Open air run in lieu of coop

[henless]

When I decided to get chickens, I turned part of my barn into my coop. I have hardware cloth for my coop walls & corrugated tin for the roof. Each coop has it's own run with tin covering half & hardware cloth over the rest. In the winter, I put up clear plastic & shower curtains on the North & West walls to block the wind. My chickens do fine in it.



I pulled some of the barn walls down to put up the hardware cloth. I want as much air as I can get. I live in Texas & our summer heat is extreme. The second pic shows my winter set up. I put clear plastic on the North & West walls of the coops. On the barns North & East sides, I put up tarps to block the wind. That leaves the whole South end open during the winter. This gives them plenty of ventilation during the winter.

When your putting up your roof, you will want to angle it so that rain water won't run back into your pens. Also, you may need to angle it so that the wind won't be blowing the rain into your pens. Use screws to put your coop together. I make changes to mine all the time. If I find something isn't working right, I'll change it. Click on my coop under my avatar and you can see my coop build & rebuild.

 

[Birdinhand]

the number one thing I'd recommend about the design is using 1/2" hardware cloth, from there it just comes down to your tastes and how much time and or money you have to burn. there are so many sad stories from friends who have not used hardware cloth only to eventually, sooner or later have a predator start dining on their flock. I say, when you go to rebuild, do it right and make it the way you like. if those fancy coops float your boat, go for it!

 

[JRM]

Thanks! I appreciate your suggestions. I like your setup, too. You know, I have been wrapping my entire run during the winter, leaving room at the top open for ventilation. Your idea of leaving the southside open is a good one. I'll have to consider that!

 

[ChicKat]

JRM -
Thanks for starting this thread -- and I hope that you will keep it going along with the other contributors for a while!!

It's neat to see the postings of the more 'open air' chicken pens. I will be interested to see what you develop. What climate do you live in? I'm in zone 8b - and worry more about heat than cold.

Here's chicken world around here today. Luckily for me I bought the panels and the roof structures before they prices were as high as they are, but it's still an investment. ---
Three pens open to the central courtyard....but lately a very large predator has been hanging out and even perched on the back of one roof one day - so they aren't allowed in -- until I get protection. I'm thinking horizontal pipes and then aviary netting for the courtyard. It is only used during the day -- the rest of the time they are in a roofed area. In each pen, I have a little 'coop' -- one of those -- pre-fab units. They roost there at night and they lay in their little 'houses'/coops. It was an evolving thing over the past 6-years. Also have 3 cattle-panel hoop coops and two Omlet Eglus -- Around here, I guess you could say it's all about the chickens.

Could you explain how you use cattle panels for roofing? Yesterday just finished attaching the gomets on a 10x20 tarp because they seem only to last a year now -- and they spontaneously shred right before my eyes when the wind picks up and there is a storm. ---

Specifically, do you arch the cattle panels? Do you use hardware cloth on the ends, or do you put cattle panels on flat? Would love to see a picture of your current set up.

I haven't yet. Everyone's still laying. They must be content in their current digs! But my old rooster .......... hmmmm, we'll see. He is NOT nice - to my hens or me! But I think I'd have to slowcook him for a LONNGG time!

Cooked a rooster that was 3-years old. Thought it would be like leather (or jerky) - but to my surprise it turned out really good. Threw in the slow cooker and put on the lowest setting and left the bird there until the meat fell off the bones -- including an overnight -- Didn't time it but I bet it was 30-hours of just sitting in the slow-cooker. Alternated to the 'warm' setting sometimes. I was quite surprised how tender it got. May be remembering the timing wrongly -- but I know there was an overnight involved. When I cook them I just throw the parts in (I have to admit I only 'harvest the breast and legs and thighs.) Then I forget about it -- until some future point where the house smells like roast chcken and the meat falls off the bones.......What can I say? 'works for me'.


Love the pictures and ideas of other coops and runs here...that are more open air and less enclosed building. The bigger the run the better IMO - and the house needs only be big enough to hold the roost and nest boxes -- and I'm thinking about moving nest boxes out into the hardware cloth areas of the little houses.....

 

[Rob Tof]

I haven't yet. Everyone's still laying. They must be content in their current digs! But my old rooster .......... hmmmm, we'll see. He is NOT nice - to my hens or me! But I think I'd have to slowcook him for a LONNGG time!

Crock pot. I would love to have a rooster but in my town it's forbidden. Can't even have chickens but as long as no one complains then your fine. They know about them they just look the other way.