My chicken coop. What to change? What to keep?

[Purelychicks]

What should I keep/change? Keep in mind I’m kinda on a tight budget I have solar lights coming tomorrow for inside the coop

 

[mowin]

First thing is the chicken wire on the outside openings. It will not prevent predators from getting into or at your chickens.

 

[Purelychicks]

First thing is the chicken wire on the outside openings. It will not prevent predators from getting into or at your chickens.

I know but that’s on the run and we block it off at night but I’ll try when the weather gets better

 

[AmeliaBedelia]

So I like the wood apron since you did have to use chicken wire up top (I can totally relate to the $$ choices like that). But I would put hardware cloth on the wish list for the future.

Some of the other aspects may depend on what breeds of chickens you have? Your upper roosting bar might be a bit high for a fat, lazy orpington, but awesome for a flightier more athletic bird. My orpington may have been exceptionally lazy though.

If you’re in a really cold climate, some have recommended using a 2x4 (fat edge facing up) as a roost so the chickens can stand on it and snuggle over their feet instead of having toes exposed because they have to wrap around the bar. But I don’t have personal experience with that.

I would avoid putting the lower bar in the “splash zone” of poop from the upper roost. Not 100% sure, but one photo made it look like they might not be offset enough to avoid the top chickens pooping on lower ones.

I will be studying this for my own low cost DIY ideas.

 

[Purelychicks]

So I like the wood apron since you did have to use chicken wire up top (I can totally relate to the $$ choices like that). But I would put hardware cloth on the wish list for the future.

Some of the other aspects may depend on what breeds of chickens you have? Your upper roosting bar might be a bit high for a fat, lazy orpington, but awesome for a flightier more athletic bird. My orpington may have been exceptionally lazy though.

If you’re in a really cold climate, some have recommended using a 2x4 (fat edge facing up) as a roost so the chickens can stand on it and snuggle over their feet instead of having toes exposed because they have to wrap around the bar. But I don’t have personal experience with that.

I would avoid putting the lower bar in the “splash zone” of poop from the upper roost. Not 100% sure, but one photo made it look like they might not be offset enough to avoid the top chickens pooping on lower ones.

I will be studying this for my own low cost DIY ideas.

I live in Arkansas so some days it’s 80 and some days it’s -10 . U can’t see in pics but it’s offset. It’s because I took a panorama pic. We also have low roosts I didn’t take pics of. We have lots of breeds. Lavender Orpington, 2 mottled Cochins, Easter egger, 4 leghorns, a black star, a silver wyandotte, 3 mixed breeds, and our neighbors chickens who like to visit. (The ones in the pics)

 

[JoeCT]

I love the tree growing in the middle. That has a Cool factor of 10.