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Share Your Mistakes

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Superior Chicks

Superior Chicks

Songster
11 Years
Nov 3, 2008
289
9
131
Washburn, WI on Lake Superior
Please list the top 3 things you would do differently if you had (or will) build your run (not coop) all over again.

Mama always told me that I will learn more from peoples mistakes than I will from their success.
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We'll be building a new run next spring, and I'm going to spend the (long) winter ahead researching!

P.S. Small flock.....6 hens, but want them to have mucho room, as they can not be free ranged at all. Too many predators. Our coop is pre built 4x6x6 raised with pop hole that will lead into the run.

OK! Mistakes please!

Ma
 
1. Make it tall enough to walk in
2. Use strong wire, not garden fence
3. Build in a well drained area

jbc
4. Add a better top on it or even a roof
5.Make it bigger, at least 10 foot per current bird, because your going to get more!
 
My loving Hubby would say, NEVER let wife cut wood unattended.....

Instead of a sloped roof we now have a flat roof.....

High enough to walk in... first coop was a flip top and it was a bear....

Good building plans... (don't make changes after starting)

We're still working on coop #2 and besides the flat roof... I think it looks pretty good so far...

BTW: I no longer have access to cutting tools when H isn't around

lau.gif
 
BIGGER BIGGER BIGGER
What ever size you think you need, make it bigger. You will indeed get/hatch/adopt more chickens and you will be thankful you have the room!
 
Mine has many design flaws but I learned from my mistakes for next time. This was a real rush job as I found my first chicken and I had to create something ASAP to get him out the the cardboard box he was living.
10007_pen_and_coop_2.jpg
 
I just made my second one the way I should have made the first. There's an actually human sized door. There's no hardware clothe under the roosts. The roosts don't block my method of entry. It's only 2 feet of the ground instead of four.
 
1. Tall enough to walk into without ducking.
2. Solid roof to run. Mine is hardware cloth and it is full of sticks and leaves that will be difficult to clean.
3. Bigger.
 
These are basic basic!

-cover it

-bury chicken wire into ground to prevent digging

-stronger chicken wire (stray dog broke through it)

-think out gate design. You will likely only have one hand. The other will be full of food/water/eggs/etc.

Perfect timing, since I'm planning for chicks in the spring!
 
1) Make it bigger
2) Don't use green lumber (at least in Colorado) - it warps in the sun after installed
3) Make it bigger
 

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