Want to turn whole thing into coop? Water proof too? Help!

[Hidrainja4]

whoopie glad she is better and glad you can get a nicer coop! Lots of coop ideas here on BYC.
For me chicken comfort , price and ease of cleaning where my priorities. Think about what you want and need and can afford. I bet you will find it here on BYC.

 

[Sonya9]

I can understand how such a cute coop would be what your parents want in the yard. You live in a very warm place, Just a tarp over the top and the side that gets the most wind/rain would be enough shelter, to me. What about a portable electric net fence for ranging during the day? That way you could take advantage of the mobility of the coop you have, and your birds would not be confined all day. That would depend on having a large enough area to move them around. If you could post a photo of your Eglu showing how your birds are using it it could give us some more ideas. For a warm climate, I like a big cage instead of a closed-in house. Here is what I am using.View attachment 2289907
This big cage probably cost less to make than your Eglu. It is chain link fence rail from Home Depot, fence corner connectors and a tarp on top and the back side. I used very light weight & cheap chicken wire due to the unavailability of better wire right now. I have surrounded it with electric net, which I can move to another area or store in the winter If I want.

Honestly I don't get the Omlet coop craze at all. It looks like it was designed to hold hamsters, or maybe as travel coop for camping/traveling with your chicken.

Have to wonder if the folks that buy them have ever actually seen or been around a bunch of full grown chickens.

 

[Sonya9]

Everyone! I successfully convinced the fam that we need to build our own coop and see the eglu! Also my lethargic baby is starting to act more normal and energetic again- I have no idea what was wrong but at lease she’s acting better now! Yay!

So glad to hear that. Hopefully you can pawn that omlet coop off on some gullible Craigslist buyer.

 

[NatJ]

Hopefully you can pawn that omlet coop off on some gullible Craigslist buyer.

And then we may see the buyer on here, saying "I bought this coop, and the manufacturer says it can hold so many chickens..."

 

[Sonya9]

And then we may see the buyer on here, saying "I bought this coop, and the manufacturer says it can hold so many chickens..."

Yeah I actually typed "Tell the craiglist buyer how many it can really hold" but then deleted that part.

 

[Parront]

Honestly I don't get the Omlet coop craze at all. It looks like it was designed to hold hamsters, or maybe as travel coop for camping/traveling with your chicken.

Have to wonder if the folks that buy them have ever actually seen or been around a bunch of full grown chickens.

I can see that the designers used the commercial space allowed for chickens, about the size of a sheet of letter paper per bird. For travel, a dog kennel is better! That is how my parrot travels with us. The little Omlet pictured looks like it would be easy to move around in the (small) garden. In a place with no predators, like England.

 

[Parront]

Everyone! I successfully convinced the fam that we need to build our own coop and see the eglu! Also my lethargic baby is starting to act more normal and energetic again- I have no idea what was wrong but at lease she’s acting better now! Yay!

Glad your EE is better. Maybe it was heat? A coop building project can be a great family project. Now, remember chicken math took over the Eglu and make it bigger than you need right now!

 

[NatJ]

I can see that the designers used the commercial space allowed for chickens, about the size of a sheet of letter paper per bird.

Are you looking at the enclosed coop, or the entire unit?

I think the enclosed area is ONLY for sleeping and egg-laying.
The space-per-chicken is about right if the entire thing is "coop." So if you used it inside a large building (for weather-protection), it would be fine.

I've seen pictures of other chicken pens from England with similar proportions--the enclosed space only for nests and roosts, and the chickens are expected to be in the outer portion the entire time they are awake.

I assumed the difference was a matter of climate. If there are no heavy winds, no deep snow, no extreme cold, no hurricanes, no heavy rain blowing in sideways--then the chickens never need to stay in that tiny enclosed area. (I know the reasons chickens usually need to be confined to the coop area in the US; I do not know if the British climate lacks these things.)

 

[Chicalina]

Are you looking at the enclosed coop, or the entire unit?

I think the enclosed area is ONLY for sleeping and egg-laying.
The space-per-chicken is about right if the entire thing is "coop." So if you used it inside a large building (for weather-protection), it would be fine.

I've seen pictures of other chicken pens from England with similar proportions--the enclosed space only for nests and roosts, and the chickens are expected to be in the outer portion the entire time they are awake.

I assumed the difference was a matter of climate. If there are no heavy winds, no deep snow, no extreme cold, no hurricanes, no heavy rain blowing in sideways--then the chickens never need to stay in that tiny enclosed area. (I know the reasons chickens usually need to be confined to the coop area in the US; I do not know if the British climate lacks these things.)

I am in England and I can confirm we get all of those weather conditions. Plus rain, rain and more rain! We even get tornadoes and earthquakes from time to time. Not on the same scale as you do in the US though, not by a long way. Our winters don't get as cold as some of yours and our summer not as hot as some areas generally, but we do get some short lived extremes. The US is so huge and has so many different climates though!

The Eglus I agree are total pants. That is slang for trash. They are more of a fashion statement for middle class suburban chicken keepers than a practical coop. And SO expensive!! I would never waste my money on one.

My chickens only sleep and lay in the coop, they prefer to be outside all day in all weathers unless it is torrential rain or deep snow. But that never lasts too long here. I've just built a covered run to keep the mud at bay. Omg we get so much mud with all the rain. For this reason I don't keep ducks any more.

I'm glad the OP has persuaded the family to get a new coop. A solid wooden shed is perfect, and you can paint it fun colours to make it look nice in the garden. And you can make the run as big as you have space for. Plus adapt and extend it as needed in the future.

 

[NatJ]

I am in England and I can confirm we get all of those weather conditions. Plus rain, rain and more rain! We even get tornadoes and earthquakes from time to time. Not on the same scale as you do in the US though, not by a long way. Our winters don't get as cold as some of yours and our summer not as hot as some areas generally, but we do get some short lived extremes. The US is so huge and has so many different climates though!

Thanks for clarifying that! Yes, the US sure has plenty of different climates!

I'm glad the OP has persuaded the family to get a new coop. A solid wooden shed is perfect, and you can paint it fun colours to make it look nice in the garden. And you can make the run as big as you have space for. Plus adapt and extend it as needed in the future.

I agree, a very good outcome.