Coop in the summer?

[poodlepill]

I'm preparing my coop for my 14 4 week old chicks. My coop is large 20x10 with a cement floor. That's all good and safe for them but when its middle of summer do they still sleep inside the coop house? I thought I had it all figured out.......I planned to have them sleep inside the coop and lock it up at night. I do have a 10x20-6' high run outside the coop, its a chain link dog run. I plan to put hardware cloth round the bottom and bury it too, the chickens will free range during the day as I need bug control. Do I need to give them a choice to sleep outside in the run if its too hot? eeeekkkk My pasture where the coop is is fence with field fence and wire on top and Llamas running around them. I am getting paranoid reading this section. I wanted to plant sweet corn and just read that Raccoons like sweet corn more than chickens. I haven't even seen a raccoon, possum, weasel or tracks but they are nocturnal I know. UGH I am regretting the chickens, I sure don't want to find a massacre

 

[dacjohns]

Paragraphs please.



Simply put they will sleep inside. Give them something to roost on.

 

[TeriNick50]

Don't worry!
Be happy about your chickens.

It sounds like your coop and run will be secure.
If you have a pop door leading from the coop to the pen, they will probably put themselves to bed in the coop.
If it's too hot, they might sleep outside but I really don't know.

My chickens sleep in their coop, regardless of temperature.
Just be sure there is enough ventilation.

The information on these message boards can get overwhelming and cause alarm.
Use your good common sense, nurture the chicks and they'll get you into a routine!

Most of all ... HAVE FUN!

 

[ivan3]

Yes, they should stay in the coop. Do you have good ventilation? Securing the coop/run is not that difficult (manageable problem set). Unsupervised free ranging will represent the greatest opportunity for losses. If you are located in an area with open farmland along Rt. 57, for instance, then maybe neighbor's dogs and hawks will be the biggest threats. If you are over by the Miss. somewhere along Rt.3/4 then get your electric fencing up and clean the shotgun and rifle (went to school at SIUC - assessment of predator load was never any further away than the road margins and I'd run out of fingers before I'd travel as many miles - plenty of owls, as I recall).

It is even more active, here, in Mid-Mo (avg. coon retirement per year since `97: 28). We've only lost one GSL pullet to a fox and a turkey hen to a perfectly healthy raccoon on a daytime schedule, over the past 5yr.. It is still more than worth the grief to be able to enjoy the flocks.

Preemptive trapping (and whatever else is necessary) won't keep more predators from coming, but will reduce the overall frequency of predation (we keep 3, model 1079, havaharts set and baited at all times - have never lost either turkeys or chooks in their runs coop/shed).

That your pasture is already fenced and you have the Llamas you are already well on your way to minimizing eventual losses from free ranging.

 

[patman75]

Make sure there is plenty of ventilation. All of my overhangs are open and secured with hardware cloth. Keep them locked up in the coop for a week or two before letting them outside. So they get used to the coop and where they roost. They will sleep inside.

 

[poodlepill]

Thanks everyone. I just have 2 3/4 acres and its all brand new perimeter fenced and gated solid. I have seen some roaming dogs but they cant get into my property. I also have my llamas where the chicken coop is hoping they will give some sort of deterrent but not sure how much.

My whole idea for having the chickens was for bug eaters as my llamas (we did too) had some ticks on them last year. I also want the free range eggs of course and I am going to try to cull the roosters (except one) or meanies and put them in my freezer....that last part is my plan, don't know if I can follow through but I really want to know where my food came from. I am also planting a garden, tired of buying.

Free range is really only on about 1.8 fenced acres. I am prepared to loose A chicken at some point but I have visions of my chickens pulled through the fence piece by piece.....ewwww. I do enjoy my chickens, I love to watch the flock dynamics even though they themselves are little savages....LOL.

So I like to read this section to help prepare my chicks but I better not get obsessed with lingering in this section.

 

[poodlepill]

Well the building has no windows but it does have a whirly thing on the roof, a spinning ventilation thing. I would love to put some windows in it but my dear husband says "how much money are we going to spend on chickens" yes I know and I can get carried away. I probably have $500 <sigh> in them so far and I haven't bought the hardware cloth to wrap around the run to keep them secure when I want to pen them up. I'm not going to tell him about the hardware cloth, just do it myself <wink>

I did talk to him about putting a new door in with a window, maybe I can find one with a slider window? I will look for used windows to put in the building

Here is my coop, chicks are only 4 weeks old so I still have some time to get it finished. I am lucky that we had this unused building on our property just begging to be a chicken coop. We have since fixed the eves and are replacing some of the siding that blew off in the May 8 storm. I should post the picture under coop's too.

 

[kota1369]

You have a very nice set-up. And yes, your llamas will let your chickens know if there is anything around. They will also let you know with their alert call. Once they are all familiar with the chickens they will most likely protect them from many different predators. They can most definately help protect your flock.
As far as ventalation is concerned. The whirly thing on the top is strictly attic venting. If there is a ceiling in there all it is doing is venting out the attic not the shed. Even if there is not attic the shed does not have enough venting by any means. There are a few things you could do inexpensively. Get on to craigslist and start looking for cheap used windows. You could remove the gable ends siding and sheating and put up hardware cloth. (depending on normal wind direction) You could add soffit venting but the commercial stuff I do not believe will give you enough venting. Hardware cloth as soffit would be better for the chickens.
Good luck and there are some really neat coops on here to look at and may give you come idea's on inexpensive venting for them.

The lady with 4 dogs, 4 city chickens a rabbit and more on the way and a lizard

 

[kota1369]

Also, if that is vinyl siding you could go on the interior and cut out areas between 2x4's and then hang the hardware cloth on that. That way you could make windows the size you want and the only real expense is the wire. That way you are making your own window without having to frame it and hang it.

The lady with 4 dogs, 4 city chickens, a rabbit with more on the way and a lizard

 

[speckledhen]

I would definitely put in a window or two for them. They love looking out! You need more ventilation, too, especially in summer.