Getting Chicken Area together! :D (picture heavy)

[Morgan7782]

Getting my coop/run together! I will be getting two chicks in the end of April. I am fencing in a 'run' for them when they are old enough to be outside in a coop. I am converting a dog kennel (HUGE size) into a laying coop. Doing some tweaks here and there, but it will be real safe for them to be in at night. Anywho, posting pictures of the run and chicken area so far. They will also have the run of the yard most of the day, we have MANY bugs for them to pig out on, and snails.

The garden fencing is reinforced halfway up times two, and a few places it overlaps 3 times. I found out I really enjoy working with wire!! It's fun, kind of like those fuzzy wire pipe cleaners. The coop with two laying boxes will be in the corner. I think the pictures are in order from beginning to end..

In this picture, the fence was just started. The entire area will be garden fenced to 4 ft high.

The Orange Tree, I am sure they will love all the catapillers on this

I started softening the dirt up, this area hasn't been used in a WHILE. I figured they would like softer ground rather then hard hard hard ground.

Fencing

Some good pictures of the area + shade. They will have shade throughout the day, and here in Sacramento Valley it's heat more then cold.

 

[danielle82]

nice tree! I think thats a perfect "chicken watching chair" lol I have one as well

Ona side note, if you have dogs that run in your yard as well, you may want to consider hardware cloth along the bottom to prevent digging in.

 

[MissJenny]

Isn't it exciting getting new chicks? This looks like a nice chicken run. I'm not familiar with Sacramento -- are there raccoons and/or possum there? If so your chickens will need 1/2" hardware cloth around the perimeter of that fence. (Hardware cloth and chicken wire are not the same thing. Chicken wire will keep chickens in but will not keep anything much out.) A raccoon can pull a chicken's head through anything larger than 1/2" hardware cloth. It makes for a real bad day. And burying hardware cloth at least 8" all the way around will deter dogs and raccoons from digging in. What possums like to do is sneak into the coop to lay in wait for when the hens are locked in at night -- they're sneaky like that.

Also, most chickens can fly up to a height of 7' to 8' feet -- you might need a top on your run. Home Depot has plastic netting which looks like hardware cloth -- one solution would be to stake several poles around your run and net the tree and all. It won't keep a raccoon from climbing in -- but it will keep hawks out and it will keep the chickens from flying out.

There's a lot to think about in terms of keeping chickens safe and happy. This looks like a nice yard. I'm eager to see your coop and your chicks.

Jenny

 

[Morgan7782]

Thanks for the feedback guys! I will look around for a netting top. Sacramento has racoons in town a little, but I have not noticed any in this neighborhood/area. When I lived right down town Sacramento, we had a whole family of Coons hanging out on the corner every night. I think the biggest obstacle predetor wise is teaching my newest cat to steer clear. Thank gosh for a hose huh? I have been training (yes this cat is darn trainable) him to stay FAR away from the chicken area with the hose. Nothing severe of course but any little spray sends him running for the house.

At night they will be in a large dog kennel (With locking gates) with the very small honeycomb chicken wire and plywood on sides/top/bottom with SMALL holes drilled in for venelation. No animal will be able to reach them, and if they do, I am going 'coon hunting! lol. It's hard to explain the picture I have in my mind but I will get pictures up as soon as I can.

The overhead netting is a good idea though, as is burying some netting under the fencing. They will be outside sometime after they feather out, until then they will be right in the house, safe and sound in my bedroom (yes I am one of those who keep the chickies right next to me). I am going to use Tent Steaks to keep the bottom of the fencing tight to the ground as well. Now all I have to do is come up with a gate, because I have learned constantly bending and moving welded wire can end up breaking it. Wood will be my next home depot stop lol.

I also figured they would fly into the Orange tree as well, there are some nice low, but sturdy branches. Somebody is always home here, and if they are home, they are in the backyard. These two chickens will have the run of the yard during daylight once they are older and not as vunurable as chickies.

 

[elmo]

Chicken wire on your coop won't protect your chickens from raccoons or other night time predators. Browse for a while in our Predator/pest thread and you'll read many sad stories.

Just because you haven't seen any raccoons in your area so far doesn't mean they aren't out there. Once you put chicken on your backyard menu, they'll come, sooner or later.

 

[Dogfish]

How are you going to enetr the chicken pen? Where is your gate?

 

[95yj]

I wouldn't go nuts on the overhead wire as long as they are locked up at night, just make sure it can keep them in, even some blue berry netting might work. Just because you haven't seen any coons doesn't mean there aren't any around, you be amazed by what lives in cities. good luck.

 

[Morgan7782]

Thanks for the input guys, every little bit helps. I enjoy learning all this stuff too. They will be locked up for night time, very securely. The run is for daytime when they are not plucking around the backyard.

The gate is the next step. I am going to use 2 x 4's and a few layers of small comb chicken wire, attatched with a hinge to a sturdy 4 x 4 stake. The garden wire will be attatched to that, and then it continued on the next side.

Actually.. Probably getting a heat light is the next step. We used to have a nice red one, but after moving I have lost that, and a chicken waterer. Neither is too expensive, but those are my next costly goals. About 20 bucks for heat light and the cover, and the waterer should be less then 4 bucks.

Will have pictures updated once I start the coop. I will be very watchful of racoons, but I think they will be safe as can be without keeping them inside

I will have two chickens, do they share and exchange laying boxes? Or is it a strict 'THIS IS MINE!' attitude? When I had chickens before they were free range, and laid eggs in the dog run, no laying boxes.

 

[chickerdoodle]

You can have 1 nest for every 3 - 4 hens.

You might want 3 chickens as they are very social and if something happens to one your hens the one that is left will be stressed even more so by loneliness.
And

 

[Morgan7782]

Three is an alright number? I wasn't sure if it would be like the "third wheel" lol! But... Since you said I absolutely HAVE to get a third chick.. I guess I can manage

Three it is. One Barred Rock and two EE's!