- Jul 24, 2013
- 14
- 16
- 94
Hi all,
I just want to share our coop stories and pictures of our current coop and run. We like the idea of things being moveable, so our first coop was supposed to be a tractor that we could move around. It didn't end up moving very well, I think it was heavy and the wheels were too small. We also never managed to make the run that was supposed to move with the tractor, so we just put the coop in an fenced enclosure. Worked well, until it didn't! One night I was awakened by chicken noises and upon investigating found the roof had been torn up and there was a huge hole! I think it was a raccoon or more trying to get it. Didn't lose any chickens that night, but those chickens had to move into the house in the middle of the night because we had no other place safe for them!
We put a new roof on that coop and kept using it for a while. We did have to put a fence on the top of the run to keep the raccoons out - oh that was fun! We were working on it one night in the dark and darn if two raccoons were right behind us trying to get it while we were standing on ladders and securing the edges!
Fast forward a couple of years and we know its time for a new coop. Using sketchbook on the computer, my husband first designed the coop. The whole project took a long time! I think he started in late summer last year and we didn't move chickens in until January 30
As you can see, the new coop is built on a trailer. Once my husband finished that, we rolled it up to the current run and attached it. The chickens wintered there and in the old run that includes an old shed that is actually falling apart in places - we have had to attach hardware cloth at the corners of the shed to keep critters out. We hope to eventually stop using this old run once the new one is more secure.
This summer we started the project of the run - or I should say my husband started it with lots of help from our son. Again we want it to be able to move around and there are a few details yet to be figured out, such as securing the bottom edge to keep predators from digging under. I suppose an apron of sorts although that makes it more difficult to allow it to be moved as often. but for now I think it works as a temporary place for the younger chickens until they can be housed with the older ones. then in the last 2 days he made a small temporary coop to keep the young'uns in until they are ready to be integrated.
I just want to share our coop stories and pictures of our current coop and run. We like the idea of things being moveable, so our first coop was supposed to be a tractor that we could move around. It didn't end up moving very well, I think it was heavy and the wheels were too small. We also never managed to make the run that was supposed to move with the tractor, so we just put the coop in an fenced enclosure. Worked well, until it didn't! One night I was awakened by chicken noises and upon investigating found the roof had been torn up and there was a huge hole! I think it was a raccoon or more trying to get it. Didn't lose any chickens that night, but those chickens had to move into the house in the middle of the night because we had no other place safe for them!
We put a new roof on that coop and kept using it for a while. We did have to put a fence on the top of the run to keep the raccoons out - oh that was fun! We were working on it one night in the dark and darn if two raccoons were right behind us trying to get it while we were standing on ladders and securing the edges!
Fast forward a couple of years and we know its time for a new coop. Using sketchbook on the computer, my husband first designed the coop. The whole project took a long time! I think he started in late summer last year and we didn't move chickens in until January 30
As you can see, the new coop is built on a trailer. Once my husband finished that, we rolled it up to the current run and attached it. The chickens wintered there and in the old run that includes an old shed that is actually falling apart in places - we have had to attach hardware cloth at the corners of the shed to keep critters out. We hope to eventually stop using this old run once the new one is more secure.
This summer we started the project of the run - or I should say my husband started it with lots of help from our son. Again we want it to be able to move around and there are a few details yet to be figured out, such as securing the bottom edge to keep predators from digging under. I suppose an apron of sorts although that makes it more difficult to allow it to be moved as often. but for now I think it works as a temporary place for the younger chickens until they can be housed with the older ones. then in the last 2 days he made a small temporary coop to keep the young'uns in until they are ready to be integrated.
