These Tiny Pre-Fab Coups.

[rikithemonk]

I too am looking into a small coop for no more than 3 or 4 hens and want it to be cute as well as functional. And on a budget. This is one that the hubby and I agree on http://www.mypetchicken.com/catalog...et-Wood-Chicken-Coop-Building-Plans-p622.aspx
It's built from upcycled shipping pallets. I do live near the coast in Central FL where it's humid (read "breathing-water") and gets into the 90's about every day of the summer. After reading the post about ventilation, I would want to take the back wall off this coop and have it replaced with screen and chicken wire. The coop would be placed next to my house in this over hang area that is sheltered on 3 sides and always shaded. Hubby would hinge the roof too for easy cleaning and I'd put another small window on top of the door to give the girls a cross breeze. The chickens would have a small fenced in area just off this, but would be free range nearly all the time.

What are your thoughts? Are the doghouse style coops a bad idea altogether, or does it just depend on size and such? And I wouldn't ever be able to get more chicks b/c of the soon to be decided byc laws for Rockledge, FL.

Thanks!

Looks like a nice size coop for four chickens. My only concern is cleaning it. Chickens poop on everything and that coop doesn't show any hinged walls or removable roofing. I only see a one and a half foot door to access it. Your going to end up crawling inside that thing to scrub the perches. I would add large doors that would allow you easy access with rakes garden hoses and such like. I would also add floor drains for when you hose down the nest boxes and coop living spaces.

Personally I keep quite a bit of hay in my coop. So the floor stays nice. However my perches and nest boxes are foul poop covered messes. I'm always having to scrub them off with brushes and Clorox. A coop has to be cleanable, extremely well vented and secure from predators.

Riki

 

[CrosStitching]

My husband had similar thoughts about cleaning. I think we'd hinge a big square out of the back and make it screen so I could open that and the modified roof that he'd hinge to open so I could reach in to spray it out. He also had the idea of making the front feet bigger than the back, so when I open the back door, all the water would run out.

 

[chachabella]

How does this one look, for 3 silkie bantam hens?? We plan on getting the additional runs for them as well.

or one of these others... they are all right down the street at the store and we can pick one up so easily!!

http://www.orschelnfarmhome.com/extreme-cape-cod-chicken-coop/ctl16754/cp59752/si6265782/cl1/
http://www.orschelnfarmhome.com/extreme-hen-house-chicken-coop/ctl16754/cp59752/si6126732/cl1/
http://www.orschelnfarmhome.com/barnstyle-chicken-coop/ctl16754/cp59752/si6265785/cl1/

 

[khoe]

How does this one look, for 3 silkie bantam hens?? We plan on getting the additional runs for them as well.

or one of these others... they are all right down the street at the store and we can pick one up so easily!!

http://www.orschelnfarmhome.com/hen-house/ctl16754/cp59752/si5879535/cl1/
http://www.orschelnfarmhome.com/extreme-cape-cod-chicken-coop/ctl16754/cp59752/si6265782/cl1/
http://www.orschelnfarmhome.com/extreme-hen-house-chicken-coop/ctl16754/cp59752/si6126732/cl1/
http://www.orschelnfarmhome.com/barnstyle-chicken-coop/ctl16754/cp59752/si6265785/cl1/

I'd love to hear thoughts on this coop as well. I sat down to purchase this one last night but after reading some reviews I decided to just build.

 

[rlh1]

I'd love to hear thoughts on this coop as well.  I sat down to purchase this one last night but after reading some reviews I decided to just build.

I have this coop. It nice BUT the coop has no ventilation. I'm thinking of cutting a rectangle out of the back wall for that reason. I will also probably raise it at some point. It's very cute and me two five week olds seem happy, for now.

 

[chachabella]

This is the other we are considering. I actually like it a little more than the others, because the poop pan looks rather deep, and it has the ventilation window. But we would have to have it shipped.




http://www.hayneedle.com/sale/trixiechickencoopwithoutdoorrun.cfm

 

[khoe]

This is the other we are considering. I actually like it a little more than the others, because the poop pan looks rather deep, and it has the ventilation window. But we would have to have it shipped. http://www.hayneedle.com/sale/trixiechickencoopwithoutdoorrun.cfm

I'm sure you checked all options online, but Walmart had coops shipped for 8 bucks. I can't recall if this was one of them.

 

[luvmychixandducks]

Find yourself a free doghouse on Craigslist, or a kids playhouse- even one of those plastic jobs- and convert to your own version of what chickens need to stay alive and safe.
Those prefabs are really too much money for the work involved in building them.
Use converted housing until you have the time and the materials to build your own design - then take the advice of all those who have been there before, and build bigger than you thought you'd need.
Chickens are addictive and having room to expand without additional expense is a gift you can give yourself at the beginning.
Good luck with your housing choices.

 

[khoe]

I read everyone saying "build bigger" but am sad to say that 2 chickens is all I'm allowed without a permit. With permit only up to 6. I guess I should have a little bit of extra room in case I decide a permit is worth it.

 

[BrittBergh]

We have a prefab coop outside right now. This exact one:

http://www.amazon.com/TRIXIE-Pet-Pr...365211738&sr=1-1&keywords=trixie+chicken+coop

Its alright, its cute but its small! We did some modifications on it like replacing all the latches to hasps with clips, more ventilation to the back side, adding more roost bars and then added hardware cloth to the bottom so nothing can dig under and get in. I know in reality it wont last a long time and we have 16 hens (four are almost old enough to go outside, the rest are only a week old) SO...we are building a larger coop this weekend with a nice run that attaches to this one. We scored a ton of free pallet wood and heat treated pine as well all for free! Had we been able to score the free material before we bought this coop off amazon (with gift cards from Christmas and having amazon prime the price was almost nothing out of pocket for us) we would not have bought the coop at all...it's not for long term...its not constructed the greated with the best wood...

If you can build your own coop! Download plans and just go it isnt hard!