Is a run necessary?

[sojeo]

Hi, thanks for your reply. Our coop is 8x8, has 2 large windows and 2 large vents. soon to be 3, 1 pop door and 1 human door with inside screen door. It is a couple feet away from our large barn that brunts most of the wind. I was thinking that I could roof in the area in front of the coop and along the side where the barn is and part of the back of the coop to give them a large outside area in bad weather. I have a small daytime pen for our little chicks until they are large enough to fend off the cats. I don't worry much about the bigger chicks since they have our also free large dog following them around protecting them. She chases off anything in site except the chickens (good doggie!). I see the sense in being able to pen them in during certain periods, maybe we will opt for that, but I don't think that it will have to be totally predator proof since it will only be during the day and the dog is out with them so much. I work from home, so I am home almost 100% of the time. I still haven't totally squashed the idea of a run, I have the feeling we will build a shelter and then eventually add the wire anyways!

 

[damselfish]

Ah, that sounds very sensible. Sorry I wasn't "getting it" before.

Have fun!

 

[sojeo]

I just added a link on my BYC page to some pics that I have taken over the last couple months, feel free to take a look!

 

[mamanaturale]

beautiful coop!

 

[sojeo]

Thank you! There is a lot more to be done, but I can pick away at it all summer. Most important is to get DH on the labour intensive stuff while he's still got a little of the chicken fever and while he is still working in the area. His contract work takes him away most of the time, so I gotta get him while I can!

Just got back from tucking my chicks in for the night. They get a bowl of hot moist crumbles each night with some kind of treat in it for going to bed so well. I just call them and they all come running. We have a little 3 week old chick that is just the sweetest, dearest little thing. The others tend to bully her a bit, like she's waaay down on the ladder, and she seems to enjoy my company more than the other chicks. She comes over to the screen and just stands there waiting until I open it up. She lets me reach down and pick her up or she hops up on my hand and will stay there until I put her down. She actually even likes petting and will often fall asleep in my hand. I just love her! The big girls who are going on 2 months (I think I lost track somewhere along the way) will only hop up on my knee if they are bothered, like if I forget to turn on the nightlight for them, or they are cold or something. They follow my around the yard a lot but they don't especially like to be cuddled anymore

I never would have guessed that I would have fallen in love like this with my chicks, what a pleasant surprise!

So Jeo
Nova Scotia