# Help picking out coop!



## DelilahandLizathechickens (Feb 7, 2016)

Hello! So, I need help picking out a coop for when i get my chickens. Here is some info for you took look at so that you could tell me what coop you recommend.

1. I live in Minnesota
2. I will hopefully have two chickens.
3. I want the biggest coop possible, but at the same time, something easy to clean and manage.
4. It needs to be safe, we have a LOT of coyotes and wolves and other predators.

Please help!

Thanks,
Adriana


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

That's a wide open question. Obviously you want one that is solid and will offer protection from the weather as well as predators. You also want to have four square feet of floor space for each bird and speaking of birds, you should have a minimum of three. That way if one dies, there isn't one bird left alone. Chickens are very social creatures and do not do well alone.

As to ease of maintenance, that all depends on what you can or can not do. For me it was coops that allowed for being upright when working in the coop.


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## DelilahandLizathechickens (Feb 7, 2016)

robin416 said:


> That's a wide open question. Obviously you want one that is solid and will offer protection from the weather as well as predators. You also want to have four square feet of floor space for each bird and speaking of birds, you should have a minimum of three. That way if one dies, there isn't one bird left alone. Chickens are very social creatures and do not do well alone.
> 
> As to ease of maintenance, that all depends on what you can or can not do. For me it was coops that allowed for being upright when working in the coop.


I have my eye on this one, do you think that it would work? 
http://www.mypetchicken.com/catalog/Chicken-Coops/The-Clubhouse-Coop-w-Run-4-chickens-p1167.aspx


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## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

I personally don't think it will be enough for your cold winters. I had one similar and ended up giving it away. Pre fabs are very flimsy built. For the amt of $ you will spend on that, you could get a lot of building materials. Or, you could check out a small metal (or wood) storage buildings that can be insulated and put a concrete flooring in it. 
BTW, welcome to the Chicken Forum!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I concur with most of what Patsy said except for the metal building. They are the worst for transferring heat and cold on to the birds. 

I don't like those prefab things because they limit interaction you might want to have with the birds. They are next to impossible to modify if you need to make changes. Like when you realize you don't have enough chickens and need to get more. 

I also question having the building raised off the ground like that and having wind traveling up under it.


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## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

I thought about that Robin after I posted it. I know our out building is metal and it's a sauna in the summer. So wood or similar material would be much better.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

It's really cute, but you will have to do alot of reinforcing to make it safe. You might be better off with a shed, or a space in a shed you have. I would recommend something you can stand up in. I know those coops are really cute, but they are not safe and for the money you can build your own stronger.


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## rosco47 (Jul 6, 2015)

i can't speak to recommendations for your climate obviously, but what i have found out the hard way is if there are predators, they will find your coops soft spots and get in if they want to bad enough. being that you only will have 2 birds, one break in would likely wipe you out of the chicken business...

dont forget that preds will dig under if they can. plan to reinforce the perimeter by burying wire of pouring a concrete barrier. building over a concrete slab would obviously solve this issue though... keep us posted


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

Roscoe is right about predators digging to get in.I lost over 50 chickens,33 were 4 mos because a neighbor's dog dug under the fence.Know what the dog warden did?NOTHING!2 days later it went to someone else's farm and killed 60 more chickens.The dog warden was only interested in dog tags.Not a dog running loose and killing chickens.They refuse to do anything and after dealing with them for 14yrs I have taken matters into my own hands.Since 2014 I have shot 6 dogs.I don't like to kill dogs but I hate it when my chickens are murdered.There's a leash law and a law stating I can protect my livestock.The neighbors now know I will shoot their dog and haven't had any recent problems.Get a shotgun,you never know...


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

CQ, I guess that's what it takes. I would hate shooting a dog too, but if they were going to kill my chickens, that's a different story. 

I have one pre fab coop. It is flimsy and that's why it's enclosed in a protective pen.


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## DelilahandLizathechickens (Feb 7, 2016)

Could you guys give me a link to a better cage?


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## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

You might look on You Tube and see how to put a small shed together. Places like Lowes or home Depot have the wood storage/workshops that would work with very little alteration. (adding a roost , nest boxes , & flooring. My coop has a dirt floor but the perimeter has a footing of big rocks to keep predators out.


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## DelilahandLizathechickens (Feb 7, 2016)

nannypattyrn said:


> You might look on You Tube and see how to put a small shed together. Places like Lowes or home Depot have the wood storage/workshops that would work with very little alteration. (adding a roost , nest boxes , & flooring. My coop has a dirt floor but the perimeter has a footing of big rocks to keep predators out.


Thank you so much!


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## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

This is my coop. We used sheet iron mainly because it was free. Our temperatures are usually mild though. We used sheet insulation for the ceiling which helps with the heat and cold. We've never heated and have a window and large door for circulation. I got the idea for my nest boxes from YouTube. For the size of our coop we only have around a grand in it and that's only because we keep adding to it!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Have you seen the sheds that are on the side of the road. Almost all of those are easily adapted to chickens and are solid to boot. At the top of the page there is a section that says "Chicken Coops", there is more than likely a wealth of ideas there for you.

And just so you know, I don't know of a single chicken keeper out there that didn't find their coops too small because they added more birds. Not one. So, you could save yourself some grief by going bigger to start with. You could even store the feed in the coop until you manage to fill it up. Because you will. And we'll help you.


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## Nm156 (May 16, 2015)

Small Northern style coop for 2-3 birds.


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## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

Nice Nm!!!


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## Nm156 (May 16, 2015)

Thanks Nanny..


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

I use a metal shed.The purpose of a coop is to protect them from wind or rain or predators,a safe place to roost and lay eggs.The cold is more of an inconvenience than anything,they get winter feathers with the fall moult.If it's really cold I use 1-2 heat lights and have a thick bedding of straw.Of course,if it's 10 degrees or less they don't go out because they can get frostbite on the comb, waddles and feet.In the hot months I have a screen door(really window grates)and a fan.The heat will kill your chickens before the cold will.I have the coop up on blocks so it's not in water.It has a wood floor the coop is attached to.It blew away last summer -lesson learned


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## chickencoopbook (Apr 16, 2016)

*Chicken Coop Plans*

I found a great book on Kindle about how to build chicken coops. Here's the link:

http://www.amazon.com/Chicken-Coops-Essential-Step-By-Step-Beginners-ebook/dp/B01EBLTQNA

Might be worth checking out


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