New Hoop Coop/Run

[dsa1912]

Hi all.

My wife and I are green to the poultry life, but here's what we've constructed so far. 8'x16' open-air coop and run. We've added a few roosts, but we're looking for suggestions on what's right vs wrong, or any helpful insights.

The space will be filled by 9 chicks and 3 geese. Varieties below and all will be arriving as newer hatchlings around June 12th 2025 (so plenty of time to upgrade their space):

3x Rhode Island Red
3x Easter Egger
3x Buff Orpington
3x Embden Geese

Some contextual notes, we plan on adding a second thicker and slightly longer tarp to cover the one pictured, it'll reach the frame boards at the base. More roosts are probably needed (We see corner 2x4s are popular, so maybe), and we've yet to select our food and water locations, ideally we'll hang those from the roof structure. Additionally we'll be adding hardware cloth around the base and extending out for dig prevention.

We built a brooder box out of a 75 gallon rolling tote, cut out the lid and replaced with 1/4" hardware cloth, as well as acquired a heat plate, chick feeder/waterer, chick feed, and some toys for down the road. (Pictures to come)

We're both working hard to read resources that'll help us provide the greatest care for the ladies, but there's always blind spots. If you see something below that's a red flag, or have any friendly advice, it's greatly appreciated.

 

[Penpal]

Those roosting branches are too close to the wall. For chicks you just put the branches on the ground and they will eventually sit on them. You have more nesting boxes than you will need. They will decide which ones they like best.

 

[dsa1912]

Those roosting branches are too close to the wall. For chicks you just put the branches on the ground and they will eventually sit on them. You have more nesting boxes than you will need. They will decide which ones they like best.

We're hoping to grow the FAM, so extra nesting boxes are preferred. I'll retool the roost situation this weekend, and add some lower down for the chicks. Appreciate the insight!

 

[dsa1912]

Update! It's wrapped and ready to go, raised on 4" cinder blocks as well. I still need to add soil to the inside and line with straw. We have 3 chicks already and are waiting on the other 12, we can't wait!

Check out our brooder box.

 

[Chicalina]

That's a lot of plastic. Where is the ventilation?

Are they going to roost in the open at night in the run, or do you have a separate coop (house/shed) for night sleeping?

Geese are messy. They will create wet mess. That will make condensation on all that plastic. Where are you and what is your climate?

Climate dictates a lot.

 

[dsa1912]

That's a lot of plastic. Where is the ventilation?

Are they going to roost in the open at night in the run, or do you have a separate coop (house/shed) for night sleeping?

Geese are messy. They will create wet mess. That will make condensation on all that plastic. Where are you and what is your climate?

Climate dictates a lot.

We're getting some solar fans for ventilation but the front and back are 1/2" hardware cloth.

We're in SE Louisiana, I made the coop in a shady spot along a breezeway facing E/W.

We've heard geese are messy, beyond creating a nice 4" soil substrate with a 2" layer of hay/pine shavings, is there something we can do?

We plan on letting them open nest and roost in the evenings, we were very thorough in making sure the enclosure is predator proof, including a mesh skirt just under the soil.

 

[Chicalina]

Oh I see. The two end walls don't have plastic on them? That's good.

Have you got an outdoor thermometer? I'd probably take some readings in different places in the coop just to make sure it's not heating up like a greenhouse.

So it's hot and humid where you are? Does it rain a lot?
I'm guessing as I'm not from the US.

Will you be free ranging them at all? Or just free ranging the geese?
If possible, I would house the geese separately, or at least let them out during the day and have their water facility outside of the coop.

Chickens like dry earth to scratch and dustbathe in. Waterfowl like water. They have different needs.

I'm in the UK where it rains a lot. For 3 seasons of the year I'm battling mud. I used to keep ducks in with my chickens. Never again. The ducks were mud making machines. No amount of alternate substrate made it better. I'm not sure if geese are as bad, but you could ask in the goose forum.

I would put the roosts nearer to the nest boxes in the more sheltered half of the run.

And fill the run with things. A table for shade underneath and jumping up onto. Some branches or an old pallet leaning against the side, a bale of straw. Things they can hide behind, jump on, and peck at.

 

[fowltemptress]

Replace the clear plastic with something opaque. The clear plastic will act like an oven in the heat.

Build a separate enclosure for the geese.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I agree with some of the others, I am wondering if that plastic is going to have a greenhouse effect in there. The idea with open air is just that, much more open walls and airflow. All the plastic makes this even less ventilated than a standard winterized run in freezing environments.

If the intent is this is a roof, a run doesn't need a roof. Rainfall won't hurt them.

 

[Chicalina]

I agree with some of the others, I am wondering if that plastic is going to have a greenhouse effect in there. The idea with open air is just that, much more open walls and airflow. All the plastic makes this even less ventilated than a standard winterized run in freezing environments.

If the intent is this is a roof, a run doesn't need a roof. Rainfall won't hurt them.

Yes, or at least only on the top for at least half of the run. Mine love a good rain bath and I have two runs they can access, a dry one with a roof, and an open one under trees. There are places to shelter from the rain in the open one but they don't bother.