converting a lean-to into a coop will this work?

[Mskayladog]

Its not finished and the run will be covered, and the south facing wall is open but fenced and the gate needs chicken wire on it. We can close swinging doors on the coop is the weather gets bad but prefer to keep them open. Do I need a hutch and honest op wanted on the coop.
I plan on letting them free range once they have their full weight on.




Thanks in advance for any input.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I don't know what gauge wire you used on front of coop but you'll also want to put a skirting around the bottom of coop and front to keep out digging predators. It's been suggested here and is easiest to simply lay out 18" of wire and cover with an inch of soil, a digger will hit wire and stop, they don't back up knowing there is an end to it rather dig at fence line.

Raccoons and other predators can chew threw light gauge wire, make sure front of coop and skirting is thick enough to prevent this. Your coop needs to be predator proof and chickens locked in at night or your looking at future heart ache. I never worry about the run netting as long as it contains the birds, here our major threat is night predators not stray dogs. Dogs and hawks are your day predator worries so with a covered run your covered for hawks.

 

[Mskayladog]

We have 2 ft of wire laid flat with tent pegs to draw it tight to the ground all around the building and outside fencing which we are going to finish I hope today and then cover with dirt. Not sure what gauge wire we have for the fencing.
The lean-to open side is fenced in with the added 2 feet of ground wire also pegged and going to cover with dirt.

Should we add a double layer of fencing around the opening of the leanto?

 

[Mskayladog]

Here is a close up of the wire we used to inclose the lean to, Was it the wrong wire?

 

[devora]

This is the wire on the wall that is all wire? Is it chicken wire?

And kudos for converting a lean-to. Our first coop was a conversion and it was fabulous.

 

[Mskayladog]

Yes, That is the wire we have applied to the open side of the leanto as a wall enclosure. It was sold to us as chicken wire.
Years ago we had a horse in the lean to, I spent the day shoveling out the old horse poo which is now really just compost.


It's the same wire we used as fencing to keep the chickens in the run.

 

[schamberfarms]

I Think you will be ok. If I were to do anything on the opening of the leen too I would just run about a 3 ft tall piece of plywood from the wall to the gate and bury about 6 inches off it just in case they made it threw the 2ft of wire netting covered in dirt and that would give you a little wind barrier too.

 

[schamberfarms]

The wire is fine That is what i run. I havent had any trouble with it.

 

[schamberfarms]

After looking at the pics a little more you may want to add a few more fence post . I saw some long spaces in there you want to make sure your fence is tight, and not to have to big of gaps from where it is wired off I run my post about every 5ft and wire it on top middle and bottom. this helps critters from working your fence down.

 

[Mskayladog]

All the fence along the ouside and the wall is bent at the bottom and I used tent pegs to tighten it done to the ground...Walmart in corydon has no yellow tent pegs left lol. The wall itself has 2 feet of wire which is buried and against hubby's wishes I'm putting 2 ft of wire pegged down on the inside along the walls on the ground.
We have some more post and will tell dh we need more post.
Thanks!