Oregon

[javaferret]

Hi there, I will be moving to Philomath in a few weeks (Yay!!!!) and can't wait to be able to have chickens again. I am just so happy to be moving to Oregon I been researching and trying to plan a proper coop that will be safe and accessible.Having never raised chickens in this part of the country, what do you guys do to deal with the dampness and rain? I was hoping to do deep litter in the coop and starting to think I may need to do sand in the run to keep it from getting muddy?

Also anyone in the area know what type of wildlife I need to protect the girls from? I am guessing the usual raccoons and hawks, and my friend who lives nearby says owls have been a problem. I would like to let them free range and use the run when not at home. Are they any specific problems with certain worms or other pests in the region that I should look out for?

Thanks for any input or ideas Its awesome to see a lot of members in the area!

 

[T-traveler]

Javaferret,
I'm outside the city limits of Salem (a little north of Philomath) and have an 8x8 chicken house and a 20x80 run. I have pine shavings in the hen house and sand in the run (the run is covered, however). I haven't had any issues with moisture at all.
One other predator you might consider protecting against is coyote. We have lost 1 chicken to coyotes, but she got outside the yard fence. We have been free ranging for about a year and that is the only loss we've encountered.

 

[javaferret]

T-traveler
Thats great that you are able to free range them with just that one encounter, that's encouraging. I forgot to even consider coyotes, ok one more thing on the list. Do you have your coop raised off the ground? I use to have a dirt floor for mine when in Wyoming, but was much dryer there, and thinking I might not be a good idea for here.

 

[T-traveler]

Yes, the hen house is raised about 20 inches above the ground. Here's a link to the project of building the coop. Having it raised off the ground gives a place for the girls to escape to during the wind and the rain. The south and west sides come down to the ground for weather protection. The north and east sides are open to give them free access at all times.

One of the things I like about the sand in the run is that I can soak it down with a hose on really hot days and it keeps the run about 10 to 15 degrees cooler for most of the day.

 

[dragonflysister]

@T-travelerthat is quite the coop! My son and i built ours out of mostly scrap wood, although my neighbor had some left over vinyl, and we used that in the floor and roof! I used an old wooden ladder held up with shelf arms the fit dishpans perfectly....for nesting boxes! I do love the bulb for frozen water! Is there a bulb in the cinder block??

 

[dragonflysister]

@T-travelerthat is quite the coop! My son and i built ours out of mostly scrap wood, although my neighbor had some left over vinyl, and we used that in the floor and roof! I used an old wooden ladder held up with shelf arms the fit dishpans perfectly....for nesting boxes! I do love the bulb for frozen water! Is there a bulb in the cinder block??

 

[T-traveler]

Yes, there is a 60 watt bulb in the cinder block. It is plugged into a thermostatically controlled socket that comes on when it gets 34 degrees or colder and turns off when it is 40 degrees or warmer.

 

[javaferret]

Wow, that is one amazing coop! Hope mine comes out at least half as nice, will have to integrate some of your plans into my sketches

 

[Corona~Barb]

Yes, the hen house is raised about 20 inches above the ground. Here's a link to the project of building the coop. Having it raised off the ground gives a place for the girls to escape to during the wind and the rain. The south and west sides come down to the ground for weather protection. The north and east sides are open to give them free access at all times.

One of the things I like about the sand in the run is that I can soak it down with a hose on really hot days and it keeps the run about 10 to 15 degrees cooler for most of the day.

Wow T, that is quite the coop! I hadn't considered the idea of using sand to keep the run cooler in summer. Interesting.

 

[TCritters]

Are any of you concerned about the amount of smoke in the air right now and the birds breathing it?