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Thanks for the replies. What about things like distance between posts?

Thanks for the replies. We have 6 currently, and I think that is where we will stay. We've had more than that in the past and it was too many. 6 is actually more than we need...we have too many eggs already.

Hey everyone, built a new coop from scratch last year (which was really fun) and want to tackle a new run construction this year. Can you all give me all your "dos and don'ts" on run design? I'm asking specifically about the construction, like size, shape, materials, foundation (set posts in...

I keep my water and feed outside in the run. I do this for a number of reasons (keeping the coop clean, dry, pests, etc.). However, now that the temps are down in the single digits and will stay that way for a number of days, I'm wondering if I should bend/break my rule and bring their...

During the shortest days of the year, to maintain 15 hours of light a day, I'd need to set a light to turn on at 3am. Our current routine is to let them out into their run around 7:30 each day. In other words, they would be going 4-1/2 hours without food/water. From that point on, they would...

Hey all. I am thinking about adding a light inside the coop this winter to increase egg production. I assume the chickens will need access to food/water during this extra "awake" time? I have set up my coop/run in such a way that food and water are out in the run, but I do not plan to get up...

Hey all, I am planning to collect rainwater into a food grade plastic barrel. Will sunlight penetrate the plastic and grow algae?

I don't have the roosts built yet, so see the pic below.

Hey guys, soo...can we get back on topic?

Thanks for the reply. I could (move the bar), but I know that the more maintenance I have to remember to do, the less likely I am going to remember to do it. The more I can do to set up things that does not require additional work for me, the better.

Thinking about having a window near the chicken roost area to help with summertime cooling and could also stay open year-round for winter ventilation. I have enough room to have another roost in another area that would not be drafty during the winter. Are chickens smart enough to use the...

Are you guys talking about the ridges of the sheet metal being big enough for a predator to crawl through?

Thanks!

Thanks all. I'm in Central KY, so I get a little bit of every kind of weather. Very humid here, so condensation is a bit of a concern. Maybe I should do a little insulation too.

Building an 8x8 chicken coop/shed and plan to roof it with some extra sheets of roofing metal I have leftover from an old barn project. I already have enough 7/16" osb sheets on site, but I don't see anyone using that for metal roofs. I assume it is best to use purlins instead of osb?

Thanks. I'm in Central Kentucky so my winters aren't terrible but we can have weeks below freezing and days below zero. This winter it got really bad and we had some days where the wind chills were well below zero.

How much ventilation do you guys leave open for the winter months? My coop design allows for one square foot of permanent ventilation per chicken . Assuming I Don't get any more chickens! Was wondering if I could get by with some more permanent ventilation up high or if that will be too much for...

Yes, you envision correctly. It is an 8x8 coop, walk-in, ground level (on concrete blocks). I went with studs 24" oc. My pop door is on the northeast side of the coop, so that should have the coolest air. I can throw in some more openings around wherever I can put them, especially on the...

Hey all, currently in the later stages of designing/building a new coop and trying to figure out where my windows/ventilation is going to be. I live in Central KY, so I can get cold in the winters and really hot at humid in the summers. I have my winter ventilation figured out (I will have...

I guess another question is whether those portable units are designed to be used on a daily basis like that which would be required as a substitute for a battery bank on a solar setup.