Help with prefab coop please?

[RookieChickyMom]

Ok so im kind of a first time chicken keeper. My son loves eggs, and wanted Birds as pets, so chickens duh! I then found a free coop on an app about 6 months ago and started my research on which breeds I wanted and what I would need. About two months I got my first two chicks (which was all I intended on owning) I was looking 4 a chochin and a buff orpington but they were sold out and I ended up with a barred rock and welsummer... Long story short, I now have my 2 8 week-old pullets in the coop and 2 5 week-old and 1 4 week old chicks in the brooder!

Here's where I need your help. My coop was intended for two chickens(I was told it was for 4-6 chickens) and now I have 5. I don't think my coop is large enough, so I need ideas on how I can make it larger to accommodate my new little obsessions. The floor on the coop is removable for easy cleaning which maybe useful in expansion. And it will be elevated in a 10x12 run so they can have full use of floor space.

 

[Evelyn's Mom]

Congrats! I don't have any good ideas for expansion without being there to see in in real life... however, I found myself in about the same situation...so I bought a bigger pre-fab coop! I built a tunnel to the run so both coops are connected in sort of an L shape. THen I cut a slit in the tunnel and my brother build me a metal "door" that slides in to predator proof it at night.

I use the top of the little one for storage (or quarantine as needed=perfect!) and I keep their food under the little coop so it's dry always.. I don't know if I have a great picture.
I got my bigger coop for half price since it sat out at Tractor Supply and had been blown over once. We hauled it home, beefed it up and it's so AWESOME now!
Just my two cents... can't wait to see what others come up with! ( ok, so my photos don't show what I'm talking about... hrmph)

 

[staceyj]

This isn’t an emergency thank goodness.
It’s not optimal if you expect them to stay indoors except for sleeping,
but your planned run size is fine especially if you intend for them to have some free range time in your yard if it’s fenced.
Plus, you’re in California with a warm climate.
Once you get those feeders out of the coop, not necessary when they are older, you’ll have two more square feet of floor space.

I have a 4x4 coop. The nesting area is a bump out.
I had 2 Welsummers, 2 buff Orpingtons, and an Australorp (all big breeds) happily living in mine with space on the roost to spare because they cuddle close together when sleeping.
I let them out no later than 7 am every morning and they go to roost as soon as the sun dips below my neighbors fence, which right now is about 8-8:15 pm.

The only complicating dynamic I can see in your situation is the age difference in you pullets.
A little means a lot when they are this age.
As long as they get along, it’s not an emergency that you rush to expand in a way that you’ll be disappointed with later.
Check out all the small-medium my coop pages for great ideas!

 

[RookieChickyMom]

Congrats! I don't have any good ideas for expansion without being there to see in in real life... however, I found myself in about the same situation...so I bought a bigger pre-fab coop! I built a tunnel to the run so both coops are connected in sort of an L shape. THen I cut a slit in the tunnel and my brother build me a metal "door" that slides in to predator proof it at night.View attachment 1527753 View attachment 1527755 I use the top of the little one for storage (or quarantine as needed=perfect!) and I keep their food under the little coop so it's dry always.. I don't know if I have a great picture.
I got my bigger coop for half price since it sat out at Tractor Supply and had been blown over once. We hauled it home, beefed it up and it's so AWESOME now!
Just my two cents... can't wait to see what others come up with! ( ok, so my photos don't show what I'm talking about... hrmph)

Wow that does look like a nice set up! I like the idea of combining the two. You have a lot of space though, I don't have too much space to work with

 

[RookieChickyMom]

This isn’t an emergency thank goodness.
It’s not optimal if you expect them to stay indoors except for sleeping,
but your planned run size is fine especially if you intend for them to have some free range time in your yard if it’s fenced.
Plus, you’re in California with a warm climate.
Once you get those feeders out of the coop, not necessary when they are older, you’ll have two more square feet of floor space.

I have a 4x4 coop. The nesting area is a bump out.
I had 2 Welsummers, 2 buff Orpingtons, and an Australorp (all big breeds) happily living in mine with space on the roost to spare because they cuddle close together when sleeping.
I let them out no later than 7 am every morning and they go to roost as soon as the sun dips below my neighbors fence, which right now is about 8-8:15 pm.

The only complicating dynamic I can see in your situation is the age difference in you pullets.
A little means a lot when they are this age.
As long as they get along, it’s not an emergency that you rush to expand in a way that you’ll be disappointed with later.
Check out all the small-medium my coop pages for great ideas!

