my first coop - Lots of questions

[otonoh]

Well I finally decided that yes We are going to raise chickens this spring. We still have 2 feet of snow on the ground but soon it will be gone. It is 5'5 feet 8'. I think I will use the chimney as a ventilation, I just need to cover the hole on the inside, Add vinyl flooring and paneling. I have a few questions. How high off the ground should I put it. I was thinking of using concrete blocks? I hope to have a 20' x 10' run on the side, How high should the fence be? Should I cover it with Bird netting to keep out the hawks or do I need to use hardware cloth?

I thought I would put the door between the windows. Do I put hardware cloth on the inside or outside of the windows? I was thinking of 5 or 6 chickens, Are 2 nest boxes enough and How high should I elevate them?
I put more pictures on my page

thanks

 

[nivtup]

Quote:
Good luck

 

[otonoh]

thanks for the reply, I will use 3 blocks to put it up a good 24 inches, then they can go there in the summer for shade and to stay out of the snow in winter.
If the chickens are put in the coop before night, would I need to cover their fenced in area? How do free range chickens avoid hawks, eagles and owls?

thanks

 

[gryeyes]

Quote:
Well, the usual answer to the first question is "Yes." The aerial predators (except for owls) are daytime predators. It would give them protection when they are in that area.

Free range chickens "avoid" aerial predators by running to shelter, be it tree cover, or their coops, or into bushes, or whatever shelter you have provided for them. They are not always successful in evading flying predators. That is one of the hazards of allowing your chickens to range freely.

 

[otonoh]

thanks, I will plan on covering the area.

 

[otonoh]

work is progressing on the coop, I do have a concern, it is about 27 degrees outside and the coop is about 60. It has a lot of windows and gets sun. my concern is in the summer it may be too hot. I have a ceiling vent, should I add side vents? In the winter it gets down to -15. I will probably heat it with a lightbulb or ceramaic heater bulb. Any thoughts