Will this coop do?

[LAUrbanChicken]

Hi Everyone! This is my first post. I am really excited to get my 4 day old chicks in the beginning of June

I am already shopping for coops and made one HUGE mistake.

I bought a coop that is TOO SMALL and I am unable to return it because of shipping costs and what not (It doesn't make sense to loose half my money). I have to sell that smaller coop on craigslist or something.

So anyway I thought I would run this coop by everyone to see if you all think it is big enough before I make ANOTHER mistake. The coop is 6'x3' and for 4 standard hens. I live in Los Angeles area and it gets pretty hot around here in the summer considering I am in the foothills. I think size and ventilation are important. Let me know what you think, am I off base? Thanks!

Here is the coop: https : // sites.google.com / site / theknottybirdcompany / deluxecoop

 

[Shannon33]

I think it is a nice coop. I want to give you some advice, though. I also, was going to have 4 chickens.... well that lasted about 5 months until I had my husband expanding the coop. And now he is expanding the coop again. So if you are 100% sure you will never get more chickens I think it is really nice, good size and attractive. But you have been forewarned

It also seem a little expensive to me, but maybe that is the going rate, I don't know. we made ours and it was a lot cheaper than that and quite a bit larger.
But I am really serious and I am sure others will agree, chickens are very addictive and you might very well find yourself wanting some more, different breeds, etc. If I were you I would consider that because you don't want to have to buy yet another one down the road. Anyway,

and congrats on your new babies!

 

[LAUrbanChicken]

Thanks for the advice! Unfortunately, even if I wanted to get more chickens I couldn't. Our city limit is 5 hens. It is slightly expensive but a lot cheaper than some others I found. You don't even wanna know what I paid for the smaller one.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I think it is a beautiful coop.

However, I will just mention two concerns that I would have if it were me:

1. It is 6' x 3', and it is generally recommended that you have 4 square feet per hen in the coop plus 10 square feet per hen in the run. This will be very small for 4 hens in the run. If they are going to be free ranging that changes things.

2. The coop COULD become hot in the summer, and you have no options available to open more vents, unless you cut open holes and put hardware cloth over them. You might look at Pat's Ventilation page to get ideas. It is quite possible to cut more holes in a coop and cover them with flaps that you can close when it is cold. In fact, with many prepurchased coops you will find that they need more ventilation.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1642-VENTILATION

 

[LAUrbanChicken]

Thank you, if I attached an additional secure run to the side do you think it would be ok to leave them in there all day? maybe another 6x3? I REALLY want to let them free range but we have way too many feral and house cats in our neighborhood, not to mention the possums and raccoons at night oh my! I'm so paranoid that something will happen to them. I want to raise them as 'free range' as possible. On the weekends I will let them go anywhere in the yard, but during the week I am away all day.

 

[tec27]

Its perfect. Really nice.

 

[YYZ]

They will be very happy chickens !

 

[Rebecky54]

What's your smaller coop? Are you handy at all? Maybe you could expand your smaller coop to be big enough and not spend the $$ for a larger coop.

Just an idea.

Becky

 

[wheresmypeeps]

Weeelll... if you need more room maybe you could use both coops with the secure run between? Bet you'd have happy hens then... don't even have to get along with everyone all that well!

 

[teach1rusl]

Will the birds be allowed out in the yard for a few hours each day?? If so, then it might be doable. But four birds should really have about 40 sq. ft. of run space, especially with you being in an area where they will be outside a LOT, all year. Your outside space is reallly more important than your indoor space. It looks like it would be very easy to build additional run space to the side of the coop...match what's there and simply build a box frame the length of the coop (6ft), 4 ft. wide, and as high as the run part of the coop is (can't tell). Tack hard ware cloth to all the sides except the side that will be attached to the coop (of course remove the wire from that side of the coop). Whalah! Just over 40 sq. ft of run space and happier birds