What chicken coop

[Birdydeb]

Because they haven't had a problem.....yet. It is like my neighbor next door who has kept 3 chickens( 2 hens and a rooster) in about a 10x4x4 run covered with white plastic for a year. I feel so badly for those chickens. He does move it from spot to spot. He finally anchored it down after it blew over in a WINTER storm. He heated it with a heat lamp all winter. He cut "windows" in the sides this spring for ventilation. His chickens are still alive and nothing has had them for dinner. I don't get it....nobody helping me with my coop(I was making my used coop Fort Knox) gets it either. It is some strange Murphy's Law or something. Me, I feel like if I take responsibility for any living creature then I am responsible to help them have the safest and most natural life that I can possibly come up with. That means I research to infinity and beyond and I plan, plan, plan. I have to assume that anyone who claims that coop worked beautifully for them is just plain oblivious to the needs of chickens and hasn't had a problem....yet. Every situation is different in a myriad of ways...maybe they are not in a hot, humid area.

 

[junebuggena]

They rate it high because they aren't the ones actually having to spend every night is a small dark box.
You can build that same coop, and it will cost you less. And it will hold up better. And you can put in as much ventilation as possible.

Just look at this brooder setup I made this year, with no prior DIY experience. You CAN do it! It doesn't have to be a palace. The chickens won't care if it's not perfectly level.
This coop is fairly simple, and you can add ventilation to it for your hot, humid climate. You'll need pressure treated or marine grade instead of plain plywood, though.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/basic-backyard-coop-keep-it-simple
Hoop coops are cheaper, but are a little more difficult when it comes to the door part. Still fairly simple. Just a screw a few pieces of wood into a square shape and bend the piece of fencing and secure in place.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/armorfireladys-fire-chickens-hoop-coop
If building something from scratch still scares you, this is a coop that is a converted kid's playhouse. Check out garage sales, craigslist, or local facebook yard sale pages. You may find just what you need. A dog house, playhouse, or even an old table can be modified to be the perfect coop.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/185-cluck-cottage-lane

 

[jenxsawyer]

I will have the coop sitting empty for about a month before my chickies even go in. I wonder if I should try it out empty and then return or keep based on my findings. It will only be to sleep in so hopefully it all works out. Thanks for all the tips guys!

 

[jenxsawyer]

I wonder if I can leave out a slab of it, since it comes piece by piece, and staple some chicken wire, which would make it kind of a window..

 

[junebuggena]

I will have the coop sitting empty for about a month before my chickies even go in. I wonder if I should try it out empty and then return or keep based on my findings. It will only be to sleep in so hopefully it all works out. Thanks for all the tips guys!

"Only to sleep" can be any where from 8 to 14 hours depending on the time of year. That's an awful long time to spend in a poorly ventilated space. Chickens produce an enormous amount of poo at night. And that poo gives off ammonia. And the moisture from their breath and poo is no small matter, either. Combine that with the heat and humidity of Florida, and it's a recipe for respiratory illness.

 

[jenxsawyer]

Yes I was reading something a previous person had at the bottom of their comment on ventilation. I didnt know any of that lol. But I am looking into it thanks

 

[jenxsawyer]

Or what if I leave that door open at all times? Will that be enough ventilation? If I protect the outside?

 

[jenxsawyer]

Ok So I am reading online and the most people complaining are saying that it isn't insulated enough and will only do well in hot climates and the material it is made from which is not actually wood lets out too much heat..and replied to my comment that ventilation is the least thing to worry about it is very well ventilated but that it will not stop raccoons at all. Now I am extra confused.

 

[jenxsawyer]

Oh and also on the actual site it states that these slits are on all four sides plus it is raised on the bottom with slits underneath.....I hope you guys arent annoyed I am genuinely trying to make the best choice with the time I have for the moment. After I learn more I def plan on making my own coop but like you said I dont want to harm my babies.

 

[Birdydeb]

I wonder if I can leave out a slab of it, since it comes piece by piece, and staple some chicken wire, which would make it kind of a window..

That was my thought on how to make it usable...leave off the front panel. But I would use hardware cloth not chicken wire to cover the top space. But then I am the lady who is considering that coop or the other one you posted as a broody/isolation coop....with modifications. And if I hear one more time "just build it" I will scream. I have to do this by myself and with a bad right shoulder it has already proven to be a lesson in futility. But I have to say...I am intrigued by some of what junebuggena posted. I know my local lumber store will cut to specs for me. I just worry that my shoulder will give out on me. But I am close to giving it a try. So maybe you can too? I have considered an A-frame for a coop like I need. Seems simplest. And I have tons of PVC pipe from another project to make a hoop over it. All of this would be put inside my fenced and skirted pen. Just throwing out things I have considered.