Mini Breeder coop - all done except for paint! new pix

[NellaBean]

I am building new mini breeder coop. It is 2x4 and 3 feet tall, not including roof peak (still to be decided). I have approximately 1 foot left around the top....I am trying to decide if I should go hardware cloth all the way around, or do maybe front and back walls plywood and side walls hardware cloth or vice versa? Would it be too much to have a full foot all the way around the coop?

It is still missing the door in the back and pop door in the front.....those will be solid plywood. I don't plan on adding any other ventilation other than what is within that top 1 foot. This will be used to house a trio of bantam cochins.

 

[patandchickens]

It kind of depends where you're going to put the coop, IMO. Although in summer it would be great (in TN) to have allll that all-the-way-around-the-top ventilation, and would really help things cool quickly in there at night, it is also going to mean that rain blows in and soaks the coop something fierce everytime you have a thunderstorm. Unless this is located right next to a sheltering building, or underneath a dense tree, or something like that, in which case it should be fine.

Also, maybe it is just me but I worry a bit (in very small coops like that) about having chickens roosting right on the other side of hardwarecloth from predators. Not so much a distrust of hardwarecloth as a feeling that it is not a good idea to tempt raccoons too strongly, you know? So if this were just sitting out where predators will be crawling around it at night, it might be good to have the walls solid where they are nearest the roost. OTOH if this will be in a really predator-free setting, that might not be an issue at all.

So I guess those seem to me to be the main issues. If you *can* have all that open as ventilation, I think it would be ideal, although of course you will want a way to attach flaps or plastic or tarps or whatever over some of it in the colder uckier part of the year.

JMHO, good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[NellaBean]

My yard has a 4 foot goat fence with electric around the top (currently turned off)....I did lose a single pullet to a raccoon or opossum one night last year when she missed night lockup and was hidden away where I couldn't reach her. Pretty sure I have one or the other living under my garage, grrrr....Other than that, predator load isn't huge, but still have some stragglers here and there. My dogs are out in the yard until 9 or 10 or so at night and make enough noise to scare off a bear (or not).

I agree about not really wanting chickens right on the other side of hardware cloth...I did do that in my BIG coop, but the windows are 6 feet off the ground and a couple feet below the roofline in the middle of the wall, so I'm not worried about it.

I think I may put hardware cloth in the center portion of the back (approx 2 feet wide) and the center portion of the front (approx 1 feet wide). That will give 3 sq feet of ventilation in an 8 square foot coop, holding 3 birds. that will leave plywood solid walls on the end and each small square butting up to the end on the front and back walls. This will give a 3 sided "shelter" on each end, where the roosts may be. We get A LOT of rain and hard storms out here, so would like some shelter from the rain for the chickens.

I do have the option of using hardware cloth from the top of the wall to the roof peak, however high it may be.....I haven't decided about the roof yet, but if the 3 sq feet of ventilation isn't enough, I could add some there if needed.

 

[NellaBean]

Making lots of progress. Still need to put latches on the larger rear door, hook up the front sliding door, add a roof and finish the run.

I used the vinyl coated hardware cloth for the "windows" as this will be a beige and green coop and it should match well. Considering making a larger peaked roof that will also provide a covered "porch" area in the first couple feet of the run.

 

[NellaBean]

Just needs the run built and to be painted.

 

[Jen71]

this looks great! Good work.
I like the idea of having both sides enclosed on three sides to give protection from rain and wind.
Well done!

 

[NellaBean]

A better picture. Will build the run this week....it won't be anything complex. 2 foot high 2x3 welded wire (green coated).....not sure what I will do for a top for the run. Considering a modified hoop setup...might just do a flat roof with a cover over part of it. We'll see.

 

[NellaBean]

All done except for the latches on the hinged top and front little gate. Needs to be painted too. All of the major construction is done, I should say.

 

[BC_Farms]

I love it! Good luck with the painting!