how much light to hens need for egg-laying?

[undertheradar]

Looks awesome so far!

 

[cmom]

Very nice coop!!!
Do you have hardware cloth either under or over the tarp? You may want to put something else on for the roof in the future. I have a tarp over my well. The sun rots it and I have to change it every year. I also have a tarp that I put over my green house in the summer and the sun rots it too. The nest boxes should be placed in the darker part of the coop. My girls prefer the bottom boxes in my coop probably because they are darker.

 

[patandchickens]

Ah, finally I get to see what it looks like

thank you!

Can I ask, is there some mechanism for preventing an animal just pushing it enough ajar on the raised bed to be able to get in? I know it's heavy -- I'm impressed you can move it, with that much two-by stock in it

-- but dogs and raccoons really are VERY strong, and pushing is a lot easier than lifting. If it hasn't got it already, I'd suggest adding something to prevent it or at least make your predators work for a living

Raccoons open barrel latches like that. Double-ended snaps are considerably safer, though not entirely raccoon proof.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[kslatta3382]

How often do raccoons take adult chickens? I had heard that it was relatively rare for them to attack a full grown chicken? I live in the city, and all the raccoons around here are fairly domesticated, would that make a difference?

I was really trying to make it fox-proof, because we have an urban fox in our neighborhood - he attacked my free-range duck a few years ago.

 

[kslatta3382]

Oh, and it wont be on the raised beds all the time. I only have those four beds, so I grow in all of them through the whole growing season. The only time they're fallow is during the deep winter, so that's when the chickens will be on there - providing some fertilizer! The rest of their lives it'll be on the lawn, and I'll secure it like any other chicken tractor.

As far as keeping predators from pushing it off the raised beds during the wintertime... I've thought about that. The "Garden Girl"'s fits on the inside of her beds, so she doesn't have that problem. I didn't design mine that way for several reasons, but I think I will drive stakes around the outside to hold it in place. That way the only way it can move is up.

I think I will put hardware cloth over the top, then another layer of tarp over that. Maybe that way I wont have security issues and wont have the replace the tarp every year.

Thanks everyone for all your advice!

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
You surely can't have heard that about *raccoons* -- cats maybe.

Raccoons are one of the worst predators on chickens, yes fullgrown too.

Go read some threads in the "Predators and Pests" section of this forum!

I live in the city, and all the raccoons around here are fairly domesticated, would that make a difference?

Yes, it would make them more likely to feel comfortable foolin' around with your coop til they find a way in.

Truly. Raccoons are bold, extremely strong, eat almost anything, and LOVE a chicken dinner.

Good luck, seriously go look at the Predators and Pests section and read some of the 'my chcikens got eaten last night' threads...

Pat​

 

[kslatta3382]

Haha! Thanks Pat.

 

[Lucy4]

Quote:
Oy. We used corrugated plastic as the roof for our coop, and it's clear. My friend (who's helping us build) thought it was a good choice because it would let so much light in.

But it's going to make the chickens too hot, you think? The run is also covered in the same roofing.

 

[chickenman3000]

Thanks for the advice. Wasn't sure how much light they needed.