Advice appreciated

[BonBonG]

Hi,
We are gutting out our yard and we recently put up this premade coop/run combo. We will lift the coop up a bit and build a short fence around it to give the girls some personal yard space. (We are aware that me may need to cover it if the girls are more interested in the rest of the backyard and for protection as needed).
What’s the best ground cover to use in their yard to eliminate smell? The dirt we have is almost sand like, we can easily sift it over our dogs poop as if it’s kitty litter.

also for the covered run (I will actually put a solid roofing over the covered run), I am planning to use lots of wood shavings and pdz.
Am I on the right track? First time doing this and don’t want to have toooo many mistakes to learn from
Ty!!
(I included my oh-so professional drawing )

 

[aart]

also for the covered run (I will actually put a solid roofing over the covered run)

We will lift the coop up a bit and build a short fence around it to give the girls some personal yard space. (We are aware that me may need to cover it if the girls are more interested in the rest of the backyard and for protection as needed).

Make run tall enough for you to walk into comfortably.
At least a mesh roof is a good idea, because a "short fence" will not keep them where they belong.

What’s the best ground cover to use in their yard to eliminate smell? The dirt we have is almost sand like, we can easily sift it over our dogs poop as if it’s kitty litter.

First make sure you have no drainage issues, then coarse wood chippings are best to reduce odor, IMO, along with other smaller dry plant matter.

How many birds do you plan on keeping?
The coop part of that coop/run combo is pretty small, might think about making it all coop.
Need to see the inside to advise on how to do that.


Oh, and... Welcome to BYC! @BonBonG
Where in this world are you located?
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Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
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[aart]

Am I dreaming?

Yes.

Was hoping to have a chicken yard w a bunch of plants for them.

They are very likely to tear up any plantings they can get at.

if the short fence doesn’t work then we’ll build it up to a tall fence as needed. My husband is thinking—- just make up your mind.

Just go tall with a mesh roof, will keep chickens in and depending on what mesh you use most predators out.

 

[aart]

their main predator will be my 80+ yo dad

Hot Wire

 

[rosemarythyme]

The coop part of that coop/run combo is pretty small, might think about making it all coop.
Need to see the inside to advise on how to do that.

x2. Even with just 3 birds, they'll be much happier and more inclined to use the coop if you can open up the entire thing as a coop.

So to turn it from 2 small "boxes" (tiny coop above tiny run) into 1 bigger "box" you'll want to remove as much of the inside coop wall as possible, plus the floor. Take out the old roosts too.

Nests might be able to stay as is, or may need to be relocated elsewhere or replaced - depends on the structure of the coop and how things inside stack up once done.

Run a new roost(s) lengthwise across the newly open space. Ideally you’d like 12” per bird but 10” can suffice in many cases.
Board up some of the external wire walls so that the roost area is protected from winds and rain. Do NOT fully cover up all the wire, you need ventilation and natural light, so at the very least a few inches under the roofline should remain open. If your climate allows for it, you can leave entire walls open with just the mesh, or make it convertible for the season by covering up open walls for winter, and then uncovering for summer.

 

[black_cat]

That dirt is great. They'll love dustbathing in it. You can also add mulch, wood chips, leaves...really anything that's not poisonous.

 

[BonBonG]

That dirt is great. They'll love dustbathing in it. You can also add mulch, wood chips, leaves...really anything that's not poisonous.

ty for the feedback and pointers!

 

[aart]

Where’s the fainting emoji at?!?

Romance meets Reality.

mesh .. as in hardware cloth?

1/2" HC would keep about everything out, backed with a stronger mesh against larger preds.
There's a lot of different meshes/fencing, all have their pros and cons.

I used 14ga 2x4 welded wire on my run(roof, walls, and apron) because....
- hawks are the main predator here.
- most snow goes right thru it.
- I'm home in sight or hearing of coop and run 95% of the daylight hours.
My coop on the other hand is a 6 sided box of 1/2" HC, and inside a large shed....
..so pretty much impenetrable at night.

 

[Dottie the Chicken]

@aart @cluckmecoop7

 

[cluckmecoop7]

@aart @cluckmecoop7

Thanks for the tag!

Well, that dirt looks awesome! Like @black_cat said, they will love to scratch around and dustbath in it. Although they might want a taste of greens once in a while.... and I'm not sure if you are planning to free range or not...

Anyway, good luck with whatever you do!