Which Coop?

[TheSpiceGirls]

What would you do?

I have two small coops. Both sit inside a large predator proof run. I made the mistake of buying a coop that said it was big enough for 3-5 hens and I figured I could put 5 in there. But then I got a Jersey Giant and a few BIG BO's and so really 3 is a full house inside my little 3" by 4' coop.

And the big hens peck at the teenagers if they try to roost in there. I even put in a second roost for them but the adults want nothing to do w/ the 3 teenagers. Thus the reason I bought a second house.

So I'm looking to get rid of my two small coops and get a bigger one. But the next size coop up is a 4'x4' or a 3'x5' and I have to question if that really solves my needs. It's a tad bigger but really doesn't give the hens much more space. But the next size up is a big jump. Either a 5' by 6' or 4' by 7'. I'll probably never have more than 6-8 chickens. So I'd never fill it.

The space would be nice and I could probably section off a corner if I have a broody again.

Oh, and I'm in CA so it never gets so cold here that my hens refuse to come out of their house.

 

[PeepsAreForMe]

Hi SpiceGirls, do you have pictures? I had the same problem. I ordered a small coop because it said it could house 3 - 5 hens. I had 3 golden sex link hens and two unknown one week old chicks (the unknowns turned out to be bantam roosters). I ordered another that I thought was bigger but it was about one square inch bigger! My husband eventually built me a bigger better coop. The next size up you mention is really not that big a jump. If you can, I would buy that one. You will be happy you did.

I kept the hens and traded the two roos for one lemon cuckoo orp rooster. Their new coop is 5'x5' and I have a movable nest box inside. It is a good size and I could even add one or two more if I wanted. Never think you are going too big because eventually chicken math will hit and you will have twice as many!!

Here is a picture of my first one:



I was a newbie and didn't know what I was doing so I ordered one that I thought would be
bigger and was pretty much the same size as this red one. I don't have a picture of it.

Then my wonderful husband built me this one:



We have all been happy ever since! Hope I was helpful.

 

[TheSpiceGirls]

These are the two I'm considering. I REALLY like the green one in the 2nd photo. It comes in white or red. But it's 7 feet tall and won't fit in my run. I'd have to have someone remove the top of my run and completely re-do it so that really complicates things. Hmmmmm....

 

[Trefoil]

I like the green one too, could you put it outside your run? That said, the premade coops are really expensive and usually really cheaply made.

 

[bruceha2000]

But the next size coop up is a 4'x4' or a 3'x5' and I have to question if that really solves my needs. It's a tad bigger but really doesn't give the hens much more space. But the next size up is a big jump. Either a 5' by 6' or 4' by 7'. I'll probably never have more than 6-8 chickens. So I'd never fill it.

It CAN'T be too big. At least not as far as the birds are concerned. Unless they only sleep in it, the time they spend locked in (thus the term "cooped up") will be more stressful in a smaller coop. IMHO, 4x4 or 3x5 is barely adequate for 3 birds. The 5x6 and 4x7 barely adequate for 6 birds. And you have BIG birds.

These are the two I'm considering. I REALLY like the green one in the 2nd photo. It comes in white or red. But it's 7 feet tall and won't fit in my run. I'd have to have someone remove the top of my run and completely re-do it so that really complicates things. Hmmmmm....

If the green one is 7' tall, the white one must be at least 8', it wont fit in the run either.
I was going to post the same suggestion as Trefoil, so I will. There is no reason, other than space in the yard or zoning regs that suggest the coop be in the run, it just robs space in the run. Put the side of the coop with the chicken door in it against the outside of the run and make an opening in the run fence at that location. Maybe a nice chicken alley to connect them

Are the nest boxes in the coop or outside? It looks like outside on the white, can't tell on the green. Inside nest boxes mean less space for the birds. And it means you HAVE to go in the coop to collect.


What would you do?


Well, if you are, or have, a handy person around, build what fits your needs and save money. You want enough roost space so the older birds will leave the younger ones alone and that might mean 2 roosts (AT THE SAME HEIGHT) on opposite sides of the coop. You want the food and water off the ground. If you haven't looked at the coop pages here, many people have very inventive ideas that save time cleaning or make better use of space and many other concepts that you won't find in a pre-built. You might be able to find used doors, windows and hardware at a building salvage place.

AND, since you already have the 2 small coops, you don't have a "must be done in a weekend" time crunch that could make building your own impossible.

Bruce