How many feet is your coop? how many feet per chicken do you guys have, or you don't measure it like fish in a pond space?

[JacinLarkwell]

I like the idea of giving chickens choices. They know how to be chickens better than we know how to be chickens, so I figure that they'll decide how much rain, wind, shade, sun, etc. that they want at any given time.

Plus then I don't have to worry about squabbling when I'm not there to let them out at dawn. I'm pretty certain if they only had the coop before I let them out, they would fight. And even in the winter, they're usually waiting to be let out of the run, so they must be far more tolerant than me

 

[Onyxflock]

I like the idea of giving chickens choices. They know how to be chickens better than we know how to be chickens, so I figure that they'll decide how much rain, wind, shade, sun, etc. that they want at any given time.

I agree with that. I have a fenced small area off the run where they can get under trees and out in the wood chips. I leave the run door open and let them range in there. They go back and forth into the run to lay, peck at their food and get water. In bad weather I leave them fenced in or locked in the run all day.
They get under the trees for protection against the sun, but they've done poorly in the rain. My 2 Wyandottes just hunched up and got drenched until I picked them up and dried them a little and put them back in the run.
Probably my fault for keeping them in when it rains - they don't know what to do

 

[Rose Quartz]

My neighbor also has this setup, totally works! They spend all day free ranging over acres, they are never in the coop except to sleep, doesn't need to be big. I assume this puts a lot more coop cleaning pressure on you, I can't imagine deep litter or anything working with that volume of poop in that small of space. This is a nice functional way to go about it otherwise.

I use peat moss. So long as it stays dry it doesn't smell very much. It needs to be cleaned about every 2 months to keep it from smelling.

 

[K0k0shka]

@Rose Quartz I smile whenever I see your screen name

 

[Brooks_]

@Rose Quartz I smile whenever I see your screen name
View attachment 2820048

What, it's not a reference to the rock?

 

[Rose Quartz]

@Rose Quartz I smile whenever I see your screen name
View attachment 2820048

Hahahah thanks. I only learned after that it was a character name. My middle name is Rose and there are lots of wild quartz crystals in my part of the world and I think they're pretty.

 

[K0k0shka]

Hahahah thanks. I only learned after that it was a character name. My middle name is Rose and there are lots of wild quartz crystals in my part of the world and I think they're pretty.

View attachment 2820061

That is very pretty indeed! I've seen other folks with screen names referencing characters or shows, so I just wasn't sure. I love that you can just find gems like that. We only have boring ol' regular rocks over here

 

[K0k0shka]

What, it's not a reference to the rock?

Turns out it was, I just wasn't sure. That's also the name of a cartoon character from a show I like - "Steven Universe".

 

[Brooks_]

Turns out it was, I just wasn't sure. That's also the name of a cartoon character from a show I like - "Steven Universe".

I guess we all associate things with what we know and like.

 

[K0k0shka]

I guess we all associate things with what we know and like.

Yep, and also with what's most fresh in our minds. I saw the show recently so that was my first association, even though I also knew about the rock.