What's your favorite structure to convert-to-coop?

[Daniellebell1]

@Ridgerunner, the city ordinances in Durham allow for 10 hens, zero roosters. I currently have 4 hens, and that works pretty well to supply my family of 3 with entertainment and fresh eggs, plus some to share with neighbors. One thing I was thinking was maybe doing a larger flock (6-10 instead of 3-4) of Silkies and Seramas. I'd like to end up buying them from somebody local once we move, so the breeds we end up with is as yet undecided. I do wish I could have a rooster, but I don't see that happening unless we happen to find a home outside the county limits. Anyway. If chicken-math takes hold of me, then regardless of breed, I will max out at 10.

Currently my chickies are free range all the time. I used to put them in the coop at night, but 1) they hate the coop, 2) they survived Hurricane Ida by hanging out in the fig tree and under the house, and 3) my neighborhood just doesn't have a ton of predators that are big enough to take them out. I've seen Zippy the Buff Rock scare off a neighborhood cat AND a loose dog. After that, I thought, Yeah they can take care of themselves. Plus they have a good deal of cover for hiding and New Orleans has are rats aplenty, so even the hawks find easier prey elsewhere.
Anyway.
Even though I LOVE watching them interact with the environment here (and mercifully my neighbors find them charming,) my understanding is that Durham has a lot more predator activity, so I foresee them having to spend a lot more time in an enclosed run (although I hope to be able to allow them plenty of supervised free-range time.)

So. I will probably start with 4 again, but I'd like to build a coop/run in which the possibility of 10 bantam-to-regular-sized hens can peacefully coexist.

Weather-wise, I am given to understand that Durham is fairly temperate. Cooler and less humid than New Orleans, but not much for long-lasting extremes in any direction.

The more I look at these links, the more I think a hoop coop is probably my best bet. Y'all are so helpful!! I am so grateful to this community

 

[mowin]

@Ridgerunner, the city ordinances in Durham allow for 10 hens, zero roosters. I currently have 4 hens, and that works pretty well to supply my family of 3 with entertainment and fresh eggs, plus some to share with neighbors. One thing I was thinking was maybe doing a larger flock (6-10 instead of 3-4) of Silkies and Seramas. I'd like to end up buying them from somebody local once we move, so the breeds we end up with is as yet undecided. I do wish I could have a rooster, but I don't see that happening unless we happen to find a home outside the county limits. Anyway. If chicken-math takes hold of me, then regardless of breed, I will max out at 10.

Currently my chickies are free range all the time. I used to put them in the coop at night, but 1) they hate the coop, 2) they survived Hurricane Ida by hanging out in the fig tree and under the house, and 3) my neighborhood just doesn't have a ton of predators that are big enough to take them out. I've seen Zippy the Buff Rock scare off a neighborhood cat AND a loose dog. After that, I thought, Yeah they can take care of themselves. Plus they have a good deal of cover for hiding and New Orleans has are rats aplenty, so even the hawks find easier prey elsewhere.
Anyway.
Even though I LOVE watching them interact with the environment here (and mercifully my neighbors find them charming,) my understanding is that Durham has a lot more predator activity, so I foresee them having to spend a lot more time in an enclosed run (although I hope to be able to allow them plenty of supervised free-range time.)

So. I will probably start with 4 again, but I'd like to build a coop/run in which the possibility of 10 bantam-to-regular-sized hens can peacefully coexist.

Weather-wise, I am given to understand that Durham is fairly temperate. Cooler and less humid than New Orleans, but not much for long-lasting extremes in any direction.

The more I look at these links, the more I think a hoop coop is probably my best bet. Y'all are so helpful!! I am so grateful to this community

Don't assume your new home is going to be predator free.

 

[3KillerBs]

If chicken-math takes hold of me, then regardless of breed, I will max out at 10.

So some of your options are going to be larger than really necessary -- not that extra space isn't a good thing.

With a little luck your new home will have a building you can easily convert, but absent that a hoop coop will probably be just about right.

I love my electric poultry netting for protecting my birds when they're outside.

 

[Daniellebell1]

Don't assume your new home is going to be predator free.

Exactly! I am working under the assumption that Durham is going to have WAY more predators.

 

[3KillerBs]

Exactly! I am working under the assumption that Durham is going to have WAY more predators.

I'm a little over an hour away from Durham in the Sandhills region and my main predator threats are:

Raccoons,
Coyotes,
Hawks,
Owls,
Stray dogs (in town that was my big threat -- sooooo many loose dogs there),
Feral cats,
Foxes,
Weasels,
Opossum (eggs and chicks mainly),
Snakes (eggs and chicks mainly (lost 7 chicks, an unknown number of eggs, and 4 golfballs to them this year),
And, more rarely, Bobcats, Eagles, and *potentially* Black Bear -- but only a few sightings in of bears my county over the past decade.

 

[Ridgerunner]

the city ordinances in Durham allow for 10 hens, zero roosters. I currently have 4 hens, and that works pretty well to supply my family of 3 with entertainment and fresh eggs, plus some to share with neighbors. One thing I was thinking was maybe doing a larger flock (6-10 instead of 3-4) of Silkies and Seramas.

If you follow the link in my signature below, you will see some of my thoughts on coop size. One of those is to plan for the future. If you are thinking 6 - 10, plan for 10.

Silkies are typically bantam, Seramas are certainly small. They don't need as much room as full-sized fowl. In Durham they should be able to be outside practically all day every day instead of being locked in the coop all day from weather. That reduces pressure on coop size. I don't know what size a hoop coop would need to be, I always like more room as compared to less, but it sounds like a good choice for you.

 

[Knobby]

I'm actually in the process of converting a playhouse into a coop. Found one reasonably priced on Facebook Marketplace that has dimensions of 50"W x 50"L x 60"H. Will add more framing to add stability, flooring, hardware cloth to the windows, and ensure proper ventilation. My first, and current coop, I built using pallet wood.

 

[Krugerrand]

If you are thinking 6 - 10, plan for 10.

It's not the fun part of owning chickens ... but plan for replacing them, too. They don't live forever, and their egg production drops as they age. Most egg producers eliminate their aging chickens rather than feed them. But, if these are 'pets,' you may not want to go that route.

Starting with 4 sounds like a pretty good idea. Then, add another set of 4 a few years later. Then, whenever you slip back to 6 you can add 4 more. (or something like that)

 

[artbykarenehaley]

Hoop coop type run or pre built dog run situated beside a prefab shed, tall enough to stand in, would be my suggestion

You can also look in your new area on Craigslist or FB marketplace for a coop someone is selling that they are willing to haul.

For a quick and temporary solution: My sister uses those tent style greenhouse kits you can order off Amazon, builds the frames, then covers them with heavy duty tarp and hardware cloth. Her chicken operation is a breeding project so she needed a quick easy way to separate birds into different coops. Her dog is in the fenced in area the chicken coops are in to prevent predators. I feel like without the dog they're not the most secure option. Or pretty. But they work.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Can't wait to see what you build! I always use sheds, when possible. Last one I got was a shed kit that was easy to put together with a helper. But I am all for hoop coops! I plan to build one for my next coop or run!