New to chickens and here's what i have so far

[RoRoinGA]

I would cover it with hardware cloth from about 4 ft up. I would enclose the bottom. Hardware cloth is great cause it keeps out varmints. Looks great!

 

[gsim]

You have gotten good advice already. For best effects, put a window on the east side to help get the chooks up and at 'em regards egg laying. Be sure to get operable windows so as to have supplemental ventilation. Be sure to have a poop board to keep litter replacement at a minimum. You can make one using OSB with linoleum glued over it. Make it 24" side and set roost 12" from walls. Scrape daily

after opening windows to keep coop fresh. Be sure not to use chicken wire anywhere except overhead. Use the hardware cloth mesh instead. Do not do more than 4 chooks in your coop. I think any more would be really bad healthwise.

With a small flock, it would be easy to make a tractor-type pen that you could put them in for the day and just keep them in the pictured enclosure when you are gone. The mobile pen could be positioned over fresh grass every few days. Fresh free greens and bugs. Happy healthy chooks lay lots of eggs. (My flock of 23 lay around 20 eggs daily all winter long, so them must be pretty content and happy. And I do not even use artificial lighting.)

 

[Intheswamp]

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gsim, I can understand the economics of using chicken wire to protect against avian predators where there is a large expanse of run to cover and where the coop will be shut up every night, but for the attached run in this situation don't you think continuing over the top with hardware cloth would be prudent? Chicken wire on the top shouldn't be an issue with dogs (though I have seen some climbing dogs) but a raccoon could climb easily and would come through it easily...it would be the weak link. ???

Ditto on the dropping board and east window...dropping board on a small coop seems like almost a "gotta have".

I would go with an operable window...in the heat of summer the chickens will enjoy a bit of breeze. If you wanted to you could even build a small awning over it to help with rain protection.

Best wishes,
Ed

 

[Mark and Carolyn]

Quote:
great read thanks.

and i will for sure put a window above the pop door. and why lock it at night.

 

[Mark and Carolyn]

Quote:
lower michigan

 

[Intheswamp]

Quote:
lower michigan

Thanks. I was just curious about your statement...

the size of the cube. and i got it on the wire cloth, thanks. i plan on leaving the top open and the sides of the top also. it should get plenty of ventilation.

...at first I thought you meant that the entire top of the coop will be open with hardware cloth over it and a gap between it and the roof...thus I figured you were in a warm weather area. I think I see that you mean now though that you will be covering the gable ends with hardware cloth and then along either side of the top of the coop. Am I more on track with this thinking? Maybe I'm a bit confused on what I'm reading????

Don't forget to insulate under the roof for warmth/condensation reasons. You might want to cut a triangular cover for the north facing gable vent for cold weather use.

It looks good!

Ed​

 

[Mark and Carolyn]

yeah you're right. that's what i am thinking. i will make some covers for cold weather that i can just screw over the cloth at the gable ends. I'll make sure to take plenty of pictures as i am working on it. oh and the roof is not attached yet. i figure it will make it a little lighter when it comes time to place it in the back yard, and that's going to be another question, where to put it

 

[Mark and Carolyn]

more progress tonight, i only get a few hours after work and i am not a carpenter lol!

anyway please let me know how i am doing.