To silkie, or not to silkie?

[kburruano]

No offense was taken, just curious as to what u meant! I agree with what you said. Super cute but not spacious. If I had to do it again it's not what I would pick. I'm struggling with predator proofing. She is safe from air attacks and I have hardware mesh almost completely around the bottom of the coop itself, but not the run. Not that has anything to do with the price of rice! I'm hoping with the fence and tarp it will keep enough snow out that I can have hay in the ground bc I agree, that is a small coop to be stuck in.

 

[rosemarythyme]

If you have no plans to build a bigger coop in the near future, I'd consider enlarging the current one before considering adding any additional bird(s).

To turn it from 2 small "boxes" (tiny coop above tiny run) into 1 bigger "box" you'll want to remove as much of the inside coop wall as possible, plus the floor. Take out the old roosts too.

Nests might be able to stay as is, or may need to be relocated elsewhere or replaced - depends on the structure of the coop and how things inside stack up once done.

Run a new roost(s) lengthwise or widthwise across the newly open space, depending on how much roost is needed. Ideally you’d like 12” per bird but 10” can suffice in many cases.

Board up some of the external wire walls so that the roost area is protected from winds and rain. Do NOT fully cover up all the wire, you need ventilation and natural light, so at the very least a few inches under the roofline should remain open. If your climate allows for it, you can leave entire walls open with just the mesh, or make it convertible for the season by covering up open walls for winter, and then uncovering for summer.

Example of a modified prefab: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-renovated-prefab-coop.1440258/

 

[Silkie Princess]

Silkies are cute but they are usually at the bottom of the pecking order.Any other breeds available? If not the silkie would do too

 

[raingarden]

I'd take the silky and get rid of the red.

 

[kburruano]

If you have no plans to build a bigger coop in the near future, I'd consider enlarging the current one before considering adding any additional bird(s).

To turn it from 2 small "boxes" (tiny coop above tiny run) into 1 bigger "box" you'll want to remove as much of the inside coop wall as possible, plus the floor. Take out the old roosts too.

Nests might be able to stay as is, or may need to be relocated elsewhere or replaced - depends on the structure of the coop and how things inside stack up once done.

Run a new roost(s) lengthwise or widthwise across the newly open space, depending on how much roost is needed. Ideally you’d like 12” per bird but 10” can suffice in many cases.

Board up some of the external wire walls so that the roost area is protected from winds and rain. Do NOT fully cover up all the wire, you need ventilation and natural light, so at the very least a few inches under the roofline should remain open. If your climate allows for it, you can leave entire walls open with just the mesh, or make it convertible for the season by covering up open walls for winter, and then uncovering for summer.

Example of a modified prefab: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-renovated-prefab-coop.1440258/

Ummm that's ingenious!