Our Coop and Run - Finally!

[DuckDuckSook]

Hello there fellow chicken owners!
I just thought I would post some pics of our coop and run now that our 6 chicks have moved outside and it is completed. I've been wanting to get chicks and raise chickens for about ten years now so I am beyond excited that this dream is now a reality. When I go down to their coop each morning, I am just so happy. We bought the Keter Manor 4x6 Shed from Amazon for our coop. (https://www.amazon.com/Keter-Outdoo...d=1&keywords=keter+shed&qid=1589037991&sr=8-2) It took a few hours to assemble, but it wasn't too bad. I am going to replace the window covering with hardware cloth for additional ventilation this weekend. I screwed in the vent covers with extra screws to ensure no critters can remove them to get in. For the run, I purchased a 10x10 dog kennel from Tractor Supply. (https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...-l-x-6-ft-h?solr=1&cm_vc=-10005&st=dog kennel) We had a lot of welded wire fencing in our old shed so I dug a trench 12 inches down and buried the welded wire while attaching it to the sides of the dog kennel. I also skirted the wire. I then put rocks on top of the trench/skirting for extra protection and decoration. The top of the coop is covered with bird netting and I've since added some tarp for extra shade and to keep them dry when it rains. So far so good! We lock them into the coop every night. They seem to be very happy with all their new space. I haven't let them free range outside of the run yet. I'm letting them get accustomed to their new home first. I hope this might be helpful to someone looking for coop/run ideas. I know we could have built a coop or run, but we didn't have all the materials on hand and we aren't experienced with building many things. This worked for us and we were able to do it all for a fairly affordable price.

 

[Slippy]

Very nice and the birds look happy! Keep an eye on the rocks that you've stacked around the perimeter, some predators may be able to burrow under those rocks and start digging. I didn't notice any Hardware Cloth laid down around the perimeter? That may help discourge hungry critters who can dig!

 

[rosemarythyme]

We had a lot of welded wire fencing in our old shed so I dug a trench 12 inches down and buried the welded wire while attaching it to the sides of the dog kennel. I also skirted the wire. I then put rocks on top of the trench/skirting for extra protection and decoration.

So while you wanted to put in "extra protection" with the rocks, you've kind of negated the way the apron works, by artificially moving the digging edge that pests can get under out to the edge of the rocks, instead of having it at the edge of the fence line (where they'd hit the apron and be thwarted by it).

A better option if you don't want to leave the apron exposed is to use small gravel for coverage.