Laura and her husband, Joseph, bought a pre-fab coop and before the first day was done found it woefully inadequate. Those coops tend to be cheaply made and not intended to last more than a couple of years, depending on your climate. I’m not sure how their marketing ads pass muster since most of them grossly over-estimate the number of birds that could be comfortably housed in them.
Personally, I would only recommend them as short-term housing for quarantine, as a sick bay or to shelter a broody hen incubating eggs and, later, to raise her chicks.
Fortunately this couple ditched that coop and set to converting a pre-existing shed into their own cozy digs for their little flock of four hens.
I’m a first time chicken owner, but my husband had them as a kid.
We have four hens: Buff Orpington, Brahma and two Wyandottes.
We started with two 12-week-old pullets and a Tractor Supply pre-fab coop. After the first day we realized it would be way too small to fit any more chickens so the planning began. After the outdoor run and coop were done we got two more hens.
This was our first outdoor build, but we have done projects around the house. We had no set plans. I watched a bunch of videos and found a few pics of runs that I liked and we started making it happen.
In less than a week, my husband and I built the outdoor run and attached it to our existing 8’x6’ shed that we turned into the coop.
We really didn’t have a budget but wound up spending about $2000 between wood, hardware cloth, screws, washers and roofing.
The run is 12’ x 11’ with a 2’-3’ walkway behind the coop.
Features
- Automatic door
- Electricity running to the coop for a light and another light that works with Alexa
- Cameras in the coop and run
- Roosting bar with a droppings board underneath, next to a window, with a ladder to get up and down
- Two nesting boxes made from open storage bins that we got at Wal-Mart
- Sandbox for dust bathing
- Many perches and mirrors
They free range every night for about an hour before sunset and go back to the coop on their own. Chickens are no fun to chase unless you need exercise!
We plan on covering their outside run for the cold months to keep them warmer. If they do well over the winter we’ll get more next spring.
We may expand the run one day, but have no plans for the near future.
Many thanks to Laura and Joseph Morgillo of New York, USA for sharing their story and photos, used with permission.
Bitchin' Chickens 
I think a ramp with close cleats would be more humane then a ladder
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My coop also has a ladder. Some of my birds fly straight up to the roosts, while others hop up the first couple of steps, then fly. I think, as long at the angle isn’t too steep, ladders are fine. They are easier to clean than ramps as well.
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They love the steps! They come up the steps on my deck every day!
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