Critique my set up please?

[citychickx6]

I like it!
Maybe a couple windows for light and a breeze on hot days?

I did see on here where someone had made frames and put wire above it held up with bricks so the chickens had greens they could nibble on all the time without destroying it.

Landscaping timbers laying on the ground with wire over it should work.
Lovely area you have.

 

[sdsknifeworks]

Flewdacoop, thanks, I figured I was building much bigger than I needed for just a few birds but thought that things might be easier to take care of if they had more room to roam. It also allows for adding birds later if I choose to do that. Do you have any pictures of your coop and run? I'm always interested in looking at how other people set things up.

Vicky, what are "drop posts"? Are those t-posts? After thinking about it I think I will try to get some chicken wire and a few posts to divide my run. I can leave one end "moveable" so that it will be relatively easy to guide them to one side or the other. How long do you let them forage each side before switching? I'm sure it will depend on the number of birds but just wondering if you wait until you start seeing a problem or if you let them go a week, ten days, ???

I just don't remember giving chickens this much thought when I was a kid. My grandparents just put them in the henhouse and they would free range with the rest of the birds. They had dozens but we never bothered with them much except to toss out some feed and gather eggs each day. I know that keeping them in a run makes them completely reliant on me for everything so I guess that is where a lot of the planning comes in.

I got the netting up last night and will be finishing that up tonight along with figuring out some kind of temporary shade structure. Should be ready for birds in the next few days.

SDS

 

[Vicky2479]

The drop posts are metal posts with a pointed end to drive into the ground and holes along to attach what ever fencing you want, builders use them as temporary posts cause they are easy to put in and take out, we also call the star droppers cause they have 3 sides (I'd take a pic but haven't worked out how to up load them to this site yet). I think your idea of a section that can be moved is perfect.
As I said I didn't do this to start with so am now trying to "fix" the problem,I would only be guessing at how long to leave them in each side but I think a week would be a good starting point, if they don't seem to have caused to much damage in that time then extend it to 10 days.

 

[d3rabbitry]

Looks good hope it is working well for you

 

[sdsknifeworks]

Citychickx6, not sure how I missed your post when I was on here last time. Sorry about that. I had thought about windows but didn't have anything around that would work for that so I haven't done anything like that yet. I am hoping that the hardware cloth above the doors on each end along with a six inch strip of hardware cloth along the west wall, the length of the coop, will be enough ventilation. I may put a thermometer in there just to see what the temps are getting up to at night and during the day.

The frames sound like a neat idea. I'm not sure how well it would work on an area this size but I do like the idea. I could build a frame like that and if they start tearing up an area too badly I could place it over that area until it recovers.

I am enjoying living in the country and hope to have more free time soon. That means I SHOULD be able to get more projects going here. I am wanting to get my chickens going, plant one or two more gardens in the spring (maybe even a fall garden), plant more fruit trees, and MAYBE consider a couple of feeder steers.

There is a lot of potential here. I just have to tap into it.

SDS

 

[citychickx6]

No worries.
I think the frames I saw were not covering the whole area just like 4' wide and 8' long.
For windows in my coops what I did was cut the whole and cover with hardware cloth then I made plexiglass "windows" that I can open and close.
So far they are working well enough.

WOW I am so envious of where you live at. I would absolutely love to be back in the country.

 

[sdsknifeworks]

How important is having light in the coop? I have the two vents on each end and the coop door that will let some light in. Is it better to have more light getting in there?? If I put a window on the west side it will light up the nesting boxes quite a bit and heat up the interior because of the evening sun.. If I put on it on the east side it would be right by the roosting bars and the morning light would be blocked by my barn.

I like the idea of the mesh covered wood frame. I could make the frame out of 2 X 2's pretty easily and it wouldn't cost too much either. I have some 1/2" hardware cloth left over from the coop build.

SDS

 

[citychickx6]

I am not sure how important it really is. I just know mine really like the window since they sit in front of it and look out. If you can put one on the south it would catch winter sun.
I know in the winter mine eat more since I painted the inside white and added the south window. Before I had a piece of plywood that I screwed to the wall to close it from the cold.
It may brighten it up enough if it is just painted bright inside. I do not know if it is already painted.
The windows also make it easier for me to see when I am cleaning it.
If you click on the pic it should make it larger. You may be able to see my simple framing in these.



This window is next to the wire on the run so the plexiglass was put into a track after this pic was taken and slides to the side.



This one is in my mini-cooper. Very simple framing and well the plexi window needs some adjusting since I was trying to work fast in the rain to get it on.



The mini-cooper

 

[sdsknifeworks]

It's amazing how much easier it is to understand things when I can see pictures, and I get lots of ideas too! The inside of my coop is mostly painted already but I like the idea of a south facing window in the winter. I may wait until I get my birds and see how things go before doing much more to the coop but I think I will eventually add a window. Thank you for sharing the pictures. They really do help a lot.

I didn't get anything done on it tonight since we had company over but hoping that over the next couple of evenings I can get it all finished up and find some new residents.

SDS

 

[akovia]

Got some work done on my nesting box tonight.  I am building it to house three separate boxes inside, each 15" wide by 15" deep.  12" high at the rear and 18" at the front but inside the box there is a lip both top and bottom so it is a little more private.  I still need to add the interior dividers, the hinges for the top, and some rubber to waterproof it.  I'm also going to caulk around the seams to seal it up against the weather. 

Trying to decide if I should add some kind of weather stripping where the lid meets the box to keep out all drafts and light. 




I also have to add the door and ramp into the run.  Trying to decide how big to make the door.

SDS

For weatherstripping the nest box lid, I used a four inch wide piece of shower pan liner. Most building supply places sell it. Very inexpensive. Works like a charm. Got the idea here on BYC.