First coop and run. Am I missing anything???

[chipahoy4]

Hi, I'm a newbie too...just wanted to say love your coop..we are still in the planning stage..our chicks are still using a large dog cage up on a block against the wall of garage where hubby made a hole where they have access to the out door run he made...ty for posting it gives me ideas and reading responses help too!

Hi, Just a helpful thought. It takes a lot longer to get a coop ready than you think. I am still building a coop and run and my (10) 7 week old chicks are still down in the cellar in a 6 x 3 pvc and chicken wire enclosure. Every time I go down the cellar, I have to take a head count to make sure that none of them got out. I am still a week away from the coop being done. Believe me, I thought it would be a lot quicker to get it done, but it is not. We ended up having a lot of rainey days and getting materials etc. Good luck with your chicks and coop. Have fun

 

[Farias1124]

Hi, Just a helpful thought. It takes a lot longer to get a coop ready than you think. I am still building a coop and run and my (10)  7 week old chicks are still down in the cellar in a 6 x 3 pvc and chicken wire enclosure. Every time I go down the cellar, I have to take a head count to make sure that none of them got out. I am still a week away from the coop being done. Believe me, I thought it would be a lot quicker to get it done, but it is not. We ended up having a lot of rainey days and getting materials etc. Good luck with your chicks and coop. Have fun

Oh yea I second that one. My chicks are around 6 weeks old and I started the coop a week before even bringing them home. I figured it'd take me a day, maybe weekend tops. But same as chipahoy4 said. Rainy days, running back and forth for materials, work and family schedule and I'm almost 100% done with it! It was a great experience especially for my 5yr old daughter whom the chicks "belong" to. Lol she has worked her butt off being my helper and at 5 she has taken so much pride in what we have accomplished for her "babies".

 

[questions543]

I've read a little on here and heard of the cloth wire or something like that for the first time. Is this a better stronger alternative to the chicken wire? Theres a huge pack of coyotes on the 80acre farm behind my 3acre lot. I've killed 5 this year already. I've never seen one up near the house, just at the fence line. I've got two chocolate labs and a pit boxer that roam freely. I've never seen a coon or opossum on my property or any signs of either. If anything were to get my girls I'd say it would be coyotes.

Thanks for the input and advice folks.

Yup! Hardware cloth/welded wire is great! It's more expensive but I'd rather pay more and not have my chicken killed.

 

[LoneOak]

In your first set of pictures I could see that you have the galvanized feeder and waterer. These are great as starters for your chickens and as long as you clean them occasionally and use them right they will last you for years, they call the feeders hanging feeder for a reason you're good with that and the waters aren't made to hang (take it off the hook and put it on a block). The ones you have are plenty large enough for 5 or 6 birds and when their grown you shouldn't have to fill them but ever other day, they should hold 2 days worth of food and water easily.

I have the top of my first runs covered with chicken wire and it keeps the hawk, owls and squirrels out of the run. I have seen the big grey hawk sitting on an old pole next to my run watching the chickens for a couple hours at a time. She has show them to her children as well but none of them have ever got in. When you do cover the top make sure you use the 2" chicken wire instead of the 1" variety. Not only is it a lot cheaper but leaves and sticks and other debris will fall through the 2" stuff and just gather up on the 1" and make a mess. I learned this from experience and a thin wallet.

Your looking real good for the first time out and seem to have a grasp on some of the more important stuff, keep it up and eggs will be coming soon!