We Live in Las Vegas. Our predator threats are cats, rats and coyotes. The most important aspect of coop construction is to protect the hens from the heat(commonly over 110 in the summer).
Coop dimensions are 5' by 4' by 4' high.
Run dimensions are 5' by 16' by 6' high.
To protect against rats getting in we have hardware cloth on the bottom. We know they can eventually chew through the hardware cloth but we can also mend it.
These are the bins that are going to be placed under the roost so the majority of the hen's waste can easily be collected.
The bin have a lip that allows them to rest on these 2x4s.
We made this cover to go over the poop bins so the birds could not reach the plastic if they try to peck at it. This hardware cloth is 1"x1", big enough for the poop to go through yet small enough for the birds to stand on it. The roosts are 2'4" off the coop floor and are made 2"x3" studs.
To ensure good airflow, the top of the coop is only covered with hardware cloth. The metal above that is angled so the heat will easily rise from the coop. There is also openings on three of the four wall of the coop to help with ventilation.
The run is covered with metal roofing mainly to protect the chickens from the blazing Vegas sun. Between the metal roofing and the run is another layer of hardware cloth to fend off predators.
I wanted to use circles to access the nest boxes so the hen can't kick much of the nesting material out. The circle cutouts have a diameter of 10.25". These holes are 4" off the coop floor.
Each nest box hole is 12" by 12" and intentionally made so the hen need to crouch while in them to prevent them from sleep in them.
The hens hatched on March 23, 2020 were moved from their brooder to their new digs at about five weeks old, given the weather conditions in Las Vegas this was an appropriate time to move them.
Coop dimensions are 5' by 4' by 4' high.
Run dimensions are 5' by 16' by 6' high.
To protect against rats getting in we have hardware cloth on the bottom. We know they can eventually chew through the hardware cloth but we can also mend it.
These are the bins that are going to be placed under the roost so the majority of the hen's waste can easily be collected.
The bin have a lip that allows them to rest on these 2x4s.
We made this cover to go over the poop bins so the birds could not reach the plastic if they try to peck at it. This hardware cloth is 1"x1", big enough for the poop to go through yet small enough for the birds to stand on it. The roosts are 2'4" off the coop floor and are made 2"x3" studs.
To ensure good airflow, the top of the coop is only covered with hardware cloth. The metal above that is angled so the heat will easily rise from the coop. There is also openings on three of the four wall of the coop to help with ventilation.
The run is covered with metal roofing mainly to protect the chickens from the blazing Vegas sun. Between the metal roofing and the run is another layer of hardware cloth to fend off predators.
I wanted to use circles to access the nest boxes so the hen can't kick much of the nesting material out. The circle cutouts have a diameter of 10.25". These holes are 4" off the coop floor.
Each nest box hole is 12" by 12" and intentionally made so the hen need to crouch while in them to prevent them from sleep in them.
The hens hatched on March 23, 2020 were moved from their brooder to their new digs at about five weeks old, given the weather conditions in Las Vegas this was an appropriate time to move them.
