I would have advised against the housing due to size, insuffient ventilation, etc. But it sounds as if you've already bought it. I would definitely use hardware cloth rather than what looks like chicken wire in the windows (raccoons can rip through chicken wire). I'd also add some ventilation just under the roofline, since you will want to cover those windows that sit right at roost level (icy drafts on birds in winter time is unhealthy). Even just drilling a series of 2 inch holes will help w/ventilation.
Unless your run is covered w/tin or something similar, you will need to really watch for behavioral issues this winter, as that is a tiny amount of space in that coop for your birds. Four sq. ft. per bird is generally the minimum amount of space per chicken recommended on BYC unless a person lives in a year round mild climate. I'm just across the river from you, and my birds spent (which are also winter hardy breeds) spent a decent amount of time indoors this past winter due to snow and cold. They're more likely to want to go out if the run is covered and they don't have to wade through snow.
If you end up keeping all 6 birds (you could always rehome 2 or 3 of them if needed), then you'd want at least a 60 sq. ft. run, since it sounds like, based on where you live, that you can't free range them at all. Landscape timbers are pretty sturdy. If you have no way of sinking posts, just build rectangular prism shape of them. That would be four around the top, four around the bottom, four vertical posts at the corners, and probably 4 vert. at the centers for support/strength...or on one side moving the support over to make a door opening - to keep to 16 posts. Of course you'd still need to make a door. I'd advise making it tall enough for you to go inside easily. Depending on how tall the coop is, you could just set it inside the run. Of course a chainlink dog run is faster. I often see them on CL. You'd need to add smaller meshed wire along the bottom 24 inches or so...
As long as your birds are shut inside their housing each night (pop door closed, something besides chicken wire on the windows), they should be safe from predators.
Unless your run is covered w/tin or something similar, you will need to really watch for behavioral issues this winter, as that is a tiny amount of space in that coop for your birds. Four sq. ft. per bird is generally the minimum amount of space per chicken recommended on BYC unless a person lives in a year round mild climate. I'm just across the river from you, and my birds spent (which are also winter hardy breeds) spent a decent amount of time indoors this past winter due to snow and cold. They're more likely to want to go out if the run is covered and they don't have to wade through snow.
If you end up keeping all 6 birds (you could always rehome 2 or 3 of them if needed), then you'd want at least a 60 sq. ft. run, since it sounds like, based on where you live, that you can't free range them at all. Landscape timbers are pretty sturdy. If you have no way of sinking posts, just build rectangular prism shape of them. That would be four around the top, four around the bottom, four vertical posts at the corners, and probably 4 vert. at the centers for support/strength...or on one side moving the support over to make a door opening - to keep to 16 posts. Of course you'd still need to make a door. I'd advise making it tall enough for you to go inside easily. Depending on how tall the coop is, you could just set it inside the run. Of course a chainlink dog run is faster. I often see them on CL. You'd need to add smaller meshed wire along the bottom 24 inches or so...
As long as your birds are shut inside their housing each night (pop door closed, something besides chicken wire on the windows), they should be safe from predators.
