Fencing Help

[rosemarythyme]

Or if you build the coop tall enough to stand in, then you don't need any cleanout hatches, just get inside with a rake.

It'll cost more for sure, but a walk in coop is sooo much easier to maintain. I can't bend and contort my body like I used to!

 

[Tortoise]

I can tell you that the poop trays that pull out are almost useless in the bird cages for house birds. My parrot always pooped in the same area. Just one day and night of pooping he had a mountain of poop. Now try pulling out the draw and it cause all kinds if dripped seeds and poops to either spill out or get stuck cuz there was too much piled up.
I think being able to shovel or rake it out would be less messy and more easily done.
I have no chickens yet but my experience with birds and cages has led me to that opinion.

 

[aart]

hardware cloth apron around it

Good examples of anti-dig apron installation.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1110498/wire-around-coop#post_17093528
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/new-coop-project.1169916/page-2#post-18481208

if you want the chickens to be able to use the space underneath I'd say raise it at least 18", though you also need to think about how you can access it, in case you have a sick chicken or a hen laying down there and need to reach them.

Indeed! I fenced off a 4x8 space under my coop, connect to run, so I don't have to crawl too far if necessary.

You didn't miss it. I never really said a square footage cause I don't honestly know. The guy came out to my house and I showed him the general area and he quoted me.

Very good thing to know, size and materials, and have it in writing for any quotes.

 

[AmyJane725]

Those are good ideas too. How thick does the bedding inside the coop need to be?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Those are good ideas too. How thick does the bedding inside the coop need to be?

I'd go for 4-6" or so. You mainly want enough to provide some cushion for when they jump off the roost and the bedding will also help to get poop to clump up a bit for clean up, assuming you're not using poop boards.

 

[aart]

Those are good ideas too. How thick does the bedding inside the coop need to be?

Can depend on how you want to manage the poops.

-I use poop boards under roosts with thin(<1/2") layer of sand/PDZ mix, sifted daily(takes 5-10mins) into bucket going to friends compost.

-Scrape big or wet poops off roost and ramps as needed.

-Pine shavings on coop floor, add some occasionally, totally changed out once or twice a year, old shavings added to run.

-Runs have semi-deep litter, never clean anything out, just add smaller dry materials on occasion, add larger wood chippings as needed.

-Nests are bedded with straw, add some occasionally, change out if needed(broken egg).

There is no odor, unless a fresh cecal has been dropped and when I open the bucket to add more poop.

That's how I keep it 'clean', have not found any reason to clean 'deeper' in 5 years.

 

[AmyJane725]

Ok, I have a bit of news. I have a spot staked out now. Going to do 15x18' fenced area with the coop inside it. I decided to go with the roof.

Do you guys feel that an apron/skirting is just as effective as having a buried fence?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Do you guys feel that an apron/skirting is just as effective as having a buried fence?

I personally feel an apron is the better option overall - less work to install and because it sits on the surface it's easier to maintain and you can see attempted breeches by looking for scratching along the base of the fence. My issue with burying (especially straight down) is it's very hard to bury deep enough to deter diggers from simply going further down, whereas with aprons the idea is to prevent any digging at all, since most animals don't think to move back away from the fence 2' to start digging horizontally.

 

[AmyJane725]

That's a good point about them not thinking about it. I think I'll go with the skirting then. Chickens don't ever hurt their feet on the ends of the wire on the inside of the pen, do they?

 

[rosemarythyme]

That's a good point about them not thinking about it. I think I'll go with the skirting then. Chickens don't ever hurt their feet on the ends of the wire on the inside of the pen, do they?

Ideally you shouldn't have wire underfoot. A typical apron install would be taking something like a 4' tall piece of hardware cloth, bending it about 2' down in an L, then attaching 2' up on the outside of the run fencing, and 2' out onto the grass/soil using lawn staples. Some folks do strictly lay down just an apron but you need to consider how it'll attach to the run fence.

Not the greatest photo but you can see the hardware cloth on the bottom few feet of the run, and then the silvery bits in the grass is the apron. I use hog rings and stainless steel zip ties to attach it to fence. (The white thing is a removable wire closet shelf, just so chickens don't immediately run out when I open the gate.)