Need coop plans

[7acres]

That makes sense. How much daylight are you getting, sunrise to sunset? I'd use that as a guide.

Essentially none. Clamped floodlight in ceiling. Read that might be to bright so guess I should put a smaller one in and give the 8 to 12 as suggested.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Essentially none. Clamped floodlight in ceiling. Read that might be to bright so guess I should put a smaller one in and give the 8 to 12 as suggested.

read the labels so it is not Teflon coated bulbs

 

[Ridgerunner]

Essentially none. Clamped floodlight in ceiling. Read that might be to bright so guess I should put a smaller one in and give the 8 to 12 as suggested.

What time does the sun rise? What time does it set? Use that time span as your guide.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Essentially none. Clamped floodlight in ceiling. Read that might be to bright so guess I should put a smaller one in and give the 8 to 12 as suggested.

probably not too bright if it is at the ceiling your alright smaller bulb less heat also good fire wise

 

[7acres]

Girls moved in. Still have things to do.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Interesting droppings board under the roosts. I don't see the nests, hopefully they are not as high as the roosts.

 

[7acres]

Interesting droppings board under the roosts. I don't see the nests, hopefully they are not as high as the roosts.

Feed store didn’t have PDZ so used shavings. Vinyl under the shavings. Couple of months away from laying so haven’t built nest. Thought it might be good not to put them in and let them get used to roosting on perch.

 

[cmom]

New question. I have dog kennel panels. I also have a couple of rolls of chain link fencing. Instead of putting hardware cloth on the outside of the panels what do you think of attaching the rolls of chain link to the panels? Also the coop will be under a lot of trees. Tons of roots. Digging would be a nightmare. I was thinking of cutting the chain link and laying it flat on the outside of the run and attaching it. Anyone done this?

One of my coops is under a tree too and nothing has attempted to dig under. The rest of my coops and pens have electric wire around them.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Feed store didn’t have PDZ so used shavings. Vinyl under the shavings. Couple of months away from laying so haven’t built nest. Thought it might be good not to put them in and let them get used to roosting on perch.

That makes sense as long as the nests are in there a week or two before they start laying. Sometimes pullets start looking for a safe place to make a nest a week or so before they actually lay. Some don't but some do. I want to give them every chance to learn to lay in the nests instead of forcing them to learn to lay somewhere else. So I have the nests available with fake eggs in them early.

As long as the nests are not as high as the roosts most pullets will not try to sleep in them. Most. Occasionally it happens. If it is going to happen I want it to happen in time for me to retrain them before I start getting poopy eggs. Also them investigating where to make a nest often involves a lot of scratching. Hens will often scratch when settling in to the nest to lay also. If you find your fake eggs and nesting materials on the coop floor that is a sign you probably need to raise the lip on your nest.

But yes, if you can get them to roost on the roosts before they start looking for a place to lay and the nests you put in are lower than the roosts you usually do not have a problem.

 

[7acres]

finished putting chainlink around coop and run today. Apron is 2 ft on ground. Bent rebar like a cane that was 24 inches long and anchored it in ground. Didn’t bury it as is in the woods. To many roots. Can think of 70 other reasons not to dig it. Now I can get back to cleaning my cast iron until I get enough energy to put hardware cloth inside pen and under eaves.