newbie needs help

[firemedicjoe]

Hello all!
I am new to BYC and have have a few questions..... Here we go
1. Is my coop and run big enough?
I have 2 black australorp
3 buff orpington
4 cornish cross
4 rhode island red
2 barred rock
2 cinnamon queens
2 light brahma
a turkey and my cousin brought over 6 "guaranteed" egg layers (whatever that means)
I have a coop that is 6x4 and 4 ft high. I am going to build a run this next week end. It will be 20x10 and 4ft high. Its in a grass field (old hay field) I'm not planning to free range these chickens but i was going to leave the grass. I don't know how many egg layers I will have, but i know for sure 4 of them are meat birds so they will go into the freezer. Other than that they are all "straight run" so they are mixed.
2. Do I need a top on my run?
I live in rural WI, we don't have a lot of coyotes around here but there are a lot of raccoons so I will make sure they can't get underneath it but how susceptible am I to having threats from above? (they will have their wings clipped so they can't fly)

 

[Pozees]

I would say your coop is not large enough for that number of birds. Everyone has an opinion about what is enough room, I try to stick with 4 square feet per bird, and even if you only offer 2 square feet per bird you need 52 square feet. You have only 24.

I always recommend a top on the run, hawks, eagles and owls will take chickens, especially young ones. You can use hail netting, game bird netting, hardware cloth, or chain link if supported. Also, raccoons and fox can climb.

You can leave the grass in the run, it won't be there long, they will scratch it up

 

[firemedicjoe]

How long should I wait to let them out in the run?

 

[Pozees]

How old are they? If they are 4 weeks of age or more and fully feathered, once it is done let them into it. Try to make the ramp not too steeply sloped if the pop door is up high, if at ground level you can ignore that comment

 

[firemedicjoe]

They will be 3 1/2 weeks by the time the pen is done. Also, what are your recommendations for fencing, should I use T posts or 4x4's

 

[firemedicjoe]

And should I leave the bottom touching the ground or should I put a 2x4 on the bottom?

 

[Pozees]

And should I leave the bottom touching the ground or should I put a 2x4 on the bottom?

Sorry, been a busy week. If you can, try to extend the wire mesh part of the fencing underground to keep predators from digging into the run. If not possible, put a 2x4 across the bottom and put rocks as heavy as you can find all around the perimeter.

4x4s will be more stable but T-posts will serve the purpose if you are burying the wire. If doing 2x4 along the bottom edge, corners can be 4x4s and the rest 2x4s. Honestly it could be all 2x4s but if you have reasonable access to 4x4s why not use them? I live in a high wind area, so I always think of heavier as better.

 

[TK421]

I agree that your coop is not big enough. The size of the coop needed depends on how much time your birds will spend inside. In s own regions, you might need your coop to hold your birds all day. In that case, figure 8 sq ft per standard chicken. Since we don't get snow, I figure a minimum of 4 sq ft/chicken in my coop, plus 8sq ft/ chicken in the run. I also recommend a roof on the run if you can swing it. Lots of things can climb, and eventually they will.

If you haven't already built it, seriously consider making your run taller. Wll you be in there raking out poop? Hay/shavings? Catching a bird? If so, imagine how uncomfortable it will be to do so bent over or crawling on your knees. My run is 2 inches shorter than I am, and just that difference is a pain, not including the weird angle I have to hold my garden rake.