coop design questions

[aart]

not sure why all of this is on this thread. I know what I have set aside for the coop and run and it is more than enough for both.

Thread drift, with passionate debate, is not uncommon here on BYC.
I apologize for my parts in it.

 

[AmeliaBedelia]

Only reason I can think to elevate the coop 2 feet is if it affects whether you need a building permit, whether it is included as a structure for property tax assessment, etc. Sometimes overall height or ground contact can be loopholes/traps in the rules.

Or if it makes it easier for you to clean the coop and gather eggs (no bending), elevate it but block off that space underneath on the run side and store your coop cleaning tools under there. You'd probably want a pallet to rest the shovel and whatnot on so runoff water doesn't rust them. But you probably don't want an injured chicken hiding in the center of that crawl space...

 

[3KillerBs]

Only reason I can think to elevate the coop 2 feet is if it affects whether you need a building permit, whether it is included as a structure for property tax assessment, etc. Sometimes overall height or ground contact can be loopholes/traps in the rules.

It's also useful if you have limited space in the yard and want to maximize the available space for the chickens to use.

 

[junior67]

Thread drift, with passionate debate, is not uncommon here on BYC.
I apologize for my parts in it.

no worries at all. And I get it and could see if it was something that I was questioning about but coop size wasn't really an issue here besides which one I want to build. no question on what size is best. it was all great advice on what size and why up till there was just the trying to prove a point. But all good.

 

[jreardon1918]

Thread drift, with passionate debate, is not uncommon here on BYC.
I apologize for my parts in it.

I fear I too contributed to the drift. I will do better. Sorry. J

 

[junior67]

I fear I too contributed to the drift. I will do better. Sorry. J

unless I missed it I only saw your answers to my questions and some ideas to help me with my coop build. Either way as I said not a big deal.

 

[junior67]

Sorry thought of something else. We have chipmunks that live in our yard. Should I put the wire under the ground under the run so the chipmunks can dig up into their run and eat the food? I know I have read about digging down and putting the wire down then out to keep animals from digging under. But figure with a chipmunk they did down deep and then come up. Don't know if they will bother the chickens at all but guessing they will steal the food so thinking maybe I should put the hardware cloth under the dirt under the run to keep them out.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Most creatures want to dig as little as possible. Its why a dog will dig right next to the fence, instead of several feet away, and why they dig the bare minimum to slip undrr a fence,rather than deep down and tunneling.

That's why you typically only have to go down 1 ft or so into the soil, and/or skirt about 3' width around th e perimeter. Not that some cratures can't do more, just that they generally won't.

Chipmunks specifically? I don't know.

 

[junior67]

Most creatures want to dig as little as possible. Its why a dog will dig right next to the fence, instead of several feet away, and why they dig the bare minimum to slip undrr a fence,rather than deep down and tunneling.

That's why you typically only have to go down 1 ft or so into the soil, and/or skirt about 3' width around th e perimeter. Not that some cratures can't do more, just that they generally won't.

Chipmunks specifically? I don't know.

I know most don't. the chipmunk has holes in our front yard and all around the backyard and seem pretty deep so think they go down and tunnel quite a bit which is why I was unsure if I should just put the HWC under the run to be sure they can't dig up in it. hmmm hopefully someone knows since I am not sure. haahaa.

editing to add: Looked it up and found this: they spend most of their lives on the ground or underground in burrows that may reach 30 feet long and 3 feet deep.

Yikes. so sounds like it is normal for them to go 3' down.....

 

[3KillerBs]

I don't have chipmunks in my area, but I suspect that the chickens would happily kill and eat any they could spot.

I have a conspicuous lack of mole tunnels in my pen and I noticed over the summer that the biggest holes the ladies dug were where mole tunnels had been.

P.S. A hanging feeder might make it more difficult for chipmunks to access.