Starter coop

[Aunt Angus]

Chicks do not need a coop to go outside. When mine graduate from the brooder, they go out into a 6' tall (young pullets are very good flyers) enclosure that have dog houses and crates for them to sleep in. Chicks sleep on the ground in piles until they are closer to 16 weeks. Low practice roosts should be available but they won't use them to sleep. Don't need nesting boxes until they are 5+ months old.
4 10x6 chain link panels will run you $200-400 on CL. Throw a tarp over the top for some shade, pick up a free crate or dog house and you're in business. You've not wasted $400 on a coop that is only adequate for 8 weeks. You can use the panels for the run when you do build your coop. Panels make it easy to expand the run as you come across more for cheap.

This is a great idea. It will buy you time AND give you materials to use for later.

 

[Kims-Little-Zoo]

https://www.mypetchicken.com/products/the-clubhouse-chicken-coop-w-run

We have a busy spring of projects, what are your thoughts of this and getting for our 3 (incoming!) chicks? We will also be building a tractor so they will have time to be outside of this structure. Our flock will eventually be about 6, but won't add any more until next year and we would be building their "real" coop in the meantime (with a much bigger run).
Thoughts?

My thoughts on this is if you need a quick safe coop for only 3 until you build your own and they will be time spent outside of the run and you can afford it then it would work temporarily. It’s not ideal but as temp one it would work. If you have the time and can build even a temp one would probably be better and cheaper. I work with a rescue and had to take in 10 extra pullets about 2 months ago which added to my already growing flock of 10. I had mine in 2 different coops similar maybe slightly bigger than what you pictured as I was building their permanent one. I then had to make room for 10 more added a 2 dog crates and the 2 existing coops that now house 20. Not ideal but it’s worked. The new coop is almost done so they will be moved in by next week. So like I said as temp it would work.