what an interesting thread of conversation. we haven't started building our coup yet. learn so much from reading these threads. can't wait until i'm an official chicken keeper
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New owner, several questions. A fun bag of ignorance!
- Thread starter ts72712
- Start date
From what you said, it sounds like you'll probably be okay as far as ventilation goes.
The chickens only need to be locked in the coop at night if you're worried about predators; I do lock some of mine in at night as I don't think their run provides as much protection as their coop, and we do have some night predators like raccoons and opossums in my area. The locking them in recommendation that I was originally addressing is to keep them from leaving the general coop/run area until they get used to it. If your birds have grown up there and are already familiar with the area, then you've probably had them locked up long enough for that purpose.
The chickens only need to be locked in the coop at night if you're worried about predators; I do lock some of mine in at night as I don't think their run provides as much protection as their coop, and we do have some night predators like raccoons and opossums in my area. The locking them in recommendation that I was originally addressing is to keep them from leaving the general coop/run area until they get used to it. If your birds have grown up there and are already familiar with the area, then you've probably had them locked up long enough for that purpose.
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I missed this. The cause of more than 90 percent of all unintended dead chickens is predator attacks!! BE ALARMED!! We read about it all the time supporting the community after losses. If you do not protect them from a large predator such as possum, raccoon, feral cats, big animals like stray dogs and many more that could be mentioned. Your cage is the only thing that protects your pets. Have metal wire on all sides including under the cage and on top. I put mine up inside the box each and every night now after losing 5 loved pets to a raccoon. I would not want this happening to you. CYA
I missed this. The cause of more than 90 percent of all unintended dead chickens is predator attacks!! BE ALARMED!! We read about it all the time supporting the community after losses. If you do not protect them from a large predator such as possum, raccoon, feral cats, big animals like stray dogs and many more that could be mentioned. Your cage is the only thing that protects your pets. Have metal wire on all sides including under the cage and on top. I put mine up inside the box each and every night now after losing 5 loved pets to a raccoon. I would not want this happening to you. CYA
- Thread starter
- #14
Quote:
I missed this. The cause of more than 90 percent of all unintended dead chickens is predator attacks!! BE ALARMED!! We read about it all the time supporting the community after losses. If you do not protect them from a large predator such as possum, raccoon, feral cats, big animals like stray dogs and many more that could be mentioned. Your cage is the only thing that protects your pets. Have metal wire on all sides including under the cage and on top. I put mine up inside the box each and every night now after losing 5 loved pets to a raccoon. I would not want this happening to you. CYA
Oh they was inside a very sturdy and very well wire covered run, as was the dog house. I've had no problems with predators and build my wire around the coop/run with them in mind.
This new coop and run has wire around the bottom of the coop around the run it's self causing, I think you all call it an apron? or a skirt? so the animals can't dig. As for the roof we got some awning fabric from lowes to keep the hawks out and provide some shade in the summer. We're most likely going to have to reinforce the fabric somehow do to the snow and ice we get in the winters.
I'm very confident in my runs ability to keep predators out...however I may change my toon if one ever shows up to test my design. Once I finish the run expansion I may put some of the wire around the bottom of the coop around the botton of the run, the run has normal chicken wire, the bottom of the coop has...cage wire I believe it's called. Stronger and about one inch by half inch squares.
The area around my house has many fenced in dogs, except one whos owner doesn't think needs a fence. So I would think our normal racoon/possum problem is gone, the cats that live on our pourch hasn't bothered the chickens at all when I've let the chickens out while I was working on the coop. has one of the cats laying near the coop with the chickens walking around him.
I missed this. The cause of more than 90 percent of all unintended dead chickens is predator attacks!! BE ALARMED!! We read about it all the time supporting the community after losses. If you do not protect them from a large predator such as possum, raccoon, feral cats, big animals like stray dogs and many more that could be mentioned. Your cage is the only thing that protects your pets. Have metal wire on all sides including under the cage and on top. I put mine up inside the box each and every night now after losing 5 loved pets to a raccoon. I would not want this happening to you. CYA
Oh they was inside a very sturdy and very well wire covered run, as was the dog house. I've had no problems with predators and build my wire around the coop/run with them in mind.
This new coop and run has wire around the bottom of the coop around the run it's self causing, I think you all call it an apron? or a skirt? so the animals can't dig. As for the roof we got some awning fabric from lowes to keep the hawks out and provide some shade in the summer. We're most likely going to have to reinforce the fabric somehow do to the snow and ice we get in the winters.
I'm very confident in my runs ability to keep predators out...however I may change my toon if one ever shows up to test my design. Once I finish the run expansion I may put some of the wire around the bottom of the coop around the botton of the run, the run has normal chicken wire, the bottom of the coop has...cage wire I believe it's called. Stronger and about one inch by half inch squares.
The area around my house has many fenced in dogs, except one whos owner doesn't think needs a fence. So I would think our normal racoon/possum problem is gone, the cats that live on our pourch hasn't bothered the chickens at all when I've let the chickens out while I was working on the coop. has one of the cats laying near the coop with the chickens walking around him.
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- Thread starter
- #15
They are so weird! So today is week 1 of them being in their new run/coop, I still have to catch them at night and put them in the coop. However my little white hen knows she lays her eggs in the coop, she knows where the coop is, she goes in/out several times in the morning before laying her egg in the coop. So why doesn't she go in it to sleep!
Also my alpha rooster bit me last night while trying to catch him. Second time in his life he's done that, first time I was petting one of the hens. I don't think he's "mean" just some trust issues between me and the flock it seems.
Also my alpha rooster bit me last night while trying to catch him. Second time in his life he's done that, first time I was petting one of the hens. I don't think he's "mean" just some trust issues between me and the flock it seems.
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He isn't mean...yet. If you ignore the bites though it will become much worse. Tap him hard on his noggin when he bites you. Let him know that he isn't to do that or it'll get worse. Now is the time to nip that sort of stuff in the bud.
He isn't mean...yet. If you ignore the bites though it will become much worse. Tap him hard on his noggin when he bites you. Let him know that he isn't to do that or it'll get worse. Now is the time to nip that sort of stuff in the bud.
- Oct 7, 2011
- 1,483
- 22
- 143
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This is what I did too (sort of) My fenced area is a 8x10 dog kennel. I really didn't know anything about chickens and didn't realize they would fly over the top of the 6ft kennel fence, so they started free ranging on their own. They came back and sat on the fence when it was getting dark. After covering the top, and making other adjustments, I would just let them out in the morning and they would head inside at dusk. I also do a head count before locking up for the night
This is what I did too (sort of) My fenced area is a 8x10 dog kennel. I really didn't know anything about chickens and didn't realize they would fly over the top of the 6ft kennel fence, so they started free ranging on their own. They came back and sat on the fence when it was getting dark. After covering the top, and making other adjustments, I would just let them out in the morning and they would head inside at dusk. I also do a head count before locking up for the night
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That head wavy thing might be his wattles, if they are big, he could just be flapping them around to try to figure out...What the heck are THESE things?
- Jul 19, 2011
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- 21
I'm a newbie too - after much chasing I learned it's much easier to catch them if you just wait til it's dark - then you can just pick them up and move them in.
- Thread starter
- #20
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I hope so, I thought it was a male to female thing....but he's outside by himself right now and he's doing it.
I hope so, I thought it was a male to female thing....but he's outside by himself right now and he's doing it.
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