# Coop Help - Which is better?



## ifyousaygo (Mar 24, 2014)

My first thread! Woo hoo! 
We just started our adventure in keeping back yard chickens. They are pets, but I'm looking forward to the eggs as well. City ordinance says we can have a maximum of 4 hens, so I don't have the choice to grow my flock later on. 

We bought a new coop, but it seems a little small to me. I'm wondering if it might be better to turn the bottom of our existing play structure into a coop. I've seen it done, and I really like the idea of using the existing space instead of designating another area of the yard for the coop... But... Are the chickens going to be disturbed if they kids actually (for once) decide to use the play structure?
Please be kind... I'm new. lol

These are our girls:
These three are about 2 weeks old. Golden Sexlink, Rhode Island Red and Barred Rock









And this is Martha. She's the new chick (about a week old). She's a Light Brahma









This is the coop we bought. Still new in the box:









And this is the play structure. I was thinking we could enclose the bottom square to make into the hen house. We could put a small bump out with doors that lift on the side closest to the house and will put the nesting boxes there. We can put hardware mesh around the bottom underneath the bridge for the outside run and connect that to a large, fenced dog-run that we have (we no longer have a dog). The dog run would have a cover. Does this make any sense? I'm thinking I would need to put something around the run to prevent predators from digging in....

My husband is a master carpenter, so doing the work would be easy peasy, but I want to make sure this is going to be the best bet before I ask him to invest his time. My main concern is the chickens being disturbed by the kids. Thoughts?










This would be the hen house - where the yellow slide is currently resting. lol (back wall is rock climb)









Grassy area would be enclosed with hardware mesh









Back view of hen house area


















Fenced Dog Run would go here so they would have plenty of room to run


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

You're correct, what you bought is too small. For large fowl you need four square feet of floor space per bird. Nest boxes and roosts are not part of that equation. 

We've seen several times people buying these little houses because the person they bought it from tells them its plenty big enough. These sales people probably have never seen a live chicken in their lives.

Disturb the girls? Maybe, maybe not. If they are accustomed to the noise and movement then no, it won't bother them.


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## Sarah10Chickens (Sep 2, 2013)

Hi & welcome! Those chicks ate so cute! It makes me chick broody! They grow so quick!! 
Love your idea! Looks great. I think you should do it as i would say they need more room. Sorry can't add anything else, I'm only 9 months into chicken keeping, mine are pets too, eggs a bonus. So exciting when you get your first egg! Best of luck! Xx


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## Barnbum374 (Mar 14, 2013)

I think that repurposing the jungle gym is a great idea! I think the chicken coop you bought would be way too small for 4 full grown chicken. Plus the material used for those kits are the same as a dog house I bought a couple of years ago and my 2 dogs pretty much ate it in a matter of 3 months, so I don't think they offer much protection.

Please post pics if you build the coop. I would love to see how it turns out!


Sent from my iPhone using Chicken Forum


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## TheLazyL (Jun 20, 2012)

Your coop has about 8' of floor space. As Robin has posted you need 16 square feet (4 chicks x 4').


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