The enclosure looks good. If you use a few tips, then the chickens will be safe at night. The first thing is to protect your girls from predators digging under the coop. Do you have hardware cloth down in the dirt? The idea is if a pred digs under, then it hits a barrier.
The doors (love the look!) should be locked at night... raccoons are very clever, and with their opposable thumbs can open simple locks/latches.
Because you're in Portland, you may want to 'train' the hens to go into a coop at night for some protection against cold. Generally they will learn to go in at dusk, and then complain until you let them out of the coop in the morning.
You'll need one or two nesting boxes when they actually begin to lay eggs. Until then, a roost that's easy to get up/down and a little higher than the nests are all they need. The idea is to only use a nest box for the egg laying; otherwise, those silly chickens will lay in there and soil the eggs.
Letting them out for an hour or so in the evening is a great idea.
Carla
The doors (love the look!) should be locked at night... raccoons are very clever, and with their opposable thumbs can open simple locks/latches.
Because you're in Portland, you may want to 'train' the hens to go into a coop at night for some protection against cold. Generally they will learn to go in at dusk, and then complain until you let them out of the coop in the morning.
You'll need one or two nesting boxes when they actually begin to lay eggs. Until then, a roost that's easy to get up/down and a little higher than the nests are all they need. The idea is to only use a nest box for the egg laying; otherwise, those silly chickens will lay in there and soil the eggs.
Letting them out for an hour or so in the evening is a great idea.
Carla
