Barn Stall Conversion Question

[dominiques]

Thank you New Egg! I thought the same thing with chicken wire or hardware cloth floor covering hurting the chickens' feet. Glad my thinking is progressing.

And thank you Chicken Obsessed! I do have a crow bar. I will go out with crow bar in hand tomorrow morning and see what I can do. I am going to cover the wall with all the boards with plywood. There is some on sale at a liquidation place close by. I was also thinking of linoleum. They have that on sale there too. Guess it's meant to be. Thanks for tip on staples vs. screws with washers. What size screws/washers do you recommend? I had never thought of that. And the shutter/hardware cloth windows are a great idea.

You all are helping so much.

 

[dominiques]

How about the run? I read that chicken wire is not predator proof but I can't imagine a 10X16 run of hardware cloth. I am doing a 360 design with whatever I use all the way around. That's what was recommended to me. What do you think? Thanks again.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

The washer holds the hardware cloth down, so it depends on the size of square you get...I buy the u nails by the pound...chicken wire isn't that safe, but if you are going to get some thing cheaper, get a woven wire livestock fence...that should keep out most dogs and daytime predators. Your chickns will be safe inside at night. Covering the run may be an issue too. I use a cargo net from northern tool, but i only enclose broody hen with very small chicks, the rest run free...or fly. Many people spend a ton of money on runs..I don't.

 

[dominiques]

Thank you Chicken Obsessed. I am going to Tractor Supply tomorrow to get fencing. I'll ask about livestock fence. I read somewhere that you can do hardware cloth along the bottom 2 feet. So that's what I'm thinking. Then maybe this livestock fence behind that and up to 5' tall? With a chicken wire top since we have hawks?? I've got tons of U nails! I can use them. What do you use for wood for a frame for you run? I do not have a lot of money so do not want to spend a lot on a run. But I want my girls safe Thanks again. And my girls thank you!!

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Unless you have very small chickens or chicks, I wouldn't waste hardware cloth on the run, fence comes in many sizes - you can look online at tsc to get an idea, they have a good price on 100 foot rolls. For the cover to my run I have an eye hook screwed into the side of the coop and hang it with ropes to he fence. I also have a small tree in the middle, so it's high enough to walk under. It's not 100% predator proof, but the broody is constantly on guard she was even watching a large robin that sat in the tree. Alot depends on the balance of predators in your area...we have many rabbits everywhere and that is what the hawks focus on. Chicken wire will deter hawks, but it will take alot of wire,slats, and labor..do you have a yard dog?e

 

[dominiques]

From what I hear there are foxes around. Our neighbor has lost 11 of his 14 chickens in broad daylight to these foxes. And he was home!! He has tried to get them but hasn't been successful. The hawks and eagle hover over my yard often. They have even circled over me as I work in my garden. A neighbor's small dog was carried away by the eagle. Again, in broad daylight. So I'm nervous about day time and night time. Weasels scare the heck out of me as I lost my whole flock in one night years back to one of those buggers. That's what I know about for predators. We smell skunk in spring and fall and I assume raccoons are around although come to think of it I've never seen one.
Thanks again for your help and conversation. It really is helping me!

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Good, I'm glad. Coons are bad for chickens, but they are night predators, same for weasles and rats. Birds of prey like a clear shot and in and out...if it appears dangerous for them they usually don't risk it. Sure, some will say they've had them hop into their coop...I never have. It can be scary watching them circle overhead...but there isn't much else to do other than provide run to enclosures for them to hide under. A chicken will freeze when something goes over, if it's a threat, they run, or fly to the nearest safe place and hide. The bop is looking, can't see them, and moves on. A run to can be just a smaller piece of plywood they can fit under...my chickens won't even walk across the open yard anymore...they run or fly to the next available 'shelter' like, the jeep, or the house, or the trees and bushes. I can guarentee if you see a hawk flying over, you will not see a chicken any where they are hiding. I just think there are easier ways to overcome the predators and I don't want to spend too much to keep them safe either, and I don't believe in killing the hawks...just finding the balance that works.

 

[dominiques]

Thanks for your ideas! We are still working on the coop but are getting there. Haven't started the run yet. That's the end of next week. Predator proofing is hard work! I just ordered night guards. I hear good things about them. The only thing showing notice of the chicks so far are my dogs. So far so good although I don't totally trust them. They are labs and awful impulsive.

 

[PistolPetesCrew]

My dad and I converted two stalls into one giant chicken coop for my little chickies. I used 1 inch foam board for insulation, luan plywood, and tons of outdoor screws with little washers on them to prevent them from going through the plywood. My dad ran the electricity into the coop via a 1 inch diameter exterior grade pvc piping, and installed three lights that are meant for horse barn so that they have a steel cage around them for if the chickens were to ever fly up and hit one it would not shatter.






The Nesting boxes are made in between the studs of the stalls, and actually have an opening on the outside of the coop where I can reach in and grab the eggs. I bought three windows that were on sale so I will have plenty of ventilation.
the roosts are nothing more than a few left over 2 X 4's from other projects.




My chickens LOVE their new coop!!!
The only reason why I insulated their coop is due to the fact that I live in Maine.