Thoughts on coop please

[sonandsal]

Wow, You must have been so busy building that amazing coop. Is that 6 nesting boxes I can see in there? How many girls are you planning to actually have locked in there for most of the day? It looks like plenty of space now while the chicks are small but I'm not sure it will be big enough for the girls to live in all day long when they are bigger.

 

[sonandsal]

My coop is about your size and I have 3 girls. They only go in there to sleep and lay eggs, the remainder of the time they are either in a run attached to the coop that we have also made or they run around the whole yard. We only have a very small garden but we have put lots of things in pots and it works really well..

 

[Sidechicks77]

Where about in the world do you live?

How old are the chicks today?

I live in Phoenix, az they are about 4 to 5 weeks I think

 

[Sidechicks77]

Wow, You must have been so busy building that amazing coop. Is that 6 nesting boxes I can see in there? How many girls are you planning to actually have locked in there for most of the day? It looks like plenty of space now while the chicks are small but I'm not sure it will be big enough for the girls to live in all day long when they are bigger.

There are 6 boxes, I plan on only having 4 now that I've thought about it more but I wasnt sure when I was building it I think 4 is plenty for us though

 

[Sidechicks77]

I like it!
Your 4 chickens will need more space when they get bigger.
I love the little piviting hand holes to gather eggs!
I would however make them lock in place somehow as if they move easily, i can see chicks escaping or weasel getting in.
Nice job though, did you design and build it yourself?

I built it myself however I did take a little of the design from a 2 box coop at the feed store though. We dont have weasel or raccoons arround where I live but we do have alot of cats (ferral) I wont let the chicks outside with having the dog out with them (which has been an adventure of its own) once the chicks are grown I guess the cats wont mess with em but I think I will screw those doors shut till then, good idea thanks!

 

[Kiki]

I live in Phoenix, az they are about 4 to 5 weeks I think

I was wondering if you were possibly over heating them with the heat lamp.
I have 2 week old chicks outside in Texas with no heat.

 

[aart]

I would remove the top 4 nests, and put the roost over the 2 remaining ones.
What is the size of coop in feet by feet?

Do not let your birds go into your neighbors yards, that's just not cool....
...and it could put them in danger.

 

[Sidechicks77]

I built it myself however I did take a little of the design from a 2 box coop at the feed store though. We dont have weasel or raccoons arround where I live but we do have alot of cats I wont let the chicks outside with having the dog out with them (which has been an adventure of its own) once the chicks are grown I guess the cats wont mess with em but I think I will screw those doors shut till then, good idea thanks!

I was wondering if you were possibly over heating them with the heat lamp.
I have 2 week old chicks outside in Texas with no heat.

Ahh yeah I only turn it on at night till it gets above 65 overnight then ill put it up (away)

 

[Kiki]

Ahh yeah I only turn it on at night till it gets above 65 overnight then ill put it up (away)

I'd turn it off now if I were you.

 

[Sidechicks77]

Think they will be ok? Gets low 60's at night coop dimensions are 6' x 3' and 46" tall inside and the light is to one side but I do cover half the coop with a tarp at night.