MrsAuberry00
Songster
We have a raised coop with eight nesting boxes and an attached, covered dog kennel as a run. I have a few questions for the "eggsperts" at the end of this post.
I don't have photos from the construction phase, but here is the finished coop before painting. There is a window/vent slide on each side for ventilation.
Me, feeling a bit cooped up painting underneath.
Done with the painting.
Inside, accessible from the back, we have a tray that has been covered with rubber roofing liner. The tray can be pulled completely out of the coop when it's time to change the bedding and sanitize. We started out using red cedar shavings, (shown below,) but just switched to river bed sand which makes scooping out poop with a cat poop scooper SO much quicker and easier. We also placed the same sand inside the run, but I'll have a question about that in a bit. (Please forgive the grainy quality of the next few pictures...I had to screenshot from a video.)
A partial shot of one side of the interior. Each side has four nesting boxes in which we've kept the red cedar shavings as opposed to sand, and a roosting limb made from an actual tree branch. I've since added an exterior roosting branch in the back right corner of the run.
Now for the questions:
1. Mainly, I'm worried the run isn't big enough for six hens. It is approximately 5' x 12'. We are able to let the oldest two out to free range, (which I'll only do when someone supervises them because I'm a paranoid new chicken mom worried about the hawks, eagles, coyotes, and foxes we have around here,) but I haven't tried that with the younger four because I'm worried they aren't "tamed" enough, (I don't know the right term...coop trained?) to not disappear on us.
2. Even though we've put sand in the run, when we have a lot of rain, (like we do this time of year,) the run surface is a wet mess and there's no place for them to take their dust baths. I'm also curious as to the recommended depth of the sand in the run. I've read a wide variety of specifications for this ranging from 4" to 12". Suggestions would be great here folks. I'll also post this question in another forum if I find the appropriate one.
Thanks for taking the time to look and I look forward to any comments or suggestions.
I don't have photos from the construction phase, but here is the finished coop before painting. There is a window/vent slide on each side for ventilation.
Me, feeling a bit cooped up painting underneath.
Done with the painting.
Inside, accessible from the back, we have a tray that has been covered with rubber roofing liner. The tray can be pulled completely out of the coop when it's time to change the bedding and sanitize. We started out using red cedar shavings, (shown below,) but just switched to river bed sand which makes scooping out poop with a cat poop scooper SO much quicker and easier. We also placed the same sand inside the run, but I'll have a question about that in a bit. (Please forgive the grainy quality of the next few pictures...I had to screenshot from a video.)
A partial shot of one side of the interior. Each side has four nesting boxes in which we've kept the red cedar shavings as opposed to sand, and a roosting limb made from an actual tree branch. I've since added an exterior roosting branch in the back right corner of the run.
Now for the questions:
1. Mainly, I'm worried the run isn't big enough for six hens. It is approximately 5' x 12'. We are able to let the oldest two out to free range, (which I'll only do when someone supervises them because I'm a paranoid new chicken mom worried about the hawks, eagles, coyotes, and foxes we have around here,) but I haven't tried that with the younger four because I'm worried they aren't "tamed" enough, (I don't know the right term...coop trained?) to not disappear on us.
2. Even though we've put sand in the run, when we have a lot of rain, (like we do this time of year,) the run surface is a wet mess and there's no place for them to take their dust baths. I'm also curious as to the recommended depth of the sand in the run. I've read a wide variety of specifications for this ranging from 4" to 12". Suggestions would be great here folks. I'll also post this question in another forum if I find the appropriate one.
Thanks for taking the time to look and I look forward to any comments or suggestions.