Repurposing a Rabbit Hutch?

[DenaRenee]

I have seven 1-week old chicks that will need a coop to call their own in the near future. I've asked around for anything I can reuse or repurpose, and someone has offered me the below two rabbit hutches. I'm trying to decide if I should go pick them up - I mean, they are free

Roll Call:

2 Buff Orpingtons​

2 Barred Rock​

2 Ameraucana​

1 Black Australorp (we lost one this morning )​

I had three thoughts as to how I could use them:

1. As is - two separate coops that the girls can pick from.
2. Figure out how to put them together on their broad side to make it one large space.
3. Consider them raw materials for building a new one.

I would attach nesting boxes from the outside, maybe even remove each of the second floors and then elevate them inside the run so the girls could go underneath. They need to be pressure washed, reinforced against prey and have hardware cloth added. My biggest concern is whether it will be enough room.


This one is 60"L x 19"W x 36"H at peak

This one is 39.5"L x 26"W x 36"H

I would love to hear everyone's opinions. TYIA

 

[DobieLover]

Both of them are way too small to accommodate your birds. You need to keep looking for something better. Try to convert a small old shed or part of a larger shed into a coop.

 

[DenaRenee]

Both of them are way too small to accommodate your birds. You need to keep looking for something better. Try to convert a small old shed or part of a larger shed into a coop.

Thanks for the response. I was just reading a reply of yours to someone else where you said the adult ladies will need 3.5-4sqft each in the coop. I figure out that these will only have room for 4.

 

[DobieLover]

Thanks for the response. I was just reading a reply of yours to someone else where you said the adult ladies will need 3.5-4sqft each in the coop. I figure out that these will only have room for 4.

If they were both somehow combined together which is not feasible. And then it would still be too tight for 4 birds. Not to mention trying to keep it clean or access the birds inside those tiny little structures. It's just not practical.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I will say if you plan on brooding more chicks in the future, these would certainly be usable as brooders with a little bit of fixing up. So if they're free picking up one might not be a bad idea for the future.