TSC chicken coop kits.

[JeanetteN]

I am a 78 yo Grandma who spent all her summers on her Grandparents farm in Michigan. I now take care of 29 chickens one day a week at the Chellberg Historic Farm which is part of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. I am in the process of purchasing a chicken coop for my nephew who recently bought a farm in Michigan. Confused by the sizes and shapes of the coops. What has been the experience of members with the TSC kits? They want 12 chickens and I'm not sure about the kits.

Thank you.

Jeanette N

 

[drumstick diva]

The main problems with Coop kits, is they are cute but, not made to stand up to the weather. Also they tend to greatly over estimate how many birds can comfortably fit inside.

Rule of thumb for coops: 4-5 sq.feet per bird in the coop not including roosts & nest boxes. In the coop should be 10 sq.feet per bird. Crowded chickens are not happy and
tend to result to pecking, feather plucking, bullying and at extremes cannibalism.

 

[Kiki]

Welcome to BYC.
I personally have never seen a TSC coop kit big enough to hold 12 chickens.

What ever the box/package says it will hold divided that by two.
If is says it will hold 6 it really means it may hold 3.

 

[Duck Lover88]

Howdy Glad to have you here I'm not sure about the coops but I'm sure someone else can help you
Enjoy your time here Jeanette

 

[esme13]

The ones we've seen at our tsc are small and my husband says the material (wood) is not good/long lasting. Which we spent a little more money and made a chicken coop.

 

[Duck Lover88]

The ones we've seen at our tsc are small and my husband says the material (wood) is not good/long lasting. Which we spent a little more money and made a chicken coop.

X2 all the way.

 

[sylviethecochin]

Here's a great resource for you: BYC Chicken coops.

 

[JeanetteN]

My impression of the TSC kits was also negative. I am working with a carpenter who says for $1500 he can make a coop 5 feet x 8 feet with a small feed room leaving the house for chickens 5 x 5 which would house 12 chickens. Run could be made 6 Feet x 8 feet long which would be 4 square foot of run space per chicken along with the 2 square foot inside for a total of 6 sq ft per chicken. Does that sound correct for 12 chickens and does that price sound resonable?

 

[Chickassan]

TSC coop kits are tiny and have to be reinforced just to stand up to nominal weather conditions, and forget about predator protection they're pretty much a box lunch in there. Either build a coop or convert a storage shed, it will save you all kinds of trouble later on.

 

[Kessel23]