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They're not exactly decorative that way, but I don't mind and DH is getting used to it.

This shows some of the things I did in my run. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/blocks-bricks-and-pavers-the-critical-chicken-keeping-equipment-the-%E2%80%9Cchickens-101%E2%80%9D-articles-don%E2%80%99t-mention.76003/ Chickens will perch on just about anything. We owners are much...

It's all coming together beautifully.

Do you have a strong magnet? One of my tasks tonight will be making sure there are no dropped staples or bits of wires inside the brooder area. :)

Love that edge bender!

Be sure that you have a really GOOD pair of wire cutters made for heavy wire -- the stuff electricians would use -- not just the ordinary, cheap ones with the narrow and non-ergonomic handles. :)

As the household's official Tool Enabler I have just authorized purchase of a pneumatic staplegun that takes large, sturdy staples to make DH's job attaching the wire easier. It is specifically a fencing stapler...

It might be good to make a new thread about keeping wasps and bees out of the coop. That way people who have good ideas will know you need help and people who need help can easily find the thread because of the title. :)

Regular window screen? That shouldn't be a problem unless it gets clogged up with dust from the feather dander and the bedding (you may need to shop-vac the screens regularly if it's a major problem). What kind of bees are you talking about?

Looks great!

That's probably a good idea to promote airflow on calm days and to allow you to close one side or the other when it storms. Living in MA some 25-30 years ago was the first time I'd been in a place where storms could come from any direction (I have the same thing happening here in central NC too).

I would. For chickens acclimated to your usual temperatures the occasional weeks in the high 80's to low 90's would be like the weeks of high 90's and 100's for chickens acclimated to my climate. Additional airflow is good then. Make it so that you can open it different amounts for different...

Yes. Monitors on barns are a traditional way of providing excellent ventilation. My Little Monitor Coop article has detailed photos of how to frame a monitor roof: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-little-monitor-coop.76275/

It's probably too late to put in a monitor at this stage, but can you add a cupola or two?

An HVAC man should be able to figure out the square footage of the ventilation easily. You want a minimum of 1 square foot of permanent, 24/7/365 per adult, standard-sized hen, plus the extra, seasonal ventilation from windows that will be closed in the winter. AS @U_Stormcrow says, it needs to...

I'll let the northerners advise you about most of the things you're asking about, but I will say that I love having the food and water outside in a covered run. When I had a covered run I had the food and water right next to my access door so I could attend to it easily and monitor it.

Indeed. DH has determined that he's going to learn how to install metal roofing due to the cost of building a shingled roof right now.

The problem with clear roof panels is the greenhouse effect. Chickens tolerate cold much better than they tolerate heat and a clear roof creates an OVEN on even a cool sunny day. I spent a decade in Massachusetts so I know that you *do* get some 85-90F days in the summer.

I don't have chipmunks in my area, but I suspect that the chickens would happily kill and eat any they could spot. I have a conspicuous lack of mole tunnels in my pen and I noticed over the summer that the biggest holes the ladies dug were where mole tunnels had been. P.S. A hanging feeder...

It's also useful if you have limited space in the yard and want to maximize the available space for the chickens to use. :)