down to the wire on building the coop

[GoinCountry]

there are 2 hours left to get the run finished that holds the almost finished coop. MUST there be a door overnight for the full grown chickens? If so, why please? Can it be half a wall? like from the bottom up half way.
we are getting the 5 tonite, at 9. I have two dollar tree shallow baskets for their nests.
I have a plant saucer for feed and whatever I find for the water. a bucket? Those go on the ground under the coop, yes?
So we will have to go outside in the morning to let them out. Do they freak if they can't get out when the sun comes up? [if so, they'll have to freak]
When do they know where the coop is? IOW, when can they be let out to free range?
I'm doubly sorry if all these questions should be somewhere else. I've been super sick for 4 days, plus moving and whatnot.

so far, the only good thing about living in the country is i walk around without clothes on. shoes and sox is all.

 

[DobieLover]

New to your property fully feathered birds should be locked into their coop/run setup for at least a week to home to it.
I would not recommend using a bucket for their water. They can drown in it. I would purchase a poultry waterer. They need fresh clean water during all waking hours.
Can you post pictures of the coop and run? I fear you are going to show pictures of a pre-fab that will be too small for them. Put here's to hoping!
How many birds are you getting, what breed are they and how many square feet is the coop you are going to lock them into to secure them for the nights?

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

agree with DobieLover to lock then in coop/run so they learn where a safe home is. if the run is not secure from escape or from preditors then you will have to coop them until it is done. get a real poultry waterer so they wont fall in and drown or make one with water nipples. if you live in hot climate and use water nipples I recommend a supplemental fount in the run so they don’t get dehydrated or squabble at the waterers.
pics of coop and run would help.

 

[GoinCountry]

there is no store open to get a waterer. we have to pick them up at 9p. 5 red sex link full grown chickens. then they will get the plant saucer of water til tomorrow. he's putting the hardware cloth around coop now. the big thing WAS, do they need a door? At this point, they are only chickens and he has almost worked himself to death building this coop.

they will live with what he'd done or they wont.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

there is no store open to get a waterer. we have to pick them up at 9p. 5 red sex link full grown chickens. then they will get the plant saucer of water til tomorrow. he's putting the hardware cloth around coop now. the big thing WAS, do they need a door? At this point, they are only chickens and he has almost worked himself to death building this coop.

they will live with what he'd done or they wont.

Well if there's no door, there's nothing stopping a predator from going in there

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

here is a pic of an easy, made on the fly milk jug waterer I had when my chicks were on lockdown and learning to use nipples. zoom in to the upper right corner.
milk jug is seated in a 2 quart tupperware. small hole in bottom/side of jug allows water to fill. adjust cap to regulate flow…if left off bowl will fill to overflowing.
I took a rubber horse feeder, made a simple hardware cloth frame to cover it and put it over the bowl to catch spillage (and inevitable poop). the blue can has horizonal nipples that they trained on.
DH and I just finished the run today between rain drops.
good luck! you got this!!

 

[GoinCountry]

Well if there's no door, there's nothing stopping a predator from going in there

The coop is the coop and the run is the run. The coop is inside the run. So if the run has all the wiring up around it been there won't be predators going in

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

there is no store open to get a waterer. we have to pick them up at 9p. 5 red sex link full grown chickens. then they will get the plant saucer of water til tomorrow. he's putting the hardware cloth around coop now. the big thing WAS, do they need a door? At this point, they are only chickens and he has almost worked himself to death building this coop.

they will live with what he'd done or they wont.

make due. at the least brace a spare piece of ply wood or whatever you have against the opening. if a preditor gets in then theres not much you can do, but at least you can keep the chickens from going out

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

The coop is the coop and the run is the run. The coop is inside the run. So if the run has all the wiring up around it been there won't be predators going in

well in that case, if its secure all the way around then no door is needed. many ppl leave pop door open when coop is in a safe run.
again, pics would help us to better understand your set up and avoid unnecessary or unwanted suggestions

 

[GoinCountry]

here is a pic of an easy, made on the fly milk jug waterer I had when my chicks were on lockdown and learning to use nipples. zoom in to the upper right corner.
milk jug is seated in a 2 quart tupperware. small hole in bottom/side of jug allows water to fill. adjust cap to regulate flow…if left off bowl will fill to overflowing.
I took a rubber horse feeder, made a simple hardware cloth frame to cover it and put it over the bowl to catch spillage (and inevitable poop). the blue can has horizonal nipples that they trained on.
DH and I just finished the run today between rain drops.
good luck! you got this!!

Thx that sounds great. But we don't have apiece of hose. We just moved in. Ive been sick. It ain't gonna happen