Keeping chickens on a porch at night??

[dntd]

Due to our stupid by law I might need to keep our chickens in the front covered porch( when not in the stealth dog coop!).I was thinking that I could use a tarp and then cover that with cardboard and newspaper then a layer of shavings should keep the bottom clean, I could also have a catch tray under the roosts to help with the smell, do you think that will help with the smell?? just a small area of the porch or 3/4ths of it? we hope to keep our 4 bantoms and 6-8 large . I personally don't think they will use it often just enough so that the nieghbors will think that the live in there at night. I was going to free range them 100% but a dog run sounds safer. grr can't wait to see if I can change the no coop law.

 

[MagsC]

You could give it a try....

I was reading today that DE also helps with odor, so you might want to use a little of that too?
Then let them into some sort of fenced in area during the day. If you had a dog house or something for them to get into in case of bad weather during the day, would they consider that a coop?

 

[Kittymomma]

I'd be concerned about raccoons unless they'll be is some sort of sturdy enclosure. Raccoons are BOLD and live just about everywhere.

 

[patandchickens]

If this is just a screened porch, your chickens are likely to get et by raccoons in pretty short order. You need a hardwarecloth-and/or-plywood container for the chickens. Build a small coop to put on the porch. Or, at the very least, get a very large dog crate, COVER ALL OPENINGS SECURELY WITH 1/4" HARDWARECLOTH, and use that -- if you have few enough chickens to fit in that small a cage.

(If they were "100% free range" they would last even less time. There are a LOT of raccoons in southern Ontario, including St Catherines. Also you would need indoor-type housing for them for wintertime ANYhow.)

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[dntd]

My porch is an enclosed porch with windows that can fully shut, we were just discussing a fan set on backwards for the smell. Outside I was thinking of getting a dog run with a cover. I have never seen a racoon on my porch nor willl the chickens stay all night outside, never seen a day one in st.catharines and we don't live near a ravine for cayotes to be an issue.

 

[TeriNick50]

Our coop looks like a dog house for a large dog. Roof is pitched and hinged on one side for interior access.
We only have 4 hens and they seem to be comfortable in it ... could probably handle two more!
Pop door opens to a pen (also could be used to contain a dog)

Bummer about your by-laws ... just build something which looks doggish .... flying under the radar stirs up creativity.

I definitely wouldn't use my porch ... too much chicken sh*t ... plus where would we sit on a summer's night?

 

[bluegoose]

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[Britney]

Can you build a coop of some kind on your porch? I had a problem with a raccoon that was bold enough to come into my kitchen through a window to steal cat food that was on our counter.

 

[dntd]

We were thinking of building a steath coop under our back ramp hidden by lattice, only issue is what about the eggs? how would I collect them, also do chickens need food at night? We have to put lots of thought into this. My front porch is just storage right now as it's nothing fance and will need to be replaced in a few years. We might put in a fake indoor coop might even includ a nights worth of poop, and use the covered run and dog house for the day. Oh stupid city, over spending on stupid things,upping our water and taxes yet not seeing out city slowly dying!

 

[MagsC]

I still like the idea of building something dog-like with a predator proof kennel during the day. If its a dog kennel and a dog house, that cant be illegal, can it?
And if you are worried about them outside at night, you can always stick with your plan on building them something on the porch for at night.