I live on a 40 acre property in QLD, Australia. My chicken 'run' is about 1 acre, and they just free range around, returning to be locked in the coop at night. They are guarded by a maremma sheepdog the whole time. I have never had any attacks on my adult chickens from birds, and foxes have been the only problem I have had, but was rectified by the maremma. The fence is 6 foot dog wire.
Moose the Maremma.
I have a small area in the chicken pen that is my vegetable garden. It is fenced in dog wire, with a chicken wire roof, and lined along the bottom with bird wire mesh and besser bricks.
My 3 call ducks and 4 muscovy ducks sleep in a green shed with a homemade shade cloth gazebo at the front. They live right next to the veggie garden
The ducks and geese have a pond to swim in.
The chickens go to sleep in an old metal water tank. Nothing can get in, as, being a tank, it has a solid metal floor and roof. The 2 silkie chicks I have spend the day in a little square run next to the coop, safe and sound. They spend the night in a birdcage with a pillowy thing they can snuggle.
The design of the coop on the inside is fairly simple, so I can clean it easily and spot any snakes that wander in. The ladder is where they sleep, although some like to sit on the top of the nesting boxes.
I have a coop I bought on ebay, but it is way too small. Some chickens love to lay in it though, especially the old english game bantam.
There are plenty of places to hide in from rain etc. and lots of shade.
That's about it. My chickens are happy and healthy, free ranging all day, every day
Moose the Maremma.
I have a small area in the chicken pen that is my vegetable garden. It is fenced in dog wire, with a chicken wire roof, and lined along the bottom with bird wire mesh and besser bricks.
My 3 call ducks and 4 muscovy ducks sleep in a green shed with a homemade shade cloth gazebo at the front. They live right next to the veggie garden
The ducks and geese have a pond to swim in.
The chickens go to sleep in an old metal water tank. Nothing can get in, as, being a tank, it has a solid metal floor and roof. The 2 silkie chicks I have spend the day in a little square run next to the coop, safe and sound. They spend the night in a birdcage with a pillowy thing they can snuggle.
The design of the coop on the inside is fairly simple, so I can clean it easily and spot any snakes that wander in. The ladder is where they sleep, although some like to sit on the top of the nesting boxes.
I have a coop I bought on ebay, but it is way too small. Some chickens love to lay in it though, especially the old english game bantam.
There are plenty of places to hide in from rain etc. and lots of shade.
That's about it. My chickens are happy and healthy, free ranging all day, every day
