the zip ties are the white things hanging down they have been replaced with j-clips thanks to byc-ers advice (love those things and the special j-clip pliers)
so far we have decided to only use the one half of the rabbit hutch, for one thing the front half is so totally 'ventilated' I thought it might just be too cold and then if we joined them surely the chickens would choose to roost in the back half because it is taller. Anyway, we are keeping it for a chicken jail/hospital/broody hen cage but that does mean that I don't expect to be able to have more than 4 chickens at a time (already thinking of expansions, oh dear!)
right now the hardware cloth is over the hoop part but because of a coon attack last night (missing toes!!!) we are thinking about enclosing the coop in the run not only so that the coop can't reach in and get body parts but also so that it can't even touch the coop to scare them. that is the plan anyway...
pics soon as we have just continued the hoophouse and hardware cloth over the coop as well.