If I have a secure run, do I really need a coop in California?

[rookiechickie]

I'm a total rookie when it comes to the backyard chicken world and I have some basic questions.

I live in Northern California, where the temperature doesn't really go below zero. We have some rainy days during the winter. If I have a fully enclosed run in my backyard (like a dog run with roof) with some roosts and nesting boxes, will it be enough assuming that I live in warm climate? How cold is too cold for hens (especially if they are cold-hardy)? Or is there any other reason I have to have a coop?

 

[reesechickpic]

they shouldnt have a problem with cold, I would be more worried about predators. they can snuggle up against each other if they need it. in Northern California with raccoons, coyotes, foxes, and birds of prey I would want them in a secure coop at night with smaller than chicken wire fencing dug a foot deep into the ground if you're going to have just a run. they also really like have a nesting box. you don't need that many for a small flock but they like a small, warm, safe spot to lay their eggs. usually nice to be accessible from outside for you to get their eggs.

 

[rookiechickie]

Makes sense. I think I can wrap the run with hardware cloth and also bury it in the ground as you suggested. Guess I can also add a big wooden box or two with roosts if some privacy is preferred.

Thanks for the info!

they shouldnt have a problem with cold, I would be more worried about predators. they can snuggle up against each other if they need it. in Northern California with raccoons, coyotes, foxes, and birds of prey I would want them in a secure coop at night with smaller than chicken wire fencing dug a foot deep into the ground if you're going to have just a run. they also really like have a nesting box. you don't need that many for a small flock but they like a small, warm, safe spot to lay their eggs. usually nice to be accessible from outside for you to get their eggs.

 

[rosemarythyme]

A coop is mainly for predator protection and weather protection. If the run is built in such a way that the birds are given full weather protection in the roosting area, and the run is fully secure, then no real need to have a coop.

 

[aart]

full weather protection

From rain and wind.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Your nests and feed need to stay dry. There are ways to do that without having a coop.

You need to provide predator protection. Many of us lock them in a secure coop at night, it's generally easier to build a secure coop than a secure run. But if your run isn't that big, you can do it. I prefer an apron for digging predators instead of digging straight down, especially if your ground is rocky. It can be really effective and easier to install. Think of climbing predators too. Gates, corners, or connections can be weak areas.

I've seen chickens sleep in trees when it was below zero Fahrenheit, your temperatures. That's a lot colder than just freezing. They were not on a bare dead limb of a tree overlooking a bluff squawking defiantly into the teeth of a blizzard, that would be a Disney cartoon. They were in a sheltered valley and in a tree with thick branches so they were pretty well shielded from wind. They had ventilation as good as it gets.

My chickens hate a cold wind. They will not venture outside if a cold wind is hitting them. If they are sheltered from a cold wind they go outside to play even when it is below 0 F.

Raccoons have been known to reach through wire and grab handfuls of a chicken to eat.
I think your idea can work great. I'd want some wind and rain protection when they are on the roosts. Think of a box around the roosts with the bottom open. Solid walls where they are roosting will stop raccoons from reaching in.

Think about those winter days when the wind is whistling through. Create some kind of wind block where they can get out of a strong cold wind. Maybe using your nests or feeder as some of the walls.

Good luck and let us know how it goes. And welcome to the forum. Glad you joined.

 

[rookiechickie]

Thank you, Ridgerunner. By below zero I meant 0 C (= 32 F), not 0 F. It doesn't snow here (at least I haven't seen yet).

Predator-proofing is the one that I am really focusing on. I will also check craigslist to see if there's anyone who's selling his/her coop... once this coronavirus situation gets improved (sigh).

 

[bbhorsefly]

I know of a woman in Michigan that doesn't have a coop. Her run is like a huge roofed picnic pavilion. She has nest boxes and different roosting areas. In the winter, she wraps the walls in sheeting plastic, like a green house. Her birds thrive. I'm in TN but have converted to that model. Though we didn't get any snow to speak of and temperatures were more mild this year my birds did great. I built a lean to on my milking parlor (former coop). Roosts and nest boxes and put tarps on the ends that get the wind. They didn't mind at all. Somewhere to get out of the wind and wet, sleep, and lay their eggs and they were gtg!