- Aug 11, 2010
- 146
- 16
- 103
My $.02, and ponderings:
If you follow the plans, 2 has best ventilation and natural light. This will help with consistent laying. 1 and 3 need windows on the sides. You could add vents, but it will still impact laying come fall/winter. Windows need to be predator proofed, as raccoons will pop or tear out screens. If windows don't open at all, hens will be cooked come hot sunny summer days. Consider awnings? I'm speculating coop will be outside the dog run with the fence cut and framed to the access door allowing you to clean and collect eggs more easily? Wheelbarrows don't always make it through some of them(I converted my dog run- Great Dane size- for the chickens). Winter has never been an issue for me, but summer can be brutal.
To keep hawks,owls, coon etc. out I used fishing line over the run. It works FANTASTIC! Also consider how to get them shade in the summer. Some dog runs have them ready to use. These work to keep flying predators out too, but climbing ones can still get though. The fishing line works because the climbers fear getting caught/snared. Not so with screens or tarps they can walk on.
