need some help

[taterbug]

have just been given six game chickens...was told that i could just let them free range and have been doing this for the last six weeks...they roost in the trees...but i am concerned for their safety...so i think i am going to build a pen under part of my barn shed. it has a wall on one side. my question is that should i just put up nesting boxes or go ahead and build a house for them too. i was told that if i extend wire around the perimeter of the pen out to three feet and one foot inside that this would be sufficient to keep varmits out. i live in south mississippi and am not sure if my chickens will be warm enough in the boxes which will be twelve inches square, etc. any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[debilorrah]

Your set up sounds a lot like ours. We removed one panel from the shed for the coop door and divided the inside in 2. Chicken wired the whole thing so no predators could fly inside during the day. We made a ramp, 6 nesting boxes inside the shed and a pulley system so we can close the doors at night or bad weather. We also added a roost above the nesting boxes. We now have small rivr rocks inside and outside the edges of the coop so no small animals can dig in. It has worked so far - we saw a hawk today circling quite a bit, it gave up.

 

[kstaven]

What you are planning may or may not work dependent on how hungry and determined the predators in your area are. Some here do fine with much less, while others have fort knox junior and still have problems.

 

[taterbug]

thanks for the replies...even though i did not do my homework and post in the correct forum.
i like the idea of the river rocks as an added precaution.

 

[smileybritches]

hi taterbug! we used landscape timbers around the base (inside and out)of our run/coop. in the winter i think the main thing is to keep the wind off of them and keep them dry. so far the only problem we have had with predators is a wander up tom cat getting in the coup at night.

 

[taterbug]

hey smiley britches...see that we both hail from the deep south. thanks for the input...i have been thinking this over and have decided that i want a house with a run instead of using the side of the barn...will keep you posted once i decide on the design.

 

[smileybritches]

well might as well make twice as big as you think you need.