Coop is finished:)

[new@chickens6]

Just read your post. My husband is in process of making our coop now. Ours will also be off the ground about 3/4 feet. Thanks for all the info on how i'm going to have to bring them in and out first few day/nights in it. Also about the ramp having the rungs about 6 inches apart. I will have to show him this post.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

When I got my new coop I just put food and water in there and locked them in for a week, that way when it's time to finally let them out they know that's home and go back in. If you let them sleep outside the coop it will be hard to break those new habits.

 

[NevadaRon]

I think Emmalion is probably correct about the tarp being too close and too noisy. The only other thing I would suggest, after re-reading your post, is don't put them on the ramp and expect them to go in. You have to physically put them in the coop. They'll figure out the ramp on their own!

 

[colebarnhart]

Looks great!!!! I would recomend that you might want to put a hardware wire border around the bottom of the poultry wire fence that you already have up. My coop/run area was very similar to yours and I didn't think any type of preditory animal could get into it and that my chix would be safe, however, raccoons and maybe possiums can reach thru the quarter size holes of the poultry wire you have up. Like I said, I didn't think it was possible, but have lost 2 hens to preditors that have tiny hands.

 

[CannonsChicks]

I don't think that your ramp is to long nor too steep. My ramp is a lot more steep then yours the chickens can go up it mainly hoping from rung to rung, but when they come out they mainly just jump off. I like how far the spacing is on your ramp for the rungs. I have now wished that I had made my ramp a little less steep and my rungs a little closer.

 

[jaydweight]

Quote:
Thanks...I'm hoping they will get the hang of things especially after I replace the tarp with some netting that will extend clear to the top making it tall enough for me to get in there.

 

[WhetzelMomma]

I don't think there's anything wrong with the ramp OR the tarp... I think it just takes some gals a bit longer to figure out where "home" is at night. Took mine about a week before I didn't have to crawl in and get at least one of them... lol Eventually they "get" it though...

 

[jaydweight]

Quote:
That's kind of what I'm thinking especially after I replace the tarp with the netting and make their run a little bit bigger

 

[jaydweight]

They made it! They made it! They made it! All without my help! Im one happy farmer!

 

[NevadaRon]