Small prefab coop upgrade ideas?

[chickenmomma16]

I picked up this little prefab coop for free. I plan on redoing it inside (it’s pretty poopy) and replacing the roof, painting this spring, replacing the bottom boards that touch the dirt, you know the drill. I’m looking for ideas on how to redo the inside. Currently it just seems awkward. Nesting area is huge and higher then the roost. Should I leave the bottom open so they poop in the run or enclose it more? Only planning on using it for a single rooster pen and possibly just a breeding pair or trio of LF Ameraucanas in spring/summer.

 

[electrycmonk]

/Subscribed
I'd wonder if the wire floor debate is much of a debate at all. I am new to chickens but, I haven't really grasped the benefits list in favor of it. I just don't think it something fun for the batchelors to walk on. For a temp shelter next to the coop I used a free 8' long X 32" narrow pallet and cut off a few middle planks to allow them to hop up from the ground in like 3 places. Maybe a similar option could work for you? (Shrugs)

 

[aart]

Is there an actual nest box in/on the coop(upper enclosed part)?

 

[chickenmomma16]

Is there an actual nest box in/on the coop(upper enclosed part)?

No, it looks more like just a large community nest box.

edited to add so I guess yes there is a nest box but just one long one and taking up way too much space.

 

[BackyardJulz]

I started out with exactly that prefab design. It is supposed to have a tray that slides in from outside, under the upper perches, to fully enclose the upper section. The nest boxes in mine were by the drop-down door on the end. Two of them, but I took them out as the girls were just sleeping and pooping there, making it harder to clean. Bad design that door was- raccoon flipped the latch, dropped the door and went on a killing spree. So that’s one thing I’d check out- latches that can’t be fiddled open.

After seeing how easy it is to dig down under the sides, chickens or rodents, I would consider using hardware cloth as a digging barrier and bed on top of it.

Still use mine for youngsters, and attached a moveable run to one end, with the little door in between. It keeps them safe and warm with little modification from its original design.

 

[chickenmomma16]

I started out with exactly that prefab design. It is supposed to have a tray that slides in from outside, under the upper perches, to fully enclose the upper section. The nest boxes in mine were by the drop-down door on the end. Two of them, but I took them out as the girls were just sleeping and pooping there, making it harder to clean. Bad design that door was- raccoon flipped the latch, dropped the door and went on a killing spree. So that’s one thing I’d check out- latches that can’t be fiddled open.

After seeing how easy it is to dig down under the sides, chickens or rodents, I would consider using hardware cloth as a digging barrier and bed on top of it.

Still use mine for youngsters, and attached a moveable run to one end, with the little door in between. It keeps them safe and warm with little modification from its original design.

I think your right. I was looking at it again today and I think I’m going to take out the nesting area and just put a single nest box that can come out if I’m just using it as a bachelor pad. I’ll have to make my own tray. Thinking about putting hardware cloth underneath it and taking the tray out in summer when I can move the coop around or make just make a hardware cloth replacement tray for summer. Just a thought.

 

[BackyardJulz]

A hardware cloth tray sounds like a good idea for summer, good ventilation.

I will say that when I have had chicks in that coop, there isn’t much real estate for feeders or waterers, and they end up under the area where the tray should be. If it were just HC up there, the poop and bedding would spill into the feeders.

It’s a small coop anyway, but a great start until they are either too big or you end up expanding in numbers or coop size. I’m still happy with mine. Good luck making it just right for your flock!

 

[gtaus]

I picked up this little prefab coop for free.

Free! Love it already!

As to modifications, I have read many comments on the bad design of the pull out tray. My suggestion is to put in a wood floor and use a dry deep litter bedding. I am a big fan of deep litter as it has worked really well for me so far. I put linoleum on my coop floor underneath my dry deep litter bedding, but I'm not convinced that I needed to go that extra step. I picked up a 8X12 sheet of linoleum on sale for about $25, so I decided it was worth the extra money. In theory, it saves your floor from rotting out. In practice, my dry deep litter is in fact dry, so I don't think there will be much rot in any case.

As to nest boxes, I just mounted some Dollar Tree $1 plastic dish bins on some rails for my hens. It works great for them. If you need to clean out a nest box, you simply take the dish bin off the rail and clean the bin. The nest boxes should be lower than the roost for the night. If not, some chickens may prefer to sleep in the nest box (which is higher) than their roost. Then you have a problem with chicken poo in the nest boxes.

I think you are really lucky in that free coop find and with a bit more work, you will really have something nice for a small number of birds. Hope you post some pictures of the mods you decide on adding and how well it works out for you. Best wishes.

 

[chickenmomma16]

Free! Love it already!

As to modifications, I have read many comments on the bad design of the pull out tray. My suggestion is to put in a wood floor and use a dry deep litter bedding. I am a big fan of deep litter as it has worked really well for me so far. I put linoleum on my coop floor underneath my dry deep litter bedding, but I'm not convinced that I needed to go that extra step. I picked up a 8X12 sheet of linoleum on sale for about $25, so I decided it was worth the extra money. In theory, it saves your floor from rotting out. In practice, my dry deep litter is in fact dry, so I don't think there will be much rot in any case.

As to nest boxes, I just mounted some Dollar Tree $1 plastic dish bins on some rails for my hens. It works great for them. If you need to clean out a nest box, you simply take the dish bin off the rail and clean the bin. The nest boxes should be lower than the roost for the night. If not, some chickens may prefer to sleep in the nest box (which is higher) than their roost. Then you have a problem with chicken poo in the nest boxes.

I think you are really lucky in that free coop find and with a bit more work, you will really have something nice for a small number of birds. Hope you post some pictures of the mods you decide on adding and how well it works out for you. Best wishes.

The lady had another small coop like this but much better built and ready for chickens for $75 I’m hoping to get when she’s ready to sell it. I have 40 birds currently... 9 of those are cockerels. 8 of the boys are in a “cozy” bachelor pad and are surprisingly getting along great. They are such sweet young boys. Soon to be down to only 3 males though. Just need a little more wing room for everyone


I will post an update, I’m usually pretty good about that. Likely not soon though. We are getting drenched with rain in the PNW. Projects are on hold for now. Couldn’t pass up a deal like that though! Thanks for the suggestions.

edited to add: At least with all our rain, I can see if the roof is good or not! (Probably not though)

 

[gtaus]

The lady had another small coop like this but much better built and ready for chickens for $75 I’m hoping to get when she’s ready to sell it.

What a deal! I built my own chicken coop on a boat trailer frame, but even using lots of lumber I already had on hand, I spent about $800 on additional lumber, screws, paint, roofing, etc.... I posted a tongue-in-check thread on how much money I "saved" by building my coop by myself. I concluded that I saved about $700 dollars on my coop build as long as I did not factor in the hundreds of dollars I used in lumber I already had behind the garage, as long as I did not factor in my 2 weeks of labor at 8-10 hours per day, as long as I did not count the hundreds and hundreds of dollars of tools, saws, and hardware I had in the garage, and as long as I did not factor in that I ended up having to buy a new (used) pickup to move the coop once it was built.

I cannot tell you how happy I would have been to find a "free" coop like you picked up or an even better one that you are talking about for $75. Yes, I am happy with my coop build and I take pride in having built it all by myself. But I did not have many other options available to me.