How to predator-proof this coop. Wwyd.

[K0k0shka]

If there isn't enough room for two roost bars once you move them away from the vents, then have just one roost bar, cover up the vents on the access door, put the partition up and have bigger vents on the other side. The chicks will be small at first so they'll fit on one roost bar. As they start getting bigger, start getting rid of them - rehoming, butchering, whatever - so you end up with enough birds to fit on one roost bar. Then, next year, when the weather warms up and you have more daylight, time, and savings, you build out that extension and get more birds then. But for now, if you can't give X number of chickens good living conditions, it's better to scale down and have fewer, but properly housed chickens, as opposed to a lot of frostbitten ones. And if you don't think you can do the butchering yourself, see if you can pay somebody else to do it. It's a quick job and a quick buck for somebody who's willing to do it. There's gotta be somebody out there, maybe the local butcher or a farmer or something.

 

[aart]

and now it’s too late

You already have the chicks...and can't cancel??

 

[Cryss]

Having to child proof cabinets and doors really shows you just how smart and nimble those little humans can be, and at what shockingly young ages, too! I don’t know about raccoons, but I’d fully expect to find even a 1-year-old inside the coop throwing carabiners at the chickens and grinning at me triumphantly while slurping raw eggs.

There are a lot of inaccurate things posted over and over and over and over and over. <shrugs> but I was just funnin' along with @K0k0shka

me too.

View attachment 1936244 Ok y’all, I’ll reply to individual posts in a bit but I was wondering now if I move the roosting bars somehow so the aren’t lined up with the ventilation holes, maybe that would be easier than finding a new place for ventilation. What do you think??

That "might" work. Maybe move roosts to the middle of the nest sides, halfway down where the side walls separate the nests. This way the roosts are lower yet still higher than the nests floor. Might get you through the winter. Start making plans for spring construction projects.

I made a newbie mistake and now it’s too late so I need to figure it out pronto! Haha.
I’ve locked down a handy man and am ready to go, I just need to figure out what exactly to do.

Been there, done that, I'm the poster child and will be on your t-shirt. Just ask @aart ! She's talked me through some huge boo boos! So have so many others here. I just started raising chickens in November 2 years ago. I'm still working on it. Then again I think we're always learning and improving our practices. I just had to get my (former construction worker) son in law Chris to love my chickens so he could help hubby n me with my new coop.

 

[NatJ]

Maybe move roosts to the middle of the nest sides, halfway down where the side walls separate the nests. This way the roosts are lower yet still higher than the nests floor.

Solve one problem, create another? That puts the roosts so close to the floor that they reduce the amount of floor space-- hard to walk, scratch, dustbathe with a bar down there.

 

[Cryss]

Solve one problem, create another? That puts the roosts so close to the floor that they reduce the amount of floor space-- hard to walk, scratch, dustbathe with a bar down there.

Yup, you're right. Good catch.
Ok how about baffling the vents? Basically nail wood strips around the top and both sides of the vents leaving the bottom open. Then attach a piece of plywood to those strips making sure the plywood is large enough to cover the vents a plus hang lower than the bottom of the vents. The wood strips need to be at least 2 or 3 inches thick to hold the plywood 2 or 3 inches away from the vents. This is making an upsidedown pocket over the vents preventing wind blowing in but letting warm moist air from inside rise and flow through the vents and drop down as it cools outside. I did something similar using plexiglas instead of plywood because I wanted them to double as windows. I should have measured better though but it worked well. It's in the top covering the point.

 

[BluebirdHomestead]

You already have the chicks...and can't cancel??

Yup, you're right. Good catch.
Ok how about baffling the vents? Basically nail wood strips around the top and both sides of the vents leaving the bottom open. Then attach a piece of plywood to those strips making sure the plywood is large enough to cover the vents a plus hang lower than the bottom of the vents. The wood strips need to be at least 2 or 3 inches thick to hold the plywood 2 or 3 inches away from the vents. This is making an upsidedown pocket over the vents preventing wind blowing in but letting warm moist air from inside rise and flow through the vents and drop down as it cools outside. I did something similar using plexiglas instead of plywood because I wanted them to double as windows. I should have measured better though but it worked well. It's in the top covering the point.View attachment 1936472

Oh this is good. Thank you. I can wrap my head around this.

 

[doublecrossranch]

I’m so excited to see your progress even if it’s slow

 

[Marinefam2053]

View attachment 1933728 View attachment 1933729 View attachment 1933730 Hi there. New around here. Just moved to a 1.5 acre lot that has an existing coop that I’d like to fix up. Wwyd to predator-proof this? I’m in Colorado near Longmont, raccoons, foxes, birds of prey, maybe even a wandering bear.
The run just has normal chicken wire on it. Do I need to do a sturdier hardware cloth? What about hot wire?
Thanks in advance! Want to get ahead of this so it’s ready for spring.

I agree with what others have said. Replace the chicken wire with hardware cloth, also I’d put a predictor apron down on the ground along all sides of the coop. Ventilation definitely needs to be added. Plus, get some caribiners for all the latches. Give it a good clean out before putting any chickens in it too. Good luck, and welcome!!

 

[BluebirdHomestead]

Ok all, handy man stood me up, so I got my husband to agree to help me do the hardware cloth this weekend. I am wanting to do an apron around the bottom and then cover the roof and run. Wish us luck.

 

[Folly's place]

Mary