Hi all! How lucky are you guys! You get to spend...I mean "help" me spend my money on a new chicken coop!!! A little back ground on the Girls-I have 13 chickens, one of whom is a rooster. They are a mixed dual purpose flock made up of Production Reds, Barnevelders, a Welsummer, an Asil, Russian Orloffs and an Ameraucana. I copied a partial post I wrote from this morning over on the Cheese Head thread: [Second-I had a hen pen escapee! Minnie the RO was out of the hen pen. I picked her up and stuck her back into the pen and will have to watch today and check them tonight. It's the first time someone has gotten out of their habitat.....hmmmm...] So, On that note, it's time to get a "proper" coop! I was going to build one, but that would end in a divorce and possible murder, so what to you guys think of these? I need a coop to hold atleast 12 hens (the rooster will be gone soon) and one that will be good in cold (- numbers) weather. It will not be out in the weather but inside the roofed three sided car port where I have access to electricity. I am looking at coops that I can place next to my Hen Pen/Yard so The Girls will have access to their pen should they want to venture outside. I like a mobile coop idea for future pasturing and I was going to order it as a kit. Do y'all have any ideas or any other places for me to check out? I've been searching for a coop and to find one that holds 12 or more hens that does not break the bank is tough!!! #1) The Yolks Wagon (like the cost): http://www.eggcartn.com/yolkswagon.htm #2) The Egg Cart'n (like the features): http://www.eggcartn.com/ #3) Then there is this one- the CC32 mobile chicken coop (pretty but I think it might be to hard/to big for the Girls to heat): http://www.saferwholesale.com/Mobil...ernal-Perches-p/cc-32 mobile chicken coop.htm eta to fix link
The first two coops are too small for 13 chickens. There is no way a 6x4 could fit 8-12 chickens. Only 6 maximum. You need 52 square feet for your chickens, for the standard. Otherwise, they are super cramped and could be aggressive toward one another. I'd personally build one. We have a very nice 12x4x8 for our 8 chicks my dh built. It wasn't bad pricing either and built our run 22x5x5. You save money by building your own. There are so many free coop plans. We built a rectangle room.
I agree that the first two are too small, maybe you could hire someone to build you one? (to avoid the divorce that is... ) the last link didn't work for me so I can't speak for that coop. The general rule of thumb is 3-4 square feet per chicken in the coop, and 10sq ft in the run.
The 8 - 12 quoted is usually based on the minimum area per chicken and the size of the chickens. I would think that the 12 is based on the maximum number of bantams the coop will hold in the minimum space.
Thanks for the input! After looking for reviews on the Egg Cart'n, I only found one. The only one I managed to find was from 2007 and it was not to favorable. I also did not see a whole lot of ventilation when that coops gets enclosed. My Girls have a large yard so they have plenty of wing room there, but I liked the idea of the coop being above the additional "walking" space in case the weather is yuckie but the Girls still want to venture "outside"! My main concern in getting a really big coop is that I will get one too big and they will not be able to warm it enough in the sub zero weather. So the search continues!
Quote:What do I think? I think chicken tractors are fine for a few chickens when in the summer when you are using the tractor to manage soil. For winter time use, I think a permanent coop with a foundation and sub-ground level deep litter composting pit is the way to go. See my BYC page for pics of my setup that's been in use a couple decades.
