The chickens seem happy but is the coop big enough?

[C.Red]

I have six chickens in a 2 story 6x4 portable coop. the top story is enclosed and the bottom story is open to the lawn. I am worried about them not having enough room, but they seem happy. Any opinions?

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Assuming the upstairs is the coop then your dead on 4 square feet each bird. But assuming the downstairs is the run thats also 4 square a bird an most people on here would say that is to small. 8 would be good an 10 would be better.

 

[C.Red]

Both stories are equal in size. Hmm, I would like to free range them but I already have the neighbors cats sitting outside the cage when I'm not home. Cats will defiantly kill chicken won't they? what would be my choices? the structure is wood and anymore weight and I won't be able to move it, any light weight alternatives?

 

[possumqueen]

Is that two stories at 6x4 EACH?

They'd have 8 square feet each, and that's enough. Sorta. And portable means you're moving it around to fresh pasture. They don't need more indoor space, but more outdoor space is never a bad thing, if you can keep the hawks out.

You say they seem happy enough. Watch for them starting to pick on each other, or gang up on one or two low-on-the-totem-pole hens. Then you'll know you really do need more space.

 

[C.Red]

yes two stories of 6x4 each.


I should have never listened to the cowboy at the feed store he said I should put eight in there. Good thing I only put six.

 

[possumqueen]

The neighbor cats might be a problem if the chickens are small.

If you can get a piece of stock panel -- sometimes called cattle panel or hog panel -- you can cut it into pieces and put them together with cable clamps, then cover it with chicken wire. Seems kind of elaborate, but they don't call it "hog panel" for nothing. It really will stop a hog, or a dog, or a cat. The chicken wire will keep the birds in and the smaller bad critters out, and the whole thing is light and easy to move.

 

[possumqueen]

yeah, cowboys only know cows. most of the time. You WERE smart to stop at six. Except if you listen to everyone on THIS website you'll have sixty before you get much older. Don't say you haven't been warned.

 

[C.Red]

I am trying to find the cheapest available materials right now due to not having a job at the moment and in college. Have you ever seen or heard of people using the orange plastic temporary fence. I figure I could make a small pvc pipe frame and then cover in the cheap fence to cut costs.

Any thoughts on this?

 

[C.Red]

to extend the coop, run.

 

[possumqueen]

Not the plastic temporary fence. Anything can get into that.

PVC pipe makes a good frame, though. Look at some of the other coops here at backyardchickens. They've got some really great ideas. Maybe you could use the chicken wire on the PVC. I've seen where you can fill the PVC with water to make it more stable, and you can just use string to tie the wire onto it.