Where to Roost?

[Sunny-Side Up]

Hi everyone!
So... Last flock of chickens, my chickens all slept in the nesting boxes, which was really annoying. This time, I'm going to block off the nesting boxes until they're about to start laying so they won't sleep in them. That means they'll need to sleep on a roost. I have a small upper level where there are the nesting boxes, a roost about 2 ft wide, and a little bit of space. That's where they like to sleep, and it's the only place that would be safe from weather and predators. However, I'm going to be getting 8 chicks this spring, and two feet won't be wide enough to fit them. What should I do? I know that this isn't much to work with. Here are some pictures. Thanks!

 

[Chicken-lovebirdchihuahua]

Cool coop you could get a second one or expand the top part so it pops out a little bit just get some wood take off a side facing out of the coop and get out the drill and nails and some extra red paint

 

[StinkyAcres]

I hate to say it, but I think that coop is way undersized for eight chickens. Even if you converted the whole thing into a coop, including the run which I am guessing is about 6' X 3', it would be better, but it would still be a bit small in my opinion. I don't know what kind of weather you get where you are, but up here I have to keep my chickens locked up in the coop for part of the winter, so I have a large coop (currently five full-sized chickens in an 8' X 7' coop with about 150 square feet of run space).

 

[jthornton]

You need to put your location in your profile.

I would not put more than 2 bantam sizes birds in that tiny thing.

JT

 

[KettermanHillCoop]

What I have learned from this wonderful site is your coop should provide a minimum of 4 square feet per bird. Run should provide a minimum of 10 square feet per bird. Roosts should provide a minimum of 12 inches of linear space per bird.

I wish I found this site BEFORE building my coop.... as I used a prefab coop picture as my guide...HUGE mistake. I will be building a large coop this Spring to do right by my feathered friends.

I think it is just horrible that manufacturers sell these coops to unsuspecting souls.

 

[KettermanHillCoop]

There is a boatload of very informative information here and great knowledgeable folks here...

I highly recommend these readings:

www.backyardchickens.com/articles/coop-stack-up-how-high-should-stuff-be.73427/

://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/how-much-room-do-chickens-need.66180/

www.backyardchickens.com/articles/chicken-coop-ventilation-go-out-there-and-cut-more-holes-in-your-coop.47774/

 

[rosemarythyme]

Rip out all the inner walls, panel up whatever sides get the most wind/rain, run a new roost lengthwise in the expanded space, and turn the entire thing into a coop, and that might hold 4?

As it currently stands that coop looks like it can barely hold 2 standard birds.

 

[jthornton]

What I have learned from this wonderful site is your coop should provide a minimum of 4 square feet per bird. Run should provide a minimum of 10 square feet per bird. Roosts should provide a minimum of 12 inches of linear space per bird.

I wish I found this site BEFORE building my coop.... as I used a prefab coop picture as my guide...HUGE mistake. I will be building a large coop this Spring to do right by my feathered friends.

I think it is just horrible that manufacturers sell these coops to unsuspecting souls.

I made almost the same mistake, looking at prefab coop photos then building one only to find out I was a total disaster... not unfixable but some work to sort out all the things I got wrong. I'm lucky that I built a run big enough to put the nest box in and only use the "coop" for a roosting place. Hind sight being 20/20 I would have built a walk in coop with plenty of room.

JT

 

[lazy gardener]

Agreed with other posters. I'm guessing the overall dimensions of the entire thing to be less than 3' wide, perhaps 6' long. Big enough as a coop for 4 birds MAX. Then, you'd have to build a separate run.

 

[KettermanHillCoop]

I made almost the same mistake, looking at prefab coop photos then building one only to find out I was a total disaster... not unfixable but some work to sort out all the things I got wrong. I'm lucky that I built a run big enough to put the nest box in and only use the "coop" for a roosting place. Hind sight being 20/20 I would have built a walk in coop with plenty of room.

JT

That hindsight thing kicks you in the hiney, that's for sure. Lol.

Yes, a walk-in coop is the Golden Ticket!