Newbie would love some advice.

[BrahmaMama2]

As a Newbie, I just joined this forum and LOVE it. I have a question.

I have three buff brahmas approaching five weeks old that will be put into their permanent home next week.

I would like some comments on their new home - all are welcomed and appreciated. We live in the country and have a lot of land - both crop and wooded.

The pen is 10' x 10' and six foot high chain link dog fence. I have 1/2" hardware cloth 2 feet up the bottom of the pen with 1 foot laying on the ground with patio bricks on top of it. The pen/coop is located on a portion of our concrete patio slab, right behind the house. I also have 1/2" hardware cloth over the top of the kennel and a kennel cover over that to protect them from the weather and give them some shade. The coop is completely inside the pen three feet off the ground and is fairly small but of adequate size for three full grown brahmas. I am covering the concrete with double grind wood mulch to give the girls something to walk on other than concrete. The inside of their coop will have pine shavings. I am also making them a dust bath area and will have several large branches for them to roost on within the pen. I plan on keeping the water font and feeder hanging under the coop which as I indicated is three feet off the ground.

Have I forgotten anything?

Will my girls be safe within this arrangement if I should keep the coop door open at night? We own our own business and sometimes I just can't get home before dark to close it up. Should I put a motion light near the pen? Should I leave a radio on?

Also, since the coop itself is relatively small, must I have food and water for them inside the coop or is the water font and feeder that are hanging under the coop sufficient.

Thank you all SO much.

 

[citychickx6]

There are so many people on here with wonderful information. I am sure you will find TONS that you can use.

I am wondering about the concrete and the need chickens have for scratching. I know mine spend most of the day scratching in the dirt and digging holes that are cool to lay in. Chickens need grit in order to grind down the food they eat. Are you making a place for a grit and oystershell dish?

Is there a roof or wire on top of the run? Raccoons climb very well and so do many other not so nice visitors. What about hawks?

I think a 10x10 is certainly large enough for 3 hens. As to the food inside the coop, a lot depends on your climate. Will it get very cold where you are? Are you worried about rodents getting into it or wild birds? I have seen a lot of homemade tube feeders on here that would not take up much room inside if you wanted to explore the idea.

The only other thing I could add is that mulch tends to absorb moisture, even that of the droppings. Odor and bacteria would concern me.

Hoping for pictures and wishing you the best.

Babs

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

You don't need to have food and water inside the coop as long as they are only shut up inside it at night. Once they have roosted for the night, chickens neither eat or drink, but be prepared to get up and let them out fairly early...yes even on weekends.

My original run, which is 6'X9', plus the 4'X8' under the coop is enclosed on the top as well as the side, but there is a little pop-door on the end that I can open to let my hens out into a second run, made with the same 10'X10', 6' high dog run you are describing.

The picture below shows the set-up before I added the dog run:
While I have never had a predator problem while my chickens are in their run, I have had one of my pullets fly over the top on several occasions. Now that she is a year old, it hasn't happened any more. Perhaps that won't happen with Brahmas, which are larger. I do know that I've increased their exposure to hawks and raccoons by having an uncovered portion of the run. One thing I do to decrease the threat from raccoons, skunks, rats etc. is to take the feeder and waterer in every night after I lock the chickens in the coop. I know that bears will trash bird feeders, and I don't want to give anything a reason to climb into the run during the night.

 

[Wtrmutt]

My run is exactly as you described yours except I have the hardware cloth going up a bit higher and buried around the sides. I did put a roof on and recently got the a kennel shade over the top. That made a world of difference in the temp. I have food both inside and outside until two nights ago when I looked out and thought I saw one of my girls standing on the ramp at the closed coop door. I put mine up every night and out every morning. I was reconsidering this since the run was so secure. What I was actually seeing was a rat!! Now there is no food outside and I will continue putting them to bed. I am afraid a rat might come back.

 

[ScottM]

Sounds like the whole thing is on cocrete, how is the slope for drainage?

Wtrmutt, I'm quite sure my birds would consume any bird that visited their coop, seen then chase a mouse so they know it is food.