New Coop, please help! Sharp edges and some holes!

[AmeliaBedelia]

In the Articles section, there's a number of coop builds that might prove helpful to you.

Also, your coop / run is DARLING!!! I am totally jealous of how cute it is, and I love your metal roof! My coops/runs are definitely not that cute!

Right? Mine looks like something a group of children built out of trash and scraps they scavenged off the side of the road…which isn’t too far off from the truth . It was my first build EVER and my assistant was a small child.

 

[Fowl_Language_]

Chicken wire basically only keeps chickens contained. It doesn’t keep the “bad guys” out - larger predators like raccoons can rip through it, and 1 inch holes will let in the smaller ones, like snakes that will eat your eggs and baby/young chickens. Or minks/weasels even, which can kill an adult.

To keep the predators out, you ideally use 1/2 inch or smaller hardware cloth OR some people make due with a larger strong fence with 1x2 inch holes with chicken wire over top. But that isn’t as good, so I would recommend using hardware cloth for at least the bottom half of the wall.

You also have to address digging predators (rats, opossums, etc) by either digging a trench under your coop and having the hardware cloth go underground or laying a couple feet of it around the coop and attaching it to the ground with tent stakes or similar (or place rocks over top). And it should be attached to the edge of the coop.

If you stay with chicken wire for the run, just be aware it is a risk and you will likely lose some chickens at some point. And I would at a minimum use hardware cloth to secure the coop part for sleeping and always lock them in it at dark. During the day you are less likely to have issues - mostly hawks and dogs in the daylight.

I hope that helps? It is a beautiful build!!!

This helps A LOT! Thank you very much!

 

[Fowl_Language_]

In the Articles section, there's a number of coop builds that might prove helpful to you.

Also, your coop / run is DARLING!!! I am totally jealous of how cute it is, and I love your metal roof! My coops/runs are definitely not that cute!

Aww thank you! I’ll take a look at the coop builds!

 

[Fowl_Language_]

Oh last thing - I recommend a double latch on your nesting boxes and exterior doors to the sleeping area, since some racoons can figure out a simple gate latch. Or use a carabiner to “lock” the latch.

And kind of the opposite, make sure you can OPEN the door to the run so you don’t lock yourself inside by accident. I mayyyyyyy have done that once. Many people rig up a way to pull the latch open using a piece of string or wire that runs to the inside. But again, make sure you have a way to lock thay so a raccoon doesn't unlock your door.

The guy who made it told me this same thing! He’s like it locks from the outside so unless you can reach it from inside you’ll be locked in! That’s why he built the top separately and just told me to leave it open when I’m inside!

 

[AmeliaBedelia]

The guy who made it told me this same thing! He’s like it locks from the outside so unless you can reach it from inside you’ll be locked in! That’s why he built the top separately and just told me to leave it open when I’m inside!

I highly highly recommend rigging it so you can unlatch it from inside. You can do it pretty easily (google a tutorial on youtube) and avoid getting stuck. Wind and human error both happen .

 

[Fowl_Language_]

I highly highly recommend rigging it so you can unlatch it from inside. You can do it pretty easily (google a tutorial on youtube) and avoid getting stuck. Wind and human error both happen .

Yeaaaa my child almost locked us up in it yesterday while we were looking around inside. Thankfully my fingers do fit around but I definitely need an easier solution.

 

[AmeliaBedelia]

Yeaaaa my child almost locked us up in it yesterday while we were looking around inside. Thankfully my fingers do fit around but I definitely need an easier solution.

I have been in that exact spot. Luckily my kid also had a stick that I was able to poke through and unlatch the door