My New Coop Pics (and predator proofing question)

[dridge11]

Just finished assembly on my "TheSmartChickenCoop"...I really love the look (my wife wanted a red barn) and it fits perfectly in the space we had picked out for the coop. Shelley was a pleasure to deal with, assembly was a little trickier and time consuming than expected, but quite happy with the final product.

Pretty sure my wife would prefer we have an armed guard watching the coop at all times, but I'm considering other options.

We have the pavers going all the way around, all the sides and tops are wired in, nothing on the bottom. There is not a ton of space between the fence/sidewalk border and the sides of the coop, there is a little room in the front and back. Should I:

1) Leave it "as is"
2) Bury some wire under the pavers around the perimeter that extend outward (that'd mostly be the front and back, obviously)
3) Get a 4ft x 9ft sheet of chicken wire and put a solid piece under the entire footprint, extending about an extra half a foot on the front and back, and going all the way to the fence and sidewalk border.

Want to keep the chicks safe, but don't want to over-do it.

 

[critta]

How many chickens do you plan on having in your setup? Also what type of predators are you aware of in your area? Do you plan on free ranging outside of your Coop and Run?

 

[dridge11]

Three chickens...coop is 3x4, run is 3x4
We live in a neighborhood, fairly urban in our immediate area. Neighbor cats, hawks, my wife swears she has seen/heard of a raccoon coming out of a sewer drain up the street.
We will let them free range in the backyard when we're outside...we have a big garden so we're out there quite a bit. They will be in the coop/run when we're not around.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Three chickens...coop is 3x4, run is 3x4
We live in a neighborhood, fairly urban in our immediate area. Neighbor cats, hawks, my wife swears she has seen/heard of a raccoon coming out of a sewer drain up the street.
We will let them free range in the backyard when we're outside...we have a big garden so we're out there quite a bit. They will be in the coop/run when we're not around.

If free ranging will only be limited to times you are outside I would strongly suggest you increase the size of the run - a total of 24 square feet is not sufficient for three birds to be confined. While the coop is serviceable for your flock, the run needs to be larger. All potential issues that can arise within a flock are increased greatly when overcrowding comes into play, and your setup as is will be overcrowded.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Is the area under the coop open to the birds as part of the run or not? If so, how high up does the coop set over it?

 

[dridge11]

The inside of the coop is open, sort of a shaded extension of the run. Here is a picture of the inside. There are a few roosting spots, the lowest one is about 14 inches off the ground.

 

[dridge11]

How much larger should I make the run? I can build my own extension to match the one that's currently attached and I have another 10-15 feet of space to keep coming out with the run. The chickens are still a few weeks from being outside so I have time to make any necessary adjustments.

Any comments about the predator proofing options?

 

[critta]

I think it might really be up to you in this case. I have seen a mix of opinions on the board. You could wait to see if you see signs of predators digging to get in at your chickens and hope you have time to adjust. In my coop i have a buried 2x4 around the base that is semi buried. If i see any signs of digging I am going to add an apron.

I agree with ol grey mare it would be a good idea to expand the run if the space is available.

 

[dridge11]

How much bigger should I make the run? Maybe add another 8ft x 3ft section? That would make the run 12ft x 3ft with the open/shaded coop area 4ft x 3ft. 48 sqft total?

 

[critta]

How much bigger should I make the run? Maybe add another 8ft x 3ft section? That would make the run 12ft x 3ft with the open/shaded coop area 4ft x 3ft. 48 sqft total?

That puts you over the suggested 4ft per bird ratio so I think that would be better. From what I have read you will avoid potential stress and fighting by having more space that you would run into if things are crowded.