new coop questions,

[thesteven]

im in process of building new coop. the run is 25x30 with an 8x5 coop. wondering how man hens i can fit in there. also can hens roost outside if can't roost inside, all year, live in NC, winters mild, and also have one side made from plywood,for draft. so ? is how many and if they can keep outside if no room in coop

 

[ArizonaDesertChicks]

Your coop is perfect for 10 standard chickens, but your run is large enough for 75 chickens. Since your winters are mild and they won't be trapped inside the coop much, I might try to get away with keeping 15 of them in that set-up. If you can build a second coop or shelter in there, you'd have room for even more chickens.

Rule of thumb here is 10 sf per chicken in the run and 4 sf per chicken in the coop.

 

[abChicken]

I'm also in NC I had bad luck last summer letting a trio of cochins roost outside in run an owl pulled rooster through the wire enough to kill it. This winter I had some mixed game bantams in a pen and lot that i thought was owl proof, it was but not racoon proof

 

[thesteven]

on the run, were putting tin on all by 8x8, if your wondering why, cause thats all the freebies we have..

yea first year here, owls were a #### so we put up flashing lights powered buy led. also on racoon problem, done killed 2 and 1 opossum, hope not illegal, just confessed..

also friends got a contraption, as described. its a picnic table with about 6 mop sticks hanging in various places, far in enough were they wont break for the birds, some roost at night, others nap, and seem to enjoy it all day.. does that sound like a good ideal, thinking about it to

 

[thesteven]

any suggestions