To coop or not to coop..

[RForbes]

Hi there good chicken people,

We have 11 laying hens right now and their rooster, living in their chicken coop and pen. We have 29 chicks in a brooder, and 29 more due to hatch in a few days.

Hubby was gonna build another chicken coop, but since most if not all the chickens are going to the butcher before winter, do we really need a coop? Are there any alternatives? Just tired of spending all our time and money on more coops especially when they'll be empty come this winter.. Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don’t know what kind or how big of facilities you have or what you use a coop for. I don’t know where you are or what your weather will be like. That’s a lot of chickens. Do you have enough freezer space for them or will you need to wait until you have freezer space to butcher them all? I have that problem.

Once they are out of the brooder they probably don’t need much protection from the weather. Chickens have been sleeping in trees with no roof over their head since there were chickens. They can handle it. In summer it is much more likely they need shade than anything else. Heat can be dangerous.

They are not going to be laying (maybe some pullets will?) so they may not need nests. You can feed and water outside.

The main reason you may need shelter is for predator protection and that does not need to be a solid building. You can build something out of wire if you need to. You can probably manage the rest.

 

[RForbes]

Thanks so much for your reply. I live in Atlantic Canada, the weather is usually pretty good until almost Christmas, they'll probably be gone before that anyway. What you say makes much sense, along the lines I was thinking. Maybe a temporary shelter with a tarp or something, the pen is already in a shaded area under trees.

 

[phryan]

If you are keeping them stationary a tarp lean-to would work, try to arrange it to provide shade in the afternoon. Another option is a Salatin style chicken tractor, it has a covered section and is mobile. Move it every day, gives them access to new forage and their waste really greens up the grass.

 

[DaQatz]

Sounds like what you want is a Salatin style chicken tractor. They are easy and cheap to make, and normally specifically for raising meat poultry "outside".