To anyone thinking of getting one of those cute little coops….

[DonyaQuick]

Do you shut them in the house at night or let them access the run 24/7? Thats what I do and it works really well

I have had to shut it sometimes but due to weather not predator protection. One of my cheats though is that the two chickens in question often can't sleep in there due to my little cockerel having insane, ginormous wattles that he can't keep warm enough in the cold. So in my case it's even been mostly a daytime-only experience for the chickens so far anyway. When I adapt it for broody duty later on, I'll probably either do some more modding or just keep the door open 24/7 like you said (I have a predator skirt on it anyway).

 

[nuthatched]

This was maybe 5 feet square, actually not bad for 3-4 banties.
This is an old picture.

 

[Rurumo]

They sell hygrometer/thermometers with a sensor you can put out in your coop to monitor humidity and temps-very useful to see if you need more ventilation if the relative humidity is too high vs the outside RH-they start at around 15 bucks and claim 200 ft range so it might work for some and not others.

 

[suzrwin]

I bought one of these (and it was nowhere near 600 when I bought it) when I had an injured chicken--used it as a hospital coop. We were literally headed out on vacay when she was injured and had zero time to fashion something. So, my grown daughter was able to tend to her while we were gone and she wasn't being pecked to death by her flock. On the plus side, I was able to position it next to the main run, so she transitioned back fairly easily once she was well.

That said, the thing is TINY. I can't imagine more than 2, maybe 3, living in there, and you'd need a separate run. But, I'm gonna keep it for future injuries, if any.

 

[AngelinaThePekin8]

They sell hygrometer/thermometers with a sensor you can put out in your coop to monitor humidity and temps-very useful to see if you need more ventilation if the relative humidity is too high vs the outside RH-they start at around 15 bucks and claim 200 ft range so it might work for some and not others.

I really need something like that for my coop. I have a homemade coop (made by someone else we got for free along with their chickens) that is basically a prefab coop like the ones on this thread. We got a new coop last year but haven't been able to use it because we weren't able to clean it properly (to my standards so I knew it'd be safe) and it got blown over right before winter really started.
I am going to get as much done as I can this spring and summer with both the coops.

Edited to add: my flock free ranges all day long everyday

 

[TimonHens]

I definitely had some indoor humidity issues with the last one night super freeze. Frostbitten combs were obvious 2 days later. Not sure if the sudden snap contributed or if it was that extra bit colder.
I feel awful tho and hope I can make improvements when it is less slushy.

 

[SpringHillChikin]

Welcome to BYC!



It's really difficult to buy any coop that's truly appropriate for keeping chickens. The OverEZ coops have the reputation of being better-built than most prefabs, but they are woefully under-ventilated and claim to hold many more chickens that is actually appropriate. But I've seen people who were happy with them after fixing the ventilation and getting the actual dimensions (not counting the nextboxes), so as not to overcrowd them.

That said,

Where, in general, are you? Climate matters, especially when it comes to housing, so if you put your location into your profile people can give better-targeted advice.

Also, it's helpful to have your own thread when you start your build so that people don't get confused about who is building what.

I haven't done a metal shed conversion, but there is no reason that it couldn't be done well -- the main thing is the ventilation.

A floor is not necessary. The Deep Litter method (moist, actively composting), works best on a dirt floor. But do put a predator apron around the outside.

Here is some basic information for you:

Repecka Illustrates Coop Ventilation

The Usual Guidelines

For each adult, standard-sized hen you need:

• 4 square feet in the coop (.37 square meters)
• 10 square feet in the run (.93 square meters),
• 1 linear foot of roost (.3 meters),
• 1/4 of a nest box,
• And 1 square foot (.09 square meters) of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation, preferably located over the birds' heads when they're sitting on the roost.

6 hens

• 24 square feet in the coop. 4'x6' is the only really practical build for this given the common dimensions of lumber. If you can't walk into it, put the access door in the middle of the long side to make sure you can reach all areas of the coop because a stubborn chicken WILL press itself into/lay an egg in the back corner where you can't reach.
• 6 feet of roost
• 60 square feet in the run. 6'x10' or 8'x8'.
• 6 square feet of ventilation.
• 2 nest boxes, to give the hens a choice

8 hens

• 32 square feet in the coop. 4'x8' is approaching the limits for a non-walk-in coop even with the access door in the middle. 6'x6' should be walk-in because even the tallest chicken-keeper won't be able to reach the far wall.
• 8 feet of roost
• 80 square feet in the run. 8'x10' is a nice looking number but, remembering the common dimensions of lumber, a roomier 8'x12' is actually easier to build. 6'x14' looks good on paper but would require a lot of weird cuts.
• 8 square feet of ventilation.
• 2-3 nest boxes.

This is SUPER helpful! thank you so much, ill update my profile, but for the time being we are located in the Greater Tampa Bay area. (Hernando County)

 

[3KillerBs]

This is SUPER helpful! thank you so much, ill update my profile, but for the time being we are located in the Greater Tampa Bay area. (Hernando County)

As a fellow resident of the USA's Steamy Southeast, I strongly recommend an Open Air coop.

You can see mine in my hot climate article: Hot Climate Chicken Housing and Care

Here are some others to look at:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/jens-hens-a-southern-texas-coop.75707/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/my-positive-local-action-coop.72804/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/california-living.68130/

 

[ChicFil- A]

Any new chicken tenders this year thinking of buying one of those cute little coops from Tractor Supply - DON’T do it!

We made this mistake and IMO it’s really easy to do. They’re cute and small, advertised for up to 6 chickens. You just don’t realize how big they will grow, they grow for almost a year! But other than that issue, check out what your chickens will be stuck in if you live in a winter climate.

Every day I am so thankful that we did something else for them. I will say this is a nice little grow out coop or isolation unit in the right temps!

TSC should not be allowed to sell this crap to unsuspecting people… Ths a crime by omissions.

 

[palmersfour]

Any new chicken tenders this year thinking of buying one of those cute little coops from Tractor Supply - DON’T do it!

We made this mistake and IMO it’s really easy to do. They’re cute and small, advertised for up to 6 chickens. You just don’t realize how big they will grow, they grow for almost a year! But other than that issue, check out what your chickens will be stuck in if you live in a winter climate.

Every day I am so thankful that we did something else for them. I will say this is a nice little grow out coop or isolation unit in the right temps!

Thank you for posting this. We were just about to buy one.