making the best of a chicken coop

okay, we have ordered a chicken coop, making the most of the 8x3.5ft run but forgetting the hutch size!! :shock::shock:
so would it be ok to install a cat flap into the entrance door so that they can choose when to be in or out, rather than having to lock them in a space that's too small?
also we will be covering the hutch/coop space with insulation and a duvet, but daft question I know, but do we cover the run? we have ordered a tarpaulin that will cover the whole coop and run, will this be enough for shelter for the run?

thanks emma

a cat flap will be fine,but depending on where you live it might be wise to lock them in when it gets dark-depending (again) on predators in your area such as foxes,which are the main predator in my area.

my only concern with the foxes and why one of my bunnies don't have constant access to their run is because,for rabbits-if they were to have a fox try and get into their run (no matter how secure) the attack can give them a heart attack,even if the fox doesn't manage to get in because its secure-your rabbits may panic about ''theres no way out'' or ''where do i hide'' whereas in the wild they can run anywhere in the open space,but if your run is attached to the hutch then there shouldn't be a worry if they can get in and out the flap quickly,back to an enclosed area where they feel safe.

that's why i lock my rabbits out of the run at night time by putting a brick in front of the cat flap

sorry for the long post haha! if there are barley no predators in your area,then you should be just fine:thumb:

You could give the coop run a floor and lino it, give it a back, give it sides so it's all enclosed, attach a large run and voila, you've got a big hutch!

Then the enclosed bit could be a big snuggle area for litter tray etc, the run would just be a big hutch then

Aly&Poppy<3 said:

You could give the coop run a floor and lino it, give it a back, give it sides so it's all enclosed, attach a large run and voila, you've got a big hutch!

Then the enclosed bit could be a big snuggle area for litter tray etc, the run would just be a big hutch then

Click to expand...

Oh, good idea :wave: I love this!

If this is the sort of run/coop that often gets advertised then the mesh if far too thin to trust the rabbits out in it at night . They tend to go for mesh designed to keep hens in not foxes out!

Also they do not have solid floors.

I would not trust it for a rabbit at night.

There's quite a few different designs - do you have the link to the one you've ordered so we can give more suggestions?

Flymo was in a chicken coop style hutch for the first couple of years (because in my gut I knew a normal "hutch" wasn't big enough but had no idea about the recommendations) and used to enjoy snuggling up in the straw in the roosting box thing. I used to feel guilty cleaning it out because it'd take him ages to get it how he liked it again :lol:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B006K15SQY/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

its this one, id flipping cancel it now but its been dispatched already, maybe ill have to buy another hutch? this one is made quite locally. Making it into a huge hutch sounds amazing but im not very handy lol

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/XL-6ft-Ra...et_Supplies_Small_Animals&hash=item19e4c6bcf5

I really wanted that hutch when I was looking for one but it was too far away. I was going to get a 6ft hutch, runaround tunnel & connectors to attach to my 6x4 run, but ended up buying a 6x2x2 hutch on top of a 6x4 run from welfare hutches.

loving the hutch idea

well, hubby thinks converting the coop into a hutch is a great idea, but we've run out of money temporarily, so we've used the insulation i'd bought and covered the back, roof and sides with it, then thrown a huge 18ftx12ft tarp over the whole thing, we've covered the nest box bit with a duvet.
we're going to buy an 8ftx4ft run as well. Soon as we can we'll buy some panelling and convert it into a large hutch asap - brilliant idea so thank you!!!!

I think you're taking them from a pretty rubbish space aren't you? So the coop will be great for them for now. Just make sure you cover it well to protect it from the rain as we bought one of the 6ft ones as a temporary and safer thing for one remaining hen and it's only been 3 months maybe since we bought it and it's already breaking because of rain damage! It's standing strong and everything, but the door to the nest area is jammed and so is the big door on the run :roll: the ramp has come off too but that's because we move it every week because of chicken poop :mrgreen:

I remember someone on here a while ago bought a hutch/run thing thinking it was big but it really wasn't, so they turned the whole thing into a hutch and attached a large run. It ended up looking great I thought

I currently have a chicken coop (although we're just in the middle of building them a summerhouse but most of the coop will be incorporated inside) and we attached a base (we have no grass but I was worried about them getting cold feet lol!) and replaced one of the mesh panels with a solid door to give them more hidey places and also make cleaning easier. It was against a fence at the back so that was covered and we covered the end between the new door and the back with a piece of hardboard for shelter. They have a run attached all day, free range for a couple of hours when I get home from work and are then locked in the coop overnight but there is still plenty of space for them to have a hop and cause mischief!!
We attached a couple of pieces of corrugated plastic to the roof of the run and I cover the coop with a tarpaulin if it rains.
It has worked really well for us but I am fed up of getting cold and wet every day when I clean them out which is why we're moving them into the summerhouse. They get more room inside and I get to stay dry!