A new roost for my chooks! PIC!

[scooter147]

Annie,
Never under estimate the abilities of a predator when there is a easy meal to be had. I am assuming the outside walls are wood. A coon, possom, weasel, mink can easy climb up a wooden building to get in. Keep in mind they climb trees.
I just don't want you to have the experience of going out in the morning and find dead chickens.
I had a coop that was metal and I had a coon climb up the tin somehow and get in a eave opening and kill about 6 of my hens. I would secure it somehow. I stapled (good strong thick staples) hardware cloth on mine and never had another problem.

 

[chickenannie]

Wow, that's amazing that the raccoon climbed the tin wall. Thanks for the warning.

 

[gsim]

A weasel might get in through the openings. Regards the roosts, you could hang a linoleum covered piece of OSB under the top two roosts and scrape daily

for a good/clean-smelling coop. The two hinges and hoisting it up temporarily to scrape the poop board

might be the way to simplify your morning coop chores.

I would do soffit-type vents full-length both sides and add louvered gable vents in tops of each gable. Bear in mind that the tin will be really hot in warm weather and top roost is close to it. They tend to roost at highest places they can reach so if you find that there is poop in your nests, try locating the nests so that they are lower than top roosts.

 

[2txmedics]

Awesome and cozy inside, I would love to see the outside....Im jealous...lol

 

[Pambo]

Looks comfy.
Apparently, the nesting/laying boxes should be lower than the roosts, so they won't roost in them.
It's a manure thing, I think.
Cleaner eggs.