Need ideas on my coop

[jramirez]

I have 3 & 4 week old chicks and I would like to begin searching or making my coop. I live in South Texas and I am unsure exactly how I should protect my little chickies! I love out in the country and I hear that there are fox that possibly come out. i do have 2 dogs outside that will bark but i don't really want to rely on that. I do like the idea of letting the chicks have free range, within the coop, straight on the ground so that they may be able to peck for bugs etc. BUT, i also hear that i should lay some plywood inthe coop so that critters can't dig up into the coop. So with that, I am beginning to think that a coop that can be periodically moved around might be out of the question. If I do go with a permanent coop what design is best and should I lay plywood down? But then what should i throw on top of it? I want something that is easy to clean if I have to go that route.

Right now I am using pine shavings - but they begin to stink because I have the feeder and the waterer sitting on top of an empty sour cream container (lol) and they constantly are knocking the things over.

obviously I am very new to this and I need some help

 

[Judy]

In your climate I would build a 3 sided shelter attached to an outdoor run, with a chicken wire roof over the run and a foot or so of wire laid on the ground around the run, and attached to the wire walls of the run. You could even extend the wire on the ground all the way around, and have a dirt floor in the shelter (I love dirt floor coops, though.) They will need shade and breeze to survive Texas heat, but they will need no protection from your winter, which will not feel cold to them, other than a windbreak.

This thread has a bunch of pics to give you a general idea:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/163417/please-show-me-your-hot-weather-coops

I use pine shavings, and set waterers on broken pieces of concrete blocks, and never have a problem with them - or with smell, but there is plenty of breeze in my coop. For chicks I make a step or two with bricks, til they will hop onto the block to drink.