Chicken Coop Ideas?

[KadeSilkies21]

Hello! I have started building my new chicken coop. We have a lot of eagles and foxes in our area so i am planning on keeping themin a large fenced off run with a roof.
How could I keep grass growing in their run? Also, what would you suggest for the run roof?

 

[andreanar]

Whew keeping grass in the run will be a tough chore, chickens scratch and eat grass faster than a lawn mower! I have seen where people have only let chooks in one part of the run at a time, then switch to another area so the grass in the first area can recover. That seems like a lot of work to me.
As for a roof cover, depends on where you live, climate, predators and your set up. If you want it totally (or as close to it as possible) you can use hardware cloth. You can use a tarp over the hardware cloth for shade or protection from snow.

 

[kwhites634]

Whew keeping grass in the run will be a tough chore, chickens scratch and eat grass faster than a lawn mower! I have seen where people have only let chooks in one part of the run at a time, then switch to another area so the grass in the first area can recover. That seems like a lot of work to me.
As for a roof cover, depends on where you live, climate, predators and your set up. If you want it totally (or as close to it as possible) you can use hardware cloth. You can use a tarp over the hardware cloth for shade or protection from snow.

I used 2"x4" welded wire under the tarp, with a bow to keep the rain from puddling & give the snow a chance to slide off, possibly with a little help.

 

[fightingbunny]

I went with semi-clear panels that look a lot like metal corrugated panels, but they let light in: HomeDepot: Suntuf, Lowes: Tuftex (http://www.homedepot.com/p/Suntuf-26-in-x-6-ft-Solar-Grey-Polycarbonate-Roof-Panel-158912/206166256 or https://www.lowes.com/pd/Tuftex-Pol...ated-PolyCarbonate-Plastic-Roof-Panel/3043411 )

I think it looks pretty good and was easier than I thought it would be to install. I hear that dry runs == not so smelly runs, so that is a good thing.

I don't think you can keep grass going too well unless the run is huge. What about those shallow wood boxes where it has hardware cloth protecting the roots and the grass grows up through it? I think those you would have to water though if you have them under a run roof.

 

[rosemarythyme]

As far as grass you can do a split run where the chickens primarily stay on one side and you manage when they get access to the other. If you limit how much time they get on the grass you can nurse it along to some degree.

 

[KadeSilkies21]

OK those sound like good ideas! I was already thinking of doing the split run idea so ill give it a shot. We dont get snow so hardware cloth would do fine. Thanks for the ideas!

 

[Folly's place]

It's a lot easier to use litter in the run; shavings, grass clippings, hay, straw, leaves, etc, and let them scratch around in it digging for worms and bugs. If you are aiming for 'pasture', then a mixed planting of weeds, grass, and various pasture plants will be better than grass only. Don't leave out shrubs and catmint! Mary