Boneyard from Kansas

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Boneyard

Boneyard

In the Brooder
7 Years
Dec 10, 2012
32
0
22
Osage City, KS
Hi everybody! Just found this site a month ago and have learned a lot already. I am in the process of converting an old shed into a coop. I don't have chickens yet but wanting to get it all set up before I do. Thinking of starting with 8 or 10 laying hens.



Made some nesting boxes, ramps and doors. Also have a big run layed out, 12x20x18x20. I have the t posts in already and will put the 48" chicken wire on this week. Still a lot to do inside. Make roosting rods and frame in coop since I wont be using the whole 8x12 barn. I'll use the extra space for storage. I plan on covering the whole run with wire or netting of some sort to keep the blood thirsty critters out. It will be a learning curve but what the heck, go for it! I'm a big gardener to so the fertilizer will come in handy.
 
Hello and welcome from Ohio....so glad you joined. Best of luck on your new coop and chickens. Looks like an excellent job so far :)
 
Hello and welcome to BYC
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Great looking coop! So far LOL I've been told hardware cloth is great for keeping the most persistent critters such as raccoons out of your coop and run. Have a look at our Breeds section for more on the different chicken breeds. It will help you choose a breed or 2 (or make you go overboard and buy way too many chickens, because there are so many great breeds to choose from!)
 
Howdy, Boneyard, from a fellow Kansan! Great to have other Sunflower Staters on BYC! Looks like a great set up you have going! I cannot overstate how much I agree with sumi about the hardware cloth (tough wire mesh with small holes) suggestion! It is crucial to keep out the beasts - and you know of the raccoons, possums, skunks, and coyotes we have!! Also, sometime take a look at the Kansas thread here https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/248925/consolidated-kansas

Best of luck to you! What part of the state is home?
 
Thanks everyone! Thanks for the link too redsoxs! What kind of price is the hardware cloth? Is it cheaper or more expensive than regular chicken wire? I will need enough to cover 360 sq ft, give or take a bit. I plan on braising the middle with post to make a little more head room when I walk into the run.
 
I am fortunate to have a welded wire fence around the back yard so this run is inside that for added protection. Coons, cats and others might climb over but if I do it right with the wire, the birds should be secure. Plus I have a 2 dogs that run the backyard too. That will be fun getting them used to each other. Hopefully KC my lab doesn't pest them too much. She does love deer bones though and she can't stand cats.

My doggies, KC and Speedy
 
Boneyard said:
Thanks everyone! Thanks for the link too redsoxs! What kind of price is the hardware cloth? Is it cheaper or more expensive than regular chicken wire? I will need enough to cover 360 sq ft, give or take a bit. I plan on braising the middle with post to make a little more head room when I walk into the run.
Click to expand...

I don't know off the top of my head but I do know it is substantially more expensive than plain old chicken wire. But understand I don't completely cover my run in it. I don't have that much money! My run is made of chain link panels. But I do bury HW cloth around the perimeter so critters can't dig under and then I run it up about 18". This is mainly so a raccoon (the usual culprit for this trick) doesn't reach his greedy little paw through the chicken wire and drag a bird to him and eat it through the hole. There have been some frightening photos posted on BYC of that exact same thing happening. Plus a raccoon can simply rip through chicken wire with a little determination. If your run is made of chicken wire, that will be an issue for you. Good luck to you!
 

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