How many chickens will fit? Coop os 10x4ft. But they have the cage as well.

[Shelbytmaddox]

 

[Shelbytmaddox]

More coop

 

[BDutch]

Can’t answer that before knowing more. So I have a few questions.

How long and how cold are your winters?
How long is the roost?
Do you have a barred rooster and a hen now?
Can you let them free range with shelter from rain and snow too?
The coop seems 4x4ft with a small attached run of 4x6ft. right?

Tips:
Make more ventilation.
Make the laying nest less open (more like mini cages)
Give more hens to 1 rooster.

 

[Shelbytmaddox]

Its a bared rock rooster, hen, and young Wyandotte. Rooster and Wyandotte came from same farm. We live in tx. They're are tarps up from elements. I'm gonna install a window.

Can’t answer that before knowing more. So I have a few questions.

How long and how cold are your winters?
How long is the roost?
Do you have a barred rooster and a hen now?
Can you let them free range with shelter from rain and snow too?
The coop seems 4x4ft with a small attached run of 4x6ft. right?

Tips:
Make more ventilation.
Make the laying nest less open (more like mini cages)
Give more hens to 1 rooster.

 

[Shelbytmaddox]

Its a bared rock rooster, hen, and young Wyandotte. Rooster and Wyandotte came from same farm. We live in tx. They're are tarps up from elements. I'm gonna install a window.

The roosts outside are at least 4 ft. I have extra roosts inside coop it's self. But they sleep outside unless it's raining...coop is 10 ft long by 4 ft at least width.

 

[rosemarythyme]

The coop is strictly the enclosed portion so that can't be 10x4. As a guesstimate it's maybe 3x4 or 4x4 which puts you at 3-4 chickens. If they sleep in the run outside of that (which is not at all predator proof as it currently stands) then yes that gives you more leeway.

If you're in TX then heat can be a real issue come summer. I'd strongly consider converting the entire unit into a coop, which means fully predator proofing it and enclosing just enough of it to provide climate protection, while leaving as much open as possible for ventilation.

To turn it from 2 small "boxes" (tiny coop above tiny run) into 1 bigger "box" you'll want to remove as much of the inside coop wall as possible, plus the floor. Take out the old roosts too.

Nests might be able to stay as is, or may need to be relocated elsewhere or replaced - depends on the structure of the coop and how things inside stack up once done.

Run a new roost(s) lengthwise or widthwise across the newly open space, depending on how much roost is needed. Ideally you’d like 12” per bird but 10” can suffice in many cases.

Board up some of the external wire walls so that the roost area is protected from winds and rain. Do NOT fully cover up all the wire, you need ventilation and natural light, so at the very least a few inches under the roofline should remain open. If your climate allows for it, you can leave entire walls open with just the mesh, or make it convertible for the season by covering up open walls for winter, and then uncovering for summer.

Example of a modified prefab (this is far more closed-in than you'd want in your climate): https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-renovated-prefab-coop.1440258/

 

[BDutch]

I think the hardware cloth (hwc) of the coop is not safe enough for smaller predators. Do add and extra layer of fine mash or replace it with a sturdy 0.5” hwc. I don’t see if you have a pop door to the metal framed run you open in the morning and close at night. But I seems not safe enough either for nightly predators. It might be fine during the day unless you have dangerous snakes and such.

It depends on how many roost space you have inside whether you need to make one real large coop as Rosemarythyme describes. But she’s probably right that the space in the small coop (4x4’) is rather small, even for 3 chickens.

Having two compartments, one for warm weather and one for rainy and stormy weather is not so bad if you ask me. But you certainly do need more ventilation in the 4x4’ coop.

Making one large coop is probably more beneficial. One roost space, with a poop board underneath is easier to maintain. And it gives you the possibility to add one or two more hens if you enlarge the run space too.
4 hens and one rooster is a better combination if the rooster wants to mate often. Please avoid skin wounds that occur if hens are get grabbed too much for mating and can’t get away.

Good run space is 4m2 or 16 sqft for each chicken. Adding a bush in the run gives natural shelter and is cooler than a tarp.

 

[Squawkers]

I live in Texas too, and ventilation is definitely a big must. My chickens only spend the entire day in the coop about 5-10 days a year (usually only when it snows or freezing rain) So I don’t think you really have to worry about having a big coop area, so long as it is VERY well ventilated, and you have some covered area outside of the coop so they can get out of the rain.

 

[Shelbytmaddox]

Its a bared rock rooster, hen, and young Wyandotte. Rooster and Wyandotte came from same farm. We live in tx. They're are tarps up from elements. I'm gonna install a window.

 

[Shelbytmaddox]

The outside roost in coop built in in 4ft. I have multiple roosts. Bc of the mud. They obviously need a window and a door. I'm just disabled and have a hard time with help. This coop I've had 2 years and couldn't make repairs bc of medical procedures. I have more hardwire cloth that goes from one side of wood coop to nesting boxes. What is a cheap way that I can make them.safe. they also don't sleep in nesting boxes or coop upstairs. I.cant lose these babies. I just need advice. The roof of the dog kennel is reinforced with fence wire and tarps.the wood coop and
dog.the bottom kennel have hardwire cloth so the roof to coop to cage. Coop is 4×10ft long. Has hardwire clothe all around it. I have 6 nesting boxes 2 ind0or roots at least. The rooster is giant and mean.