Unusual Coop

[Aidan Wright]

I have a coop already, but it needs replaced, either with a new coop or just nesting boxes. The problem I'm facing is that every design I've seen online has the run attached to the coop, but my run is essentially a giant box that our current coop sits inside of. The run has a roof already, and it's about 6.5 feet tall. Any Suggestions?

 

[Auntiejessi3]

I have a coop already, but it needs replaced, either with a new coop or just nesting boxes. The problem I'm facing is that every design I've seen online has the run attached to the coop, but my run is essentially a giant box that our current coop sits inside of. The run has a roof already, and it's about 6.5 feet tall. Any Suggestions?

Pictures would help

 

[crazy4ChickensNducks]

juts dont build the run on the new coop.

 

[black_cat]

I've seen plenty of plans that are just coop, or you could also just build the coop and not the run.

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC.

How many chickens do you have? And where, in general, are you located? Climate matters so knowing your location helps us give better advice.

My Little Monitor Coop article has plans for a coop designed to meet all the space requirement minimums for 4 hens. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-little-monitor-coop.76275/

An experienced handyman could certainly enlarge it if needed.

 

[neo71665]

It's not unusual You just have a small coop inside of a larger run. My granny had a setup like that for her silkies. Most of us just have the coop attached to the run because we have the room and so the coop isn't removing space from the run.

Pictures of your setup might help us with suggestions.

 

[Aidan Wright]

Pictures would help

The plastic was put up as wind protection in winter, because our chickens refuse to roost inside of the coop.

 

[neo71665]

If they won't go in the coop you have to train them to. Put them in there and lock them in there at night. Let them out in the morning. After a while they will start doing it on their own.

 

[rosemarythyme]

If they're not using the coop it may be too dark, too stuffy, too crowded, or there's a parasite issue in the coop. Have they ever used the coop at all?

 

[littledog]

Your run looks really nice and well-constructed, and having the coop inside the run (especially since your run is covered) can work very well. I would just build a new coop similar to the old one, or even just make some modifications to your existing coop (if it's in decent shape and parasite-free,) because it looks like it just needs a few easy changes:

1. More ventilation - your chickens might prefer to roost outside because it looks like the coop has no ventilation except the big door opening. You could cut the siding about 6" below the roof on the low side, make it the same height all around, and use hardware cloth from that height up to the roof on all sides.

2. Put the coop on much longer legs, like 3'-4' feet off the ground. This way, the bottom is at the height of your waist, making it much easier to clean. You can fit the front of a wheelbarrow under it, and just pull the dirty bedding out directly into the wheelbarrow.

Also, it makes room for the chickens to go under the coop, and you could keep their food, water and a dust-bath under there. If the coop roof is about or close to the height of your run, it will encourage the chickens to roost in the coop instead of on top of it.

3. Roosts: We can't see from the pictures where the coop has a roost inside, but in the "similar but new" coop, make the roost above the height of the nest boxes but at least a foot below the ventilation, and make a ramp for the chickens to walk up into the coop. They feel safest roosting as high as they can get off the ground, so walking up a ramp to go inside, then jumping up to a roost, will encourage them to roost inside.

Take down the outside roosts and metal framework, so they have no excuse to avoid roosting inside. If they need more entertainment outside, put in a few logs or stumps to make different "areas" in the run.

Depending on the climate you live in, you can likely take down all the plastic from the run, or maybe just cover one or two sides where the wind comes from if your area is very windy or consistently gets below freezing.