A question on coop space with an enclosed/secure run.

[PouleChick]

Hi Dennis - looks like a lovely set up

As far as the wood chips go I love them - I am aiming to have DLM in my run but I can't seem to get enough stuff in there it just disappears- and I dump all my garden waste etc. When I put a barrow of wood chips in they love it (although mine is half decomposed with lots of grubs which I'm sure helps!).

and a 5 gallon bucket with PVC elbows for feed

Did you buy or make? would like a pic of that - trying to work out more feeding systems now my flock is bigger! I bought a big feeder yesterday as I was fed up of doing it twice a day but will need more.

 

[Dennisi01]

Thank you! I'll keep an eye out for free woodchips. As far as the feeder goes, I made it myself. I can take a pic tomorrow but here is the tutorial I followed:

It works great. Cost about 20 bucks total. I put food in the bucket over 2 weeks ago, and the bucket is still darn near full as of yesterday. It's amazing how long the food lasts when there is 0 waste. Nothing getting tossed onto the ground and scratched away. Same with the 5 gallon waterer. After a week the water level barely dropped, and the water was still crystal clear. Just put a few tiny holes on the lid so air can get in. No algae, no dirt, no sliminess! The kids just go out in the morning and give the buckets a little bump to make sure they are still heavy. Looking to make this as close to no maintenance as possible. Doing DLM in the coop and in the month theyve been out there i just rake the shavings around to mix them up, throw some fresh shavings on top, and call it good.

 

[aart]

8" of apron is minimal and hopefully enough.
Cover the corners too so they can't get under the apron from the side/end of apron.
Is there an apron around the area under the coop too?
You'll probably want some 'winter walls' on the run to keep blowing snow out and to block wind. Lots of ways to do that from framed and clear glazed removable panels to stapling up some plastic, the more sun(and visibility) you can let thru the better and leave the upper 6" or so open for ventilation.

Any problems yet with run off from the roof flooding the run area?
Snow may pile there too.

I love aged ramial wood chippings for run bedding...along with other dry plant matter..pics in my 'run' gallery album.

 

[ShanasCastle]

Thank you! I'll add more roosting since there's only a 42" 2x4 set up for it now. With 24x7 open access to the run, do i still need to keep food and water in the coop?

As a general rule, chickens need access to food and water (especially water) at all times. Mine have food and water in the coop and they empty it tevery night (small mason jar size feeder/water).

 

[staceyj]

My opinion is that as long as they aren’t brahmas you should be fine.
I have a similar size set up and started with six hens.
Even your roost should work as long as they get along.
My hens smoosh and cuddle themselvesso close together on the roost (even in the heat of summer) that I could theoretically have three or four more sleeping in there!

I have never kept food or water inside the coop.
Water hangs out in the run 24/7. Food gets taken up at dusk and secured in a metal feed bin to keep rats away. Hang it up in the run in the morning when I let the girls out.

 

[Dennisi01]

Thanks all! The HW cloth apron is about 8" around all sides, plus the 4x4, so something would have to be really determined to get in over the course of a single night. The coop is in a pretty decent windbreak (house in front, fence in back, sheds/structures on either side), so I'll play it by ear to see if drifting snow becomes a problem.

So far nothing has messed with the food, probably because nothing gets spilled out of the feeder I use. Either way I'll keep an eye out for any mouse/rat sign, but something would have to squeeze in through the 1/2" HW cloth to get in at this point.