My chicken coop is smaller than I expected :(

[Nicgirl208]

Okay, thank you. Ugh, I'm starting to regret this coop purchase! I should've had the hubby build from scratch

 

[21hens-incharge]

Okay, thank you. Ugh, I'm starting to regret this coop purchase! I should've had the hubby build from scratch

It's not a horrible coop.
It just needs some tweaking. Expanding it would be the biggest challenge. Ventilation is an easy thing to fix in that tall of a coop.

Your chicks are still young. They may get along ok in it. Each bird is an individual and personalities change when they start laying. It's hard to guess how that will play out long term.

Even if you decide to build an entirely new bigger coop or to convert a shed into a coop the green coop has its uses.

What I am saying is there are options and it's not a bad first coop.

 

[KyCoop]

Poop boards are great if you have a walk in coop.
I have an elevated coop and I know if I had to climb in it every day to clean that would be miserable.
You want to make the cleaning as easy as possible so that you can spend more time enjoying your girls. Not crawling around in the coop.

 

[Loving my girls]

Hi there and BIENVENUE FROM FRANCE

If I were you I’d keep what you have and if any turn out to be boyz get rid of them, they never like to play the games that the girlz do, and they play rough in the playground

I too think that the perches are too high but rather than lowering why not put in a poop tray shelf under the lowest ? It will make it easier to clean out - no bending

I do think the top perch is too high though.

My other concern would be ventilation, they are quite huffy and puffy so, if I we you, I would replace the glass in the windows with rodent mesh and get some sort of polystyrene (?) /shutters to fit into the outer frame for when it’s chilly. If, as it sounds, it’s chilly a lot you can break some of the shutters off to give more ventilation.

Generally though you have a lovely set up and it does look mega cute. You are going to love your new addiction.
Have you got names for your girlz ?
Hugz

 

[DobieLover]

I am predator proofing the run, however, Id be so worried about them having access all night to the run.

If you make a run as predator proof as your coop that generally means a run with a solid roof. That is how my setup is. Therefore, all food and water is kept exclusively in the run.

I can also easily run at 3 sq ft per bird in the coop if I ever wanted because for the most part, they hang out in the predator proof run until I release them to their pen and can go there just as soon as they come off the roost in the morning as I never close the pop door.

During the winter the birds do tend to spend more time in the coop regardless that they can use the wind-protected run but they tend to want to hunker down in the bedding to stay warmer. Some can and do hang out on the poop boards in the sun coming in from the roost height windows.

 

[FunClucks]

I wasnt planning on putting the food in coop Hmmm... those are good questions. I am predator proofing the run, however, Id be so worried about them having access all night to the run. I'm considering having my hubby build an addition to coop for them to access an enclosed food/water area ... My poor husband lol.

I covered my entire run, including the top with 1/2" hardware cloth, and attached a 3 ft apron all around the coop (but also, i don't have an actual roof, just a tarp over a hoop coop/greenhouse frame style structure on top of that hardware cloth - I get almost no snow where I live). Made sure the door was very closely fitted, no gaps over 1/2" anywhere. Going on 3 years, no breaches yet, and we have everything - raccoons, possums, cats, dogs, foxes, hawks, stoats/weasels, rats, mice, snakes, etc. I figure anything less than 1/2" the chickens can/will eat. Any area covered by your food/water and nest boxes has to be subtracted from the floor space calculation when you figure out how much open floor space is available for chickens to use.

 

[FunClucks]

Probably will have to climb in.... =/ Unless I had my husband cut into the back and have doors that open? He's pretty handy...I should consider having him do that then?

You'll want to be able to physically access every inch of your coop and run easily. Because there will be that one chick or chicken that gets injured that will find the most inaccessible place to hide or hang out when you want to treat its injuries. And some hen will lay an egg in it. Also you may want to spray down the inside of the coop at some point to treat for mites, and clean out all the shavings periodically, so will need to access everything easily.

I'd consider mounting the cross-coop roost bar in such a way that you can easily move it to do coop chores. 2x4 hangers like for installing horizontal studs/rafters might be a good solution, or you can build a U shaped holder/bracket out of wood.

 

[FunClucks]

Looking closely at the soffits on your coop....they are closed so no ventilation other than the 2 small round vents that I can see.

Cover those holes and any ventilation you cut around the soffits with 1/2" hardware cloth. You can sandwich between wood trim (like a picture frame where the wire is the "glass" or use 1" washers and screws every 6 inches or so to keep the wire flat to the wood. DON'T use air gun staples to attach hardware cloth unless you also cover them with 1/2" thick wood trim - raccoons can pull those staples out of the wood if they're the only method you use to secure the hardware cloth.

 

[nancypo]

Hello chicken parents!
I am a new chicken mom. I found my chicken coop online a couple of weeks ago. The online post said it was a 6ftx5ft chicken coop, not including the nesting boxes. Well, my husband and I brought it home, placed it and measured it because we are building a chicken run off of it. Turns out my chicken coop is only 4 ft wide and 5.5 ft long. It shouldn't be a big deal, except that I already have 10 pullets! They're only about 6 weeks old, however, now I'm thinking I may have to rehome a few??
I'm wondering if it'll be okay as long as I make sure I have enough roosting space for each bird? I currently have two roosting bars that are 5.5 ft long. What do ya'll think? I don't want a cramped and uncomfortable situation for my chickens.
Oh, also we live in the northwest so winters are long. Our chicken run is going to be 160 sqft and they will get to free range in our large back yard as well.
I added picture of my coop for reference. I appreciate any advice!

 

[nancypo]

Hello chicken parents!
I am a new chicken mom. I found my chicken coop online a couple of weeks ago. The online post said it was a 6ftx5ft chicken coop, not including the nesting boxes. Well, my husband and I brought it home, placed it and measured it because we are building a chicken run off of it. Turns out my chicken coop is only 4 ft wide and 5.5 ft long. It shouldn't be a big deal, except that I already have 10 pullets! They're only about 6 weeks old, however, now I'm thinking I may have to rehome a few??
I'm wondering if it'll be okay as long as I make sure I have enough roosting space for each bird? I currently have two roosting bars that are 5.5 ft long. What do ya'll think? I don't want a cramped and uncomfortable situation for my chickens.
Oh, also we live in the northwest so winters are long. Our chicken run is going to be 160 sqft and they will get to free range in our large back yard as well.
I added picture of my coop for reference. I appreciate any advice!

I would have sent it back personally since you got ripped off. And I would file a complaint against that company and do an online review. We have a sunroom on our coop in winter in Idaho to give the birds more room in the snow and rain. It's easy enough to do and you can use recycle materials. You can search mine for Little Homestead in Boise