My Australorps are currently in a Lucky Dog run, reinforced with chicken wire on the bottom and top, hardware cloth on the sides. That part is great. But we have a retrofitted dog house as their coop and I just don't like it for the grown chickens. There is no room inside for nest boxes so they are all 3 laying in the corner. And putting a heat lamp in is just not working all that well. Rookie mistake.
I would like to keep the dog run and coop for my grow out pen and move the adults to coops in the barn. We use it primarily for storage at present, but it is a really big barn. There is a "room" on the back, with an access door, a "room" on the front with an access door, and a huge stall. The barn has electric outlets.
My brother has access to free lumber through his job. I want him to build fencing panels to secure the chickens in the barn and prevent predators. Other than nesting boxes, should they still need a coop to be safe or only roosting poles?
I would like to keep the dog run and coop for my grow out pen and move the adults to coops in the barn. We use it primarily for storage at present, but it is a really big barn. There is a "room" on the back, with an access door, a "room" on the front with an access door, and a huge stall. The barn has electric outlets.
My brother has access to free lumber through his job. I want him to build fencing panels to secure the chickens in the barn and prevent predators. Other than nesting boxes, should they still need a coop to be safe or only roosting poles?