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- #21
Thanks, Mary! Yes, we are working to have plenty of ventilation. For now multiple windows are open and it's working great.
I agree, I'd rather err on the side of being overly cautious than not cautious enough. We are getting 1/2" hardware cloth to put over all the windows and any other area in the barn that we find it's needed. I don't think there are any other areas. The barn is very secure. Good thing is it has a cement foundation so the coop does too. We will do a thorough inspection of the entire barn. I don't want to neglect the rest of the barn and have something come in from somewhere else and get into the coop from the INSIDE.
Funny...last night just before dark and just before we went down to close the windows in the barn for the night (and make sure the ladies were roosting since I've had to teach them...but they are figuring it out) my husband heard a bunch of squawking and wing flapping down at the barn. I immediately began to run down to the barn & my husband jumps in the golf cart and we both zoom down there. I wasn't too concerned about any predators as they can't get in that I can see, but I had just seen a big rat snake earlier in the day...he could fit through the window if he really wanted to.
Anyway, we get down there and I look in the window only to find all 3 girls like a traffic jam at the top of the ladder just pushing each other around. LOL. I think they were ready to roost, but were still trying to figure out how to get up there. False alarm! I stayed down for a bit w/ them and put them on the ladder and then on the roost "this is how we do it, ladies". Once up there they were happy and ready for bed.
Happily, when I went down this morning to open the windows they were figuring out how to get down from the roost. It's fun to watch them try to figure things out. You can see their little brains thinking. So cute.
I agree, I'd rather err on the side of being overly cautious than not cautious enough. We are getting 1/2" hardware cloth to put over all the windows and any other area in the barn that we find it's needed. I don't think there are any other areas. The barn is very secure. Good thing is it has a cement foundation so the coop does too. We will do a thorough inspection of the entire barn. I don't want to neglect the rest of the barn and have something come in from somewhere else and get into the coop from the INSIDE.
Funny...last night just before dark and just before we went down to close the windows in the barn for the night (and make sure the ladies were roosting since I've had to teach them...but they are figuring it out) my husband heard a bunch of squawking and wing flapping down at the barn. I immediately began to run down to the barn & my husband jumps in the golf cart and we both zoom down there. I wasn't too concerned about any predators as they can't get in that I can see, but I had just seen a big rat snake earlier in the day...he could fit through the window if he really wanted to.
Anyway, we get down there and I look in the window only to find all 3 girls like a traffic jam at the top of the ladder just pushing each other around. LOL. I think they were ready to roost, but were still trying to figure out how to get up there. False alarm! I stayed down for a bit w/ them and put them on the ladder and then on the roost "this is how we do it, ladies". Once up there they were happy and ready for bed.
Happily, when I went down this morning to open the windows they were figuring out how to get down from the roost. It's fun to watch them try to figure things out. You can see their little brains thinking. So cute.