Hi thanks for responding
Yeah I'm in central orange county and the weather is awesome. We hardly get rain and 55°F is cold around here even for overnight temps so they spend lots of time outside. They actually have a schedule similar to yours, I open the coop door around 6:30 and they go back in around 7:45(sunset). So if they get along there's no need to enlarge? Or am I just not in need to rush but still need to expand? My girls are a barred rock, a wellsummer, an EE, a SLW and a buff orpington. I got them at a feed store and thought I was likely going to end up with at least 1 cockerel but so far so good lol

 

[staceyj]

Hi thanks for responding
Yeah I'm in central orange county and the weather is awesome. We hardly get rain and 55°F is cold around here even for overnight temps so they spend lots of time outside. They actually have a schedule similar to yours, I open the coop door around 6:30 and they go back in around 7:45(sunset). So if they get along there's no need to enlarge? Or am I just not in need to rush but still need to expand? My girls are a barred rock, a wellsummer, an EE, a SLW and a buff orpington. I got them at a feed store and thought I was likely going to end up with at least 1 cockerel but so far so good lol

I’m sure some people would hammer me over the head for saying it but yes.
I am now down to 4 chickens (1 passed away and 1 was a persistent broody hen that’s living her best life -like oprah! Except her name is dory and she’s hatching babies at a nearby librarian’s house)
So now, the roost is more than 50% empty when I check on them after I take the dogs out to peepee. They are snuggled close even in hot weather.
I have a coop page if you want to look at it. I think there’s something on or around my avatar that takes you there.
I need to update that we changed the roost again to a 2x4 on the wide surface.
You’ll see the “roost” discussion on these boards all the time.
I swear, my chickens sleep like ROCKS since we made this change. Also with a suspended roost there’s more floor space.

 

[staceyj]

When I reread my answer and explaination I mean “yes” meaning in agreement with you that it *might be fine.
Personally, I’d take a wait and see approach and see how things work out in the next month or so.
It’s not like you have winter weather blowing in soon. Lol.

You’ll also have to figure out where you’ll put the nesting boxes. They do take up space, but there are ways to use space efficiently.
And in my opinion you don’t need more than 2 with your size flock. Sometimes I have two. Sometimes 3. #3 is always completely ignored.
#2 is rarely disturbed.
#1 is the hot spot apparently!
Honestly, no one wants to use ANY nesting box except that one.
I have no idea why this is.
Sometimes there’s a line and whatever the ones standing in line are saying to each other about the one taking her sweet time in the nest, does NOT seem to be complimentary in the least.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

Can you keep your feed and water some place else? If your dimensions are right you have 2sq ft per bird (you're technically only supposed to count floor space) which in your climate should be just fine as long as they aren't confined to the coop all day long.
This looks like a better prefab than most.
What breeds of chickens do you have?

 

[Evelyn's Mom]

I agree!! If you can move your food and water out that would prevent them from hanging in the coop all day and pooping in there... they would just use it for laying eggs and sleeping. Also will help keep out insects and rodents. You can take up the food each night and bring it indoors or somewhere safe then put it back out. You'll double your space. I do worry a little about their ages, but hope they hash it out with no major issues. fingers crossed!

 

[RookieChickyMom]

Can you keep your feed and water some place else? If your dimensions are right you have 2sq ft per bird (you're technically only supposed to count floor space) which in your climate should be just fine as long as they aren't confined to the coop all day long.
This looks like a better prefab than most.
What breeds of chickens do you have?

I agree!! If you can move your food and water out that would prevent them from hanging in the coop all day and pooping in there... they would just use it for laying eggs and sleeping. Also will help keep out insects and rodents. You can take up the food each night and bring it indoors or somewhere safe then put it back out. You'll double your space. I do worry a little about their ages, but hope they hash it out with no major issues. fingers crossed!

Yes!! I can definitely do that! Wait, I can do that right? Like you mentioned, @Evelyn's Mom just pick it up at night? I'm inexperienced and don't want to screw anything up so I put food and water inside and outside of the coop just in case they get hungry or thirsty at night. They don't go in their coop til it's bed time, they spend time in the run and supervised free range because I own cats that just can resist licking they're lips while watching the chicks play my pullets are a Barred Rock and a Welsummer, and the chicks are EE, Silver Laced Wyandotte and Buff Orpington. And the older ones do try to bully the babies right now, they play separately. I thought it would get better as the babies grew into larger pullets?