Framing up!

[Rob Tof]

All my coop needs are met with a solar panel I bought at harbor freight a few car battery's I got at the junk yard. And a 12 volt inverter to change over from 12 to 110v. All total I invested under 200$ and I'm green. Water is soon to be run in there when I get my brother Inlaw to dig me a trench to run it to my coop. I also got led solar strip lights to give off enough light I can do a head count each night.

 

[fightingbunny]

Oh wow, your electric setup sounds fascinating! Did you write up anything about what you did in another thread?

 

[aart]

If the run is secure, why not have the coop door open always and then you can just keep water and food in the run?

Many folks do that.

 

[Rob Tof]

Many folks do that.

My run is hardwear wire for the first 4 feet. After that it's just a netting to keep the hawks away. After a month of the hawk visiting every day my girls have become very hawk smart. They have duck and cover down. Today I saw the hawk on the ground and hopping like it was having a tantrum. After a few mins it flew off and left the area. I'd be afraid of a raccoon or possum getting them after dark.

 

[flyin-lowe]

My run is completely covered in hardware cloth with an apron all the way around to help prevent someone digging in. My pop/coop door is open all the time, actually it doesn't even have a door, just a framed in opening. Many people do it that way. I don't have the slope that you do but I put a 2 foot wide piece of welded wire fence under the "bottom board" of my run all the way around. This should deter anything from digging underneath. After a couple weeks the grass grew up through it and now you can't even see it. I can mow right over it.

 

[fightingbunny]

Update with roof on! https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/how-to-attach-rafters.1182265/#post-18651531

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Update with roof on! https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/how-to-attach-rafters.1182265/#post-18651531

Very nice!