Can’t wait to move in!

[starri33]

My barred rocks LOVED it! Played in the straw outside until I had to force them back in for the night.
My EEs refused to come out but seemed curious, didn’t want to push them and stressView attachment 1721293 View attachment 1721294 View attachment 1721295 View attachment 1721296 them out.
Was super cute watching my BR fluffs figure out the ladder and see them run from one side to the other!
First time outside! It was also 20 degrees last night but the small lamp kept the coop at 50 and they seemed happy this morning still. Phew!

I was just looking at your pictures of your coop, has the space between the boards been chinked? I noticed a good size gap in one of them, where the corrugated tin sits on the wood, has that been sealed off? if not while maybe not enough you have ventilation, that area between the corrugated and the wood seems perfect for ventilation for me. Heat rises so it helps with condensation, you might want to look at a small window or two for during the summer.

 

[406girl4life]

Unfortunately, animals that you've never seen before will eventually discover the tasty chickens out there and will try to get in the run (The problem with chickens is that literally everyone thinks they taste delicious!). Most people in predator-heavy areas use hardware cloth on their run, as it has small enough holes that predators can't reach their paws through, and is a heavy-enough gauge that determined predators can't tear through. (Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015PD9JX0/?tag=backy-20 )

You can use electric (live) wire around the run that may deter some predators (search online for "electric fencing" or go to your hardware/animal feed store and ask about it).

Some people have a guard dog for their chickens who will watch the chicken area at night and run off any predators.

If you put them in the coop each night and keep the cooped predator-proof, that would help, but some predators get bold, and attack in the early morning or evening before the chickens are in the coop.

I just don't want you to wake up one day to a nasty surprise!

We were going to use the metal mesh stuff but the store didn’t have any excepts a very small roll so we went with the bigger stuff. Maybe I could roll the mesh around the bottom portion where the chickens can be reached.

 

[406girl4life]

I was just looking at your pictures of your coop, has the space between the boards been chinked? I noticed a good size gap in one of them, where the corrugated tin sits on the wood, has that been sealed off? if not while maybe not enough you have ventilation, that area between the corrugated and the wood seems perfect for ventilation for me. Heat rises so it helps with condensation, you might want to look at a small window or two for during the summer.

It’s actuallylike a plywood box (very well made by the guy I got it from) and then sided with rough cut planks (why it looks so gappy). The metal roof is screwed to plywood so no actual gaps there either.

 

[starri33]

It’s actuallylike a plywood box (very well made by the guy I got it from) and then sided with rough cut planks (why it looks so gappy). The metal roof is screwed to plywood so no actual gaps there either.

My husband put these in the top of our new coop along with windows.. there are some gaps between the osb and the roof line

 

[rosemarythyme]

We were going to use the metal mesh stuff but the store didn’t have any excepts a very small roll so we went with the bigger stuff. Maybe I could roll the mesh around the bottom portion where the chickens can be reached.

Look into big retailers like walmart, amazon... it's hard to get big rolls of HWC at decent prices otherwise.

I only have HWC on the bottom 2' or so of my run, and then aproned out another 2'. Obviously it's not "Fort Knox" but it at least keeps coons from just reaching in.

 

[Gargoyle]

Also, you need to be sure it's good quality galvanized hardware cloth. I got a couple rolls at Menards once, I was really pleased with the low price until they started rusting badly after just a couple of months.

 

[aart]

Also, you need to be sure it's good quality galvanized hardware cloth. I got a couple rolls at Menards once, I was really pleased with the low price until they started rusting badly after just a couple of months.

Was it GAW (Galvanized After Welding)?

 

[Gargoyle]

Was it GAW (Galvanized After Welding)?

It's been some years since I bought any, so I don't remember what was on the label. Generally they don't give you much information.

 

[aart]

Was it GAW (Galvanized After Welding)?

It's been some years since I bought any, so I don't remember what was on the label. Generally they don't give you much information.

If it is GAW, it will be on the label, usually right with the wire gauge and hole size.
If not labeled as such then it isn't GAW and product will likely rust sooner.

 

[Peepsi]

If it is GAW, it will be on the label, usually right with the wire gauge and hole size.
If not labeled as such then it isn't GAW and product will likely rust sooner.

Wish I would have known this before I went out and bought all my hardware cloth. Yikes! Thanks for the information.