Hello from Durham, NC

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domikin

domikin

Chirping
6 Years
Aug 16, 2013
19
5
84
I have been a lurker for several months now and thought it was time to join as I have greatly enjoyed reading the posts.
I just moved into a house recently and have always been a firm proponent of eating healthy and buy organic whenever possible...so yeah...mmm fresh eggs
My next door neighbor has 2 hens which he inherited when he moved in from the previous owner...they were just in the backyard. This seems like a good deal so I have recently started gathering materials for a coop and run...so far all I have is some 2x4 welded wire, some hardware cloth and 2x4's. I'm still trying to decide on the sides for the coop which will house 5-8 hens.
I am looking at getting some hens in a few months after I have made them a home ot starting with a few eggs or chicks over the winter.
I am thinking americaunas or easter eggers
 
Welcome to BYC
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Have a look in the Coops section for designs and inspiration.
 
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rule of thumb is 4 sg.feet per bird in coop and 10 sg.feet per bird in the run. Of course it's always better to build larger than you think necessary. Chicken addiction strikes hard and fast - so prepare yourself. If you live in a harsh winter area - you may need a larger coop - birds kept inside tend to need more space or they start feuding and feather picking at each other.
 
I purchased in Durham County NC a well made coop with 30 foot run in Durham County NC at Leonard Construction. Of course the inspector came out and flunked the coop (said had to have door that closed, and that chicken wire was not thick enough on run, windows and door. though it was covered in chicken wire and screen for mosquitos... Now having to modify with required 14 gage wire (REALLY?) that is for chain link fence. Anyone else run into their crazy requirements? Spent a lot of money on this coop and run to have it fail inspection! Chain link fence is insane for chickens. Only planned for 3 silkies to have required 4 fun high run (run went down to 3 feet on end and they said it had to be 4 feet all the way down. This seems so crazy! Leonard construction has been no help at all after paying them big bucks for building this coop. I specifically asked them if he met requirements and was told yes, only to have coop and fencing fail! Very frustrated! No one even carried the gage wire they are requiring, so having to double up yet again the fencing with chain link, chicken wire AND screen!
 
ginny a said:
I purchased in Durham County NC a well made coop with 30 foot run in Durham County NC at Leonard Construction. Of course the inspector came out and flunked the coop (said had to have door that closed, and that chicken wire was not thick enough on run, windows and door. though it was covered in chicken wire and screen for mosquitos... Now having to modify with required 14 gage wire (REALLY?) that is for chain link fence. Anyone else run into their crazy requirements? Spent a lot of money on this coop and run to have it fail inspection! Chain link fence is insane for chickens. Only planned for 3 silkies to have required 4 fun high run (run went down to 3 feet on end and they said it had to be 4 feet all the way down. This seems so crazy! Leonard construction has been no help at all after paying them big bucks for building this coop. I specifically asked them if he met requirements and was told yes, only to have coop and fencing fail! Very frustrated! No one even carried the gage wire they are requiring, so having to double up yet again the fencing with chain link, chicken wire AND screen!
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Hello there and welcome to BYC!
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Chicken wire is not sturdy enough to use on runs and external areas of the coop. I am not sure why they call this stuff "chicken wire", LOL but it is pretty useless. Predators and easily chew right through it, rip it apart, dig underneath it and hawks can dive right through it. So you need to replace all chicken wire with hardware cloth. 1/2 inch will do. This stuff is much more sturdy and will keep your birds safe.

Always have a working door with a lock. Those nighttime critters are very smart and CAN open latches. So make sure it has a lock on the door. Make sure nothing can dig under the coop or run. Critters are going to come for miles when they smell chickens. I kid you not. And they have a lot of time on their hands to mess around all night long. If they know a nice chicken dinner is on the other side, they will work for days each night to get in.

So keep keep your birds safe, you have to build it like YOU are going to protect yourself from things of the night. If you can't knock it down, rip it apart, dig under it, etc...then neither can they. And it is not worth the heartaches to come out to a lose of the entire flock.

You might want to stop by our coop and run construction forums and ask questions, post pics of what you have and they can help you keep your birds safe...https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/9/coop-run-design-construction-maintenance

Good luck and if you have any further questions, feel free to ask. Welcome to our flock!
 

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