Need help with new coop and run.

[TheBeardie]

The last week has been a hard one for me, multiple attacks from an unknown animal have wiped out the majority of my flock, save a lone duck and a separate coop of bantams. As you can imagine I'm quite devastated with the loss, but, I would like to get back on my feet with a new flock. Part of this would include tearing down the old coop and putting up a new, safer, one. The last coop was posts, chicken wire and a roof, old, but worked for the longest time. I want a large capacity and I want it very safe, I live in the middle of the Florida woods, so plenty of predators to protect from. I'd like to see other people's coop designs to help inspire my new coop. Any tips on keeping the predators away would be helpful too.

 

[N F C]

So sorry about your losses, that must be heart breaking.

If you haven't already, check out the Coops section in the Learning Center, there are 100's of coop designs there of various sizes and built for varying climates...many of them are quite good and provide information on how they were built.chicken-coops.12 One thing you can do to make your new coop safer is to avoid chicken wire, hardware cloth is much better at protecting a flock.

Since you don't know what got your birds, you might want to check out the Predator info here: predators-pests.28 Once you have a better idea of what might have gotten them, you'll have a better idea on how to protect them.

 

[Peppercorngal]

I'm so sorry to hear of your losses, it's heartbreaking I know. I lost my entire flock last year to 3 bears. We build a new coop too. We just build a small "house" without windows, just lots of big vents (12) and a steel door with a long deadbolt! We have a chicken door (14"x22") on the back wall that goes into their run. It's got a door we can lower and close, but we don't. The run is predator proof except for bears and they can't get inside through that door! Because of our dogs, the bears only come at night so the chickens are inside the coop at that time and safe. I wish you the best.