Krazikatlady64
Crowing
We are on overkill. We have 8 pullets of varying breed. They are going on 6 weeks, so I hope we finish soon! 
Here's the back story to get to where we are. 2 years ago we poured a 10 x 10 foot concrete slab and roughed in our run. I read recently that Red Oak acorns can be deadly and called my local Coop-extension agent to discuss the situation. We all agreed that even though the coop/run was not under the tree, the tree was close enough that there was no way we could get the green/young acorns before the chickens did. Those are the most toxic. I have put so much into these chickens, I will do everything I can think of, with my wonderful husband's help, to build Fort Knox for the girls.
Plan B. We are converting our carport to the Chicken Portal. Burying hardware cloth a foot in ground with concrete on the entire perimeter and inside where the coop will be, burying hardware cloth 1 foot in ground. Putting electrical fence on the outside of the run fence and a cover of fencing over the top of the run to protect from hawks. Not sure about adding electric fence on the top of the run roof line. We are also not to the point where we will add the structure to the top of the run to hold the fencing. We are planning on 6 foot height, 2 x 4" wire welded fence with hardware cloth 3 feet from the ground (one foot of the 4 foot HC is burried with the concrete). Oh, and 3 foot solid tin along the run fencing that faces to the outside field and side yard. Don't want a predator sizing up the attack before trying it.
Got the trencher for a day from HD for $169. It got us started and did most of the trench/perimeter line, but did not go the whole foot down in all places, and it could not get close enough to the carport for the coop line, so we will hand shovel. We also unearthed the electrical that was run from the outbuildings to the garage that the carport sits between. We now started to re-run the electrical so we know where it is and that its correctly in the ground in conduit. Also, using the opportunity to add electrical to the carport for fans/heat lamps, lights, electrical fencing switch that may be more than the solar panel can handle. The heat, ventilation, and rain water, are the concerns we will address as we get closer to the coop build itself. Assessing the temperature under the carport and where rain falls/blows with the summer storms. Below are the photos so far. Any suggestions, comments, thoughts are welcome. I will update it as we go. Thank you for allowing me to be part of this group. You are all so great! And nobody warned us about chicken math and how addictive these creatures really are!
Here's the back story to get to where we are. 2 years ago we poured a 10 x 10 foot concrete slab and roughed in our run. I read recently that Red Oak acorns can be deadly and called my local Coop-extension agent to discuss the situation. We all agreed that even though the coop/run was not under the tree, the tree was close enough that there was no way we could get the green/young acorns before the chickens did. Those are the most toxic. I have put so much into these chickens, I will do everything I can think of, with my wonderful husband's help, to build Fort Knox for the girls.Plan B. We are converting our carport to the Chicken Portal. Burying hardware cloth a foot in ground with concrete on the entire perimeter and inside where the coop will be, burying hardware cloth 1 foot in ground. Putting electrical fence on the outside of the run fence and a cover of fencing over the top of the run to protect from hawks. Not sure about adding electric fence on the top of the run roof line. We are also not to the point where we will add the structure to the top of the run to hold the fencing. We are planning on 6 foot height, 2 x 4" wire welded fence with hardware cloth 3 feet from the ground (one foot of the 4 foot HC is burried with the concrete). Oh, and 3 foot solid tin along the run fencing that faces to the outside field and side yard. Don't want a predator sizing up the attack before trying it.
Got the trencher for a day from HD for $169. It got us started and did most of the trench/perimeter line, but did not go the whole foot down in all places, and it could not get close enough to the carport for the coop line, so we will hand shovel. We also unearthed the electrical that was run from the outbuildings to the garage that the carport sits between. We now started to re-run the electrical so we know where it is and that its correctly in the ground in conduit. Also, using the opportunity to add electrical to the carport for fans/heat lamps, lights, electrical fencing switch that may be more than the solar panel can handle. The heat, ventilation, and rain water, are the concerns we will address as we get closer to the coop build itself. Assessing the temperature under the carport and where rain falls/blows with the summer storms. Below are the photos so far. Any suggestions, comments, thoughts are welcome. I will update it as we go. Thank you for allowing me to be part of this group. You are all so great! And nobody warned us about chicken math and how addictive these creatures really are!
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