Partially covered

[Lavender6]

Hello Chicken Lovers,
I have a new 6x6 chicken coop I built along with a 3x5 that I bought for my first coop. I was new to chickens and bought 5 orpington now knowing how huge they were. Since then, I have added 2 Barred Rock. I have a 30x20 run and a 10×10 dog pen COVERED. The smaller coop and the dog pen are both covered (along with my coop of course.) My question is the large run is not covered, so the 10x10 and 3x5 is the only shelter that they have. Is that enough covered space for winter and wet weather or do I need to extend it? Financially, it will be a hardship to expand but if they are suffering and not safe from disease or not comfortable I will do what I must. Their nighttime coop is "Fort Knox" safe, or close to it.

 

[Sally PB]

Can you post some pictures, please? How is the run enclosed/constructed?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I assume all 7 of your chickens are adults and fully integrated so you don't have to worry about keeping immature chickens with older ones or worry about integration. I grew up across the Tennessee line from you, your winter weather shouldn't be that vicious as far as chickens go.

Photos showing what you are working with could be helpful, I believe you have a 6x6 coop and a 3x5 and a 10x10 run. If they are set up where the chickens can be given access to the coop and both runs when they are awake I don't think you will have any space problems. But that's where photos could help.

The way I'd manage then would be to lock them up safe from predators at night and leave the pop door open during the day so they can choose whether or not to go out in the weather.

 

[Lavender6]

I assume all 7 of your chickens are adults and fully integrated so you don't have to worry about keeping immature chickens with older ones or worry about integration. I grew up across the Tennessee line from you, your winter weather shouldn't be that vicious as far as chickens go.

Photos showing what you are working with could be helpful, I believe you have a 6x6 coop and a 3x5 and a 10x10 run. If they are set up where the chickens can be given access to the coop and both runs when they are awake I don't think you will have any space problems. But that's where photos could help.

The way I'd manage then would be to lock them up safe from predators at night and leave the pop door open during the day so they can choose whether or not to go out in the weather.

They have the ability to get in any and all. They are all the same age but I have just added the two BR about 5 weeks ago. At first it went really well but as of late, two of the orpingtons are being bullies to one of the BR. I have one of the orpingtons in a cage for sour crop and I just seperated the two bullies from the flock. Tomorrow I will have to play musical spaces because two lay in a box in the dog pen and two in the night time coop. The other three are not laying. We just had a bought with mites and are just recovering from that.

They come out of the night coop, walk through a small run, then through the 3x5, then straight to the dog pen and can go out to the large run.

 

[Lavender6]

Can you post some pictures, please? How is the run enclosed/constructed?

I will get the pictures tomorrow

 

[Lavender6]

I will get the pictures tomorrow

So, they come out of the big coop and walk into the 3x5, into the dog pen, into their run. Pics included 3x5 and dog pen covered. I pretty much use 3x5 for dust bath

I will get the pictures tomorrow

 

[Acre4Me]

Your winters are not harsh. Wet will be the biggest worry I guess, followed by prevailing winds during a storm. If everything dries out pretty quick after a rain- thats great. It appears you have a decent amount of space for them that is protected. If you get much snow, it can freak them out, so just have some straw to toss over the snow so it’s more familiar looking to them.

 

[Lavender6]

Your winters are not harsh. Wet will be the biggest worry I guess, followed by prevailing winds during a storm. If everything dries out pretty quick after a rain- thats great. It appears you have a decent amount of space for them that is protected. If you get much snow, it can freak them out, so just have some straw to toss over the snow so it’s more familiar looking to them.

I have heavy plastic attached to the pen that I drop down when it rains and draw it back up when it stops. Thanks for your answers. I feel better