chicken mistakes (coop building questions)

[mendogurl]

Quote:
Hi again,

This site is a goldmine.
I am in just finishing my foundation and begin framing next week when the rain stops.
Run question for you- Does it make sense to roof the entire run, and provide both shade and rain protection?
Will the chickens go out in the rain, or maybe I should say, SHOULD they?

Thanks Pat,
Terry

 

[mendogurl]

Quote:
That's interesting. I am completely paranoid about predators, raccoons in particular. They are the size of cars where I live, lol. I read in some chicken book that they can pull out staples!

I have a wood foundation, and am putting in a linoleum floor on top of that. Would it make sense to put hardware cloth on top of that? How is that for cleaning? I am going to do deep litter.

My chicks arrive next week.

Thanks,
terry

 

[cwc362]

 

[cmom]

I agree with the other posts. I just wanted to welcome you too.

Here is a great reference book, Gail Damerow's 'Storey's Guide to Chickens' is an excellent guide, as well as this web site. This site is an excellent source of information.

Also here are some other good sites and info.
Henderson's Chicken Breed Chart
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/BRKPoultryPage.html
http://www.mypetchicken.com/aboutChickens.aspx
https://www.backyardchickens.com/lcenter.html
https://www.backyardchickens.com/coopdesigns.html
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-Treats_Chart

 

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

Quote:
Hi again,

This site is a goldmine.
I am in just finishing my foundation and begin framing next week when the rain stops.
Run question for you- Does it make sense to roof the entire run, and provide both shade and rain protection?
Will the chickens go out in the rain, or maybe I should say, SHOULD they?

Thanks Pat,
Terry

Naw, best to shelter them from all rain and let them remain ignorantly bliss, or blissfully ignorant.

 

[oldmac]

CMOM has posted good links to study all the info, I have just started to work on my coop and run and BYC is a great place to spend time to learn. We have horses and the horse barn and pen are 200 feet from the house keep in mind that smell=flys and feed=mice see if you can find someone that wants to get rid of a shed maybe use it for a coop and if you could bury power and water to the coop/shed it would make things easy. I have found an old sink and other odds and ends to save money, keep it simple and have fun.

Good Luck

:cd:yiipchick

 

[dancingbear]

Quote:
Terry, I've been thinking about trying to find a deal on linoleum myself, to put on the wooden floor in my coop, to make it easier to clean, and also to stop the litter falling out through the cracks between the boards. I think it would work well. It would have to be old-fashioned linoleum, though, not that flimsy vinyl floor covering they sell these days. The chickens would tear that stuff to bits, scratching.

If you have a wooden floor, I don't see any need for hardware cloth on the floor over the lino. Raccoons wouldn't be able to tear through wooden floors. This is assuming you don't have really big gaps between boards. Lino's pretty tough, too. If you have coons that can rip through wooden boards and linoleum....I don't want to meet them.

On the issue of doors and which way they open, we made ours open out, for several reasons:

So we don't hit chickens with the door when we open it, especially when there are chicks that could easily be crushed.

It keeps more floor space available inside for feeders, waterers, or whatever, because the space doesn't have to be kept clear for the door to swing open.

Litter won't build up and make the door hard to open.

When I'm cleaning out the coop, the door's latched open, swung outside the coop and out of my way.

Everybody's posted great info on this thread, I've gotten some new ideas here.

 

[jjconcepts]

very good point. i didn't consider roaming.. I intend to keep them in a playpen type area - let them outside while i tend to the greenhouse in the evenings.. I have a fenced in yard - just how bold are hawks when a human is in the same area as the chicken? - how close do they need to be kept..

 

[mendogurl]

Quote:
Terry, I've been thinking about trying to find a deal on linoleum myself, to put on the wooden floor in my coop, to make it easier to clean, and also to stop the litter falling out through the cracks between the boards. I think it would work well. It would have to be old-fashioned linoleum, though, not that flimsy vinyl floor covering they sell these days. The chickens would tear that stuff to bits, scratching.

If you have a wooden floor, I don't see any need for hardware cloth on the floor over the lino. Raccoons wouldn't be able to tear through wooden floors. This is assuming you don't have really big gaps between boards. Lino's pretty tough, too. If you have coons that can rip through wooden boards and linoleum....I don't want to meet them.

On the issue of doors and which way they open, we made ours open out, for several reasons:

So we don't hit chickens with the door when we open it, especially when there are chicks that could easily be crushed.

It keeps more floor space available inside for feeders, waterers, or whatever, because the space doesn't have to be kept clear for the door to swing open.

Litter won't build up and make the door hard to open.

When I'm cleaning out the coop, the door's latched open, swung outside the coop and out of my way.

Everybody's posted great info on this thread, I've gotten some new ideas here.

hmmm. I had no idea that there had been a huge shift in the quality of linoleum. Makes sense tho, why would it be different than anything else?
Vintage linoleum...ebay?
I am having more fun doing this chicken coop than I am doing our bathroom !!

 

[citygirl]

A question - what is a poop board. We are in the process of building a new coop and it's interesting to read all of your info. I've got new babies coming soon.

Thanks