Meet my (maybe) flock!

[Callender Girl]

I am a lot of things, but I am NOT a carpenter. Zip ties are one of my favorite "construction" tools! Most of my coops came from Craigslist and usually fairly reasonably priced. My avatar coop was cheaper than listed because I offered to take it before the previous owners cleaned it out. Not a fun job, but financially great.

I also took a used doghouse and did a little renovation to turn it into a brooder house for my runner ducks. With my limited skills, I reattached the hinged roof (which blew off during a derecho wind storm) and dismantled a non-working box fan to use the grate as a ventilated door which I attached with hinges and a latch.

You can do this! And, congrats on your new flock!

 

[VeryHappyHens]

Ugh you’re too right, I’m already so attached. But the real test will be to I have anyone in my life that can help build a coop? I have zero building skills. I can follow instructions (build furniture like a pro) and build a very simple garden bed last spring for my turtle but other than that I’ve got no tools or real skills.

You can get an already made coop!! Epicaslly because you only have 4 chickens so just buy one!! Or if you get more buy a garden shed with ventilation easy peasey!!!!!!!!!!

 

[CaliFarmsAR]

You should adopt them!!! Beautiful birds!

 

[NatJ]

and then I'd build a coop structure.

I'm not sure you need a "coop" inside your fence at all. Given where you are in California, I would just concentrate on making the "run" (fenced area) safe.

If you put a roof on part of the run, the chickens can probably sleep on perches in the run all year long. And of course you would need to add a nestbox or two, and food/water.

You don't want a wind blowing through the chicken pen all night long, but I'm guessing the pen will already be a bit sheltered by a wall of your house, or a shed, or a solid fence, or something of the sort. If that's not the case, you might want one solid wall on your chicken pen, facing toward the prevailing wind.

When chickens are given a choice, they seem to prefer to sleep outdoors most of the time. Their feathers keep them nice and warm, even in below-freezing temperatures, as long as they are dry and out of the wind.

 

[koreecat]

I am a lot of things, but I am NOT a carpenter. Zip ties are one of my favorite "construction" tools! Most of my coops came from Craigslist and usually fairly reasonably priced. My avatar coop was cheaper than listed because I offered to take it before the previous owners cleaned it out. Not a fun job, but financially great.

I also took a used doghouse and did a little renovation to turn it into a brooder house for my runner ducks. With my limited skills, I reattached the hinged roof (which blew off during a derecho wind storm) and dismantled a non-working box fan to use the grate as a ventilated door which I attached with hinges and a latch.

You can do this! And, congrats on your new flock!

Thank you for the motivation!

 

[koreecat]

You can get an already made coop!! Epicaslly because you only have 4 chickens so just buy one!! Or if you get more buy a garden shed with ventilation easy peasey!!!!!!!!!!

So I think I would actually only take 3 home. I can’t take Duke because he’s a rooster and Small Fry can’t be housed outside with the other birds so I think I’d rather find a loving indoor home for her (not sure I’d be ready to take on both a small flock outside AND an indoor chicken! Haha) but I know 2 might be too sad alone so I’d have to pick a third hen to join Opal and Gladys

 

[koreecat]

I'm not sure you need a "coop" inside your fence at all. Given where you are in California, I would just concentrate on making the "run" (fenced area) safe.

If you put a roof on part of the run, the chickens can probably sleep on perches in the run all year long. And of course you would need to add a nestbox or two, and food/water.

You don't want a wind blowing through the chicken pen all night long, but I'm guessing the pen will already be a bit sheltered by a wall of your house, or a shed, or a solid fence, or something of the sort. If that's not the case, you might want one solid wall on your chicken pen, facing toward the prevailing wind.

When chickens are given a choice, they seem to prefer to sleep outdoors most of the time. Their feathers keep them nice and warm, even in below-freezing temperatures, as long as they are dry and out of the wind.

Thanks for the input. The run I have is currently up against a fence that will need reinforcing (I bought the house a year ago and the fence was rough) and has a metal shed I intend to dismantle because it’s broken and not really helpful but I always intended to get a better, nicer shed.

 

[VeryHappyHens]

So I think I would actually only take 3 home. I can’t take Duke because he’s a rooster and Small Fry can’t be housed outside with the other birds so I think I’d rather find a loving indoor home for her (not sure I’d be ready to take on both a small flock outside AND an indoor chicken! Haha) but I know 2 might be too sad alone so I’d have to pick a third hen to join Opal and Gladys

Cool so you can get a coop the cheap and easy way which juts buying a small coop easy right!!

 

[topochico225]

We got the TSC Cumberland Cottage coop for 4 hens and attached two additional runs, and it ended up being nearly perfect! The coop wasn't too expensive, either. Good luck with your maybe hens!

 

[koreecat]

We got the TSC Cumberland Cottage coop for 4 hens and attached two additional runs, and it ended up being nearly perfect! The coop wasn't too expensive, either. Good luck with your maybe hens!

thanks for the recommendation! I’ll look into that!