Does this coop and run look ok?

[tpereira]

Hi everyone!
My 8 black australorps will be free ranged in my back yard but I set up this run for when I get out too late to open it up for them or if I’m away. We have raccoons here, so I wanted to make sure this would be secure enough for the girls. I have zip tied the run to the coop. There is a predator apron around the coop and I’ll be installing a predator apron around the run as well. I may put a second tarp of the same size on the run for more shade. Please let me know if there is anything additional I should add to keep the girls safe. I thought about wrapping the coop with hardware cloth maybe that’s overkill?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Spikeandbean]

Personally, I would wrap the run in hardware cloth (I use 1/4"). Those openings look large enough for a raccoon to reach through.

 

[tpereira]

Personally, I would wrap the run in hardware cloth (I use 1/4"). Those openings look large enough for a raccoon to reach through.

Would the chickens be pecking around at night in the run, and not sleeping in the coop?

 

[Cazook]

Would the chickens be pecking around at night in the run, and not sleeping in the coop?

if youre using it for when you are out late or away, surely the coop door would be open?

 

[tpereira]

if youre using it for when you are out late or away, surely the coop door would be open?

yeah, coop door will always be open. They will have free range of the coop and the run at night. When I come out in the morning, I plan to let them out and free range the whole yard. At night I will have them go back into the run and close it up where they have the access to the coop to roost.

 

[Cazook]

if youre keeping the coop door open all the time the run needs to be secure. predators wont care if theyre asleep or not, they'll just do their thing

 

[black_cat]

yeah, coop door will always be open. They will have free range of the coop and the run at night. When I come out in the morning, I plan to let them out and free range the whole yard. At night I will have them go back into the run and close it up where they have the access to the coop to roost.

If they have the whole coop and run at night including that extension, you need to put hardware cloth around the new black part. Predators can easily enter through those large gaps. How old are your hens now? When fully grown, I'm positive that that coop setup, especially the actual henhouse part, will hold 8 birds.

 

[tpereira]

If they have the whole coop and run at night including that extension, you need to put hardware cloth around the new black part. Predators can easily enter through those large gaps. How old are your hens now? When fully grown, I'm positive that that coop setup, especially the actual henhouse part, will hold 8 birds.

yeah I think from what every one is saying here, I’m going to reinforce that run and put hardwire cloth on it. oh my girls are still little, 4 weeks old on Sunday.
Thank you!

 

[black_cat]

yeah I think from what every one is saying here, I’m going to reinforce that run and put hardwire cloth on it. oh my girls are still little, 4 weeks old on Sunday.
Thank you!

They are adorable! I think that you will find as they grow that coop will not be big enough for eight hens.

 

[CluckerFamily]

Are your plans to have this coop and run stationary or are you planning on moving it around?
If you are going to put hardware cloth around the run, you may want to think about also bringing some hardware cloth down and out over the grass about a foot or two. This will help some predators that like to dig. But if your plans are to move the coop around, this idea won't work.
I dug a little sod up and then laid the hardware cloth in the dirt and then recovered with the sod.