them up there for them to figure it out, I changed out the window fan, added sticks to the ramp to make it easier to grab onto and as you did changed the pitch by adding a log underneath. Keep it up, just a couple more nights, they will get the hang of it!

 

[FrannyLW]

Apologies as I haven't thoroughly read all responses, so I may be repeating someone. It sounds as if your chicks have figured out the ramp and go up in the afternoon sometimes. Often chicks find the pop door to be a big dark scary hole at night because it is a tendency to be darker in the coop than outside of the coop at dusk. Sometimes just putting a small flashlight in the coop will help lure them in at dusk when they naturally want to roost. You can then shut the door and turn off the light after they are in there. No electricity needed Good luck. It takes a bit for them to get the hang of things. This is normal.

So I should lock up the door at night? Last night was the first night I didn't cause they fall asleep as soon as they are in (half asleep when I put them in there). they were just getting out when I was checking them up this morning around 7, (a couple were still inside checking things out from "up there")

 

[FrannyLW]

It took several nights (almost a week) of carrying mine up/putting them up there for them to figure it out, I changed out the window fan, added sticks to the ramp to make it easier to grab onto and as you did changed the pitch by adding a log underneath. Keep it up, just a couple more nights, they will get the hang of it!

well I noticed put the majority up there and the rest will follow cause they don't want to be alone!!

 

[PirateGirl]

So I should lock up the door at night? Last night was the first night I didn't cause they fall asleep as soon as they are in (half asleep when I put them in there). they were just getting out when I was checking them up this morning around 7, (a couple were still inside checking things out from "up there")

This depends on your predator situation and how your run is constructed. In most cases the chickens are safer locked in their coop as opposed to with the door open and just the run locked. This is up to you. I don't always lock mine in (my run is as predator proof as I could make it), but I've been known to run out in my PJs in the middle of the night when I hear a coyote to double check on things and lock the door behind them.

 

[FrannyLW]

This depends on your predator situation and how your run is constructed. In most cases the chickens are safer locked in their coop as opposed to with the door open and just the run locked. This is up to you. I don't always lock mine in (my run is as predator proof as I could make it), but I've been known to run out in my PJs in the middle of the night when I hear a coyote to double check on things and lock the door behind them.

well when the complete run is done the fencing will be 4-6 inches in the ground. I think the only predators we have at night are possums which I haven't seen in awhile cause I think my dogs scare anything that try to touch a paw in my yard. My ducks have been outside for over 2 months now, in a small enclosure waiting for this run, and it def. has not been disturbed by anything.