Help with run and coop ideas

[needlessjunk]

I'm new and do not have any chickens yet. I'm doing as much homework as possible before taking the plunge. I'm on a really tight budget and that is part of why we don't have any yet. I'm hoping to get started in the next month or two. I'm scrounging Craig's list for free wood and fencing. Since I know the biggest expense is going to the the fencing. Anyway... I have a few questions.

1.) I was thinking of going with a 3' x 6' coop and the run would be about 136 sq ft. It is going to be in the corner of out back yard. I can expand if needed but I know dh won't be thrilled. Will that be enough? I was thinking 4 pullets to start with and I can't see ever having more than 6 chickens at a time. We do not have the room for more. That I know for a fact. FYI we live in central Texas in the suburbs. It stays hot here most of the year and the low for the summer is 70 degrees at night. Winter is kinda a joke and we get 1-2 ice storms a year.

2.) The area I plan on using is currently covered with fresh mulch from the city. We take are tree trimmings in for free and in return city gives us unlimited mulch. So I would really, really like to take advantage of that if at all possible. The other thing is that it would be way easier if I don't have to muck it all out and can put the coop and run over it.

3.) what would be the best inexpensive fencing? I know we have coons, opossums, hawks and squirrels however all my neighbors have large dogs that mostly stay outside so they don't tend to stick around. Not to mention I have a coonhound, basset and beagle. No cats ever used kids uncovered sand box could I use something like chicken wire with 1/2" hardware cloth over the bottom? From my understanding chicken wire is pretty much a joke. I'm tying to get some chain link for cheap and then use hardware cloth over the bottom. What should I use for the top?

I'm sorry this got so long. I would really appreciate any insight. I see so many people with different things I don't know where to start. All the pre made coops around use chicken wire and cost a fortune.

 

[vehve]

I'd suggest going the pallet coop route. For the run I would suggest trying to find long timber, because building it out of scraps can be a pain. In my opinion the size of your run will be plenty for a flock of that size. Look into the deep litter method, I think that might work good with your mulch. Providing shade in your climate would be smart. These are just my suggestions, I'm in no way an experienced chickener.

 

[needlessjunk]

Thanks! The area that they will go is full shade in the summer with a little bit of morning sun. In the afternoons it gets broken sun through the trees where the run would be. Part I why I want it there is because I can't keep any plants alive. The other side of my yard is a different story along with my garden! Pallets would be cheap, but my hubby might be against it since it wouldn't look all that great. Something for me to talk about with him. I did see someone use lattice and a neighbor had a bunch thy were tossing... Another idea. I will look more into the deep litter. Thank you again.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I have to applaud you for planning ahead. You’ve favorably impressed me already.

One reason you see so many different things is that so many different things work. It’s not like there is only one way to do something where everything else is wrong. There are lots of right ways to do most things.

In my opinion, especially in suburbia, the most important thing is to keep your coop and run dry. A wet coop or run is an unhealthy coop or run and will almost certainly smell. Don’t put it in a low spot. If you have to, build it up with dirt or sand so it is higher than the surrounding area. That will make your life tremendously easier. If it is high enough to drain well, you can certainly use the wood chips on it. If it stays dry, you could even leave it bare. If it stays wet the manure will stink no matter what bedding you put on the soil.

You can follow the link in my signature below to get my thoughts on space, some of it won’t apply to you but some will. It really doesn’t matter that much how much space is in the coop or in the run in isolation, what is more important is how much total space is available when the chickens need it.

If you are buying it, most building materials come in 4’ or 8’ dimensions. If you are getting used wood, of course it may already be cut so definitely take that into consideration, but you can often build a larger coop for no extra expense and with less cutting and waste by using the 4’ and 8’ dimensions. A 4x6 may be easier to build than a 3x6 but don’t forget the roof if you want an overhang.

Where you are you should be able to use an open-ended coop. Build three solid walls but the fourth wall could be wire. That greatly increases ventilation and may be less expensive than a solid wall.

What wire to use is always a big question. To get really secure wire could cost a lot of money. If you can get chain link fairly inexpensively, that is probably the way to go. I used 2” x 4” welded wire on the sides with chickens wire over the bottom 18”. That should stop about any decent sized predator unless you have bears. Electrical fencing is about the only thing that will stop them. Smaller things like snakes and squirrels can get through 2x4 fencing.

How wide are you planning on making your run? The wider the run the bigger the lumber required to span it, which means more expense. Even if you don’t have to worry about snow and ice loads, you will get some strong winds. Those can damage a roof too so it needs to be strong. Whatever you use for a roof, it needs to be high enough you are not bumping your head.

That’s a few of my thoughts to help you get started. Good luck and welcome to the adventure.

 

[vehve]

I second the drainage, but my image of Texas is this dry place where people wearing chaps and cowboy hats roam around the prairie, so I didn't even consider the possibility of rain being an issue. If you get much rain, I'd go with a french drain system and gravel below the mulch. My experiences are however from a more arctic like climate, so take that into consideration.

 

[needlessjunk]

The area I was planning on using would be a triangle in the left corner of our yard. It would back up to a wood fence on 2 sides. The trees all above lose their leaves in the fall and I imagine that will be something I will have to figure out when I enclose the top. I HATE that side of the yard in the fall/winter because it never ends. Also there is an electrical box that would be in the run. It's about 3 ft high.

As far as rain goes... Since we are still in a big drought there hasn't been the normal amount. We only got around 15 inches last year when the normal is around 26 inches. However once thin about Texas is that when it rains, it pours! Normal is 3 inches in a few hours. It is not unheard of to get 7-10 inches in a couple of hours. So rain is a big concern. Texas is a big state and while we all wear cowboy boots the weather is vastly different in El Paso and Dallas and Huston. I like the idea of pea gravel and may do a layer if that then sand and mulch. Where I was originally going to put the coop flooded a bit a few days ago when we got 3.5 inches of rain but the new spot just got a bit muddy since there isn't much there.

 

[needlessjunk]

Also as far as the size of the coop and run goes... I plan on letting the free range our yard for 2-3 hours a day give or take. We are always outside and it wouldn't be hard to lock the dogs in while the chickens are out. I know it really varies as far what each person feels is the right size but I was hoping to get a general feel if what I was planning is appropriate for 4-6 birds. I need to go measure my area again. I thought 3x6 would fit in our yard better but I can't imagine 1 extra foot would make that big of a difference to me but it might really impact the birds.