Coop being delivered tomorrow...help!

[getaclue]

A pen skirt is hardware cloth, that extends about 3 feet from the outside bottom of the coop, outward. I connected my pen skirt to the coop with the staples you hammer in. You can bury the wire, but I kept my pen skirt in place with sod staples, until the grass grew through it enough to keep it secured. It didn't take long for the grass to anchor it down, and now I can safely mow over the entire thing.

 

[heather9084]

Yes I want to be very cautious I know we have coons and possum around so I do not want them to get these girls after we have spent so much time raising them from babies! Is it ok to do like one person did and put the wire skirt on top of the ground all the way around? Our yard and dirt is pretty hard and may take a while to dig up even 6" down.

We buried the wire about 2" deep since our dirt is pretty hard too. We stapled it to the bottom of a 2x2" (did this for all four sides) and then dug out the space, put it down and then placed the coop ontop of the 2x2. I have a small garden box on the front side of the coop (just filled with mint. smells good, and chickens don't seem to care for it).

 

[blackdog043]

Is it ok to do like one person did and put the wire skirt on top of the ground all the way around?

Yes! Use landscape pins to hold it down.

 

[flipflops]

Ok guys we got down the skirt no problem. Worked out great using the landscaping pins. A few more questions:
For now we are putting the girls in the hen house at night because they are not understanding how to go in and out right now. Right now we have a dim light inside it just for a little light. Is this ok or should we take the light out completely before bed? It's just a very dim solar light.

Have you guys ever tried the predator solar light? It has 2 red lights that pop on or something like that?

I read somewhere that people hung herbs inside the hen house? Thoughts on this?

Anything else to make these girls comfy as can be?

 

[pennyJo1960]

maybe change to a red light at night plain old red bulb I use a 30 watt , white light during the day keeps them laying when light is less in winter

 

[blackdog043]

They will catch on with going in and out the pop door.
There really is no reason, to have a light on at night for them, they should be sleeping. I would take it out.
I've never had a predator light.
I hung mint in my coop once, I didn't really notice the aroma. You can add some herbs to the nest boxes,(lavender & mint) I think with them getting comfy to lay, they may stir up some fragrance.