livegreenordie
Chirping
- Feb 1, 2019
- 12
- 61
- 69
We are putting the final touches on our coop and run in preparation for our birds to arrive in two weeks! I'll be brooding inside since the nights are pretty chilly here in Colorado and because this is my first time raising chicks. Consequently we have time to make improvements on our coop if all of you chicken experts want to make suggestions!
Here's the details of the build:
1) Since we live in the mountains our yard is on a slope. I spent the better part of a week digging out and leveling an area for the coop and run. I framed out the base with treated wood and screwed the base into wooden blocks that I sunk into the ground. We have a lot of predators here... coyotes, bears, possums, raccoons, cats, hawks, and more. Even though we have a 6 foot fence all of the way around our yard I wanted the coop to be as predator proof as possible. I decided to line the whole "floor" with hardware cloth to keep out any digging critters.
1/2 inch hardware cloth is hammered into the wood using fence staples. I wove together the hardware cloth in a few places using wire and made sure any pointy ends were pointing into the ground.
The floor is covered with a layer of dirt and I plan to cover this with straw or pine shavings or the like to keep mud levels down. There are going to be some feathered footed birds in here and I hear their feet can get quite muddy!
I didn't take a picture but we attached 2x4s to the base at right angles using 5 inch screws. We thought about brackets but the screws were sufficient.
2) The next step was picking up some 16 ft long cattle panels from the ranch store. We got three panels and overlapped them since the run is 10 ft 8 inches long. We used fence staples to secure the cattle panels on the inside of the frame. I then covered the panels with 1/2 inch hardware cloth and wove the hardware cloth sections together using wire. I found that it was better to weave the hardware cloth sections to themselves and not to the cattle panels because that caused bubbling between sections where a small rat or mouse could get in. We were hoping that the height of the hoop would be around my husband's height (6'2") however it is probably closer to 5'10" at the highest point.
3. The next step was placing the coop in the run. I found a lightly used Suncast deckbox off of Craigslist that is the perfect dimensions. The floor space is about 32 sq. ft. and it is about 4 ft. high. Originally I had planned to put the coop inside the run, but we realized there would be very little space left in the run. We decided to put half of the coop in the run with the other half sticking out the back. That meant more digging, and leveling, and building a platform for the coop.
We screwed the base of the box into the coop base. Then we framed out a door. We put hooks along the door frame and used wire to attach the hooks to the cattle panel for added stability.
4) Next we built a wooden frame around the deck box so no critters could get in that side and then covered the final two ends in hardware cloth, again weaving sections together with wire.
If filled in the sides with dirt and rocks to further discourage burrowing creatures and to allow for good drainage during monsoon season.
5) I considered a few ventilation options but was trying to reduce the holes that I drilled into the deck box. The top of the box can slide open in addition to the front doors opening. I figured that I would close the front doors at night but could have the top open to varying degrees depending on temperature. I don't want the birds to fly out the top until I let them out in the morning so I built a frame out of leftover wood and hardware cloth. I put roosting bars at two different heights inside towards the back where it is darkest and the least drafty. I haven't put nesting boxes in yet since it will take months before my birds need those.
I'm not sure if they will need a ramp or not? What do you all think?
Final steps: I plan to cover the run using a clear plastic tarp to keep wind, rain, snow, and hail out. On hot, sunny days I'll cover it with a shade tarp but generally I want the girls to get their vitamin D. I plan to put a roosting bar in one corner of the run and their feeder and waterer in the other. I'll be growing some fodder as well and putting that on top of the coop (but still inside the run) to encourage them to jump up and use that space as well. I'll let them out into the yard for a few supervised hours every day for some more exercise and foraging.
Let me know if you have any advice or feedback! I'm a first-time chicken mom so don't be too harsh
Here's the details of the build:
1) Since we live in the mountains our yard is on a slope. I spent the better part of a week digging out and leveling an area for the coop and run. I framed out the base with treated wood and screwed the base into wooden blocks that I sunk into the ground. We have a lot of predators here... coyotes, bears, possums, raccoons, cats, hawks, and more. Even though we have a 6 foot fence all of the way around our yard I wanted the coop to be as predator proof as possible. I decided to line the whole "floor" with hardware cloth to keep out any digging critters.
1/2 inch hardware cloth is hammered into the wood using fence staples. I wove together the hardware cloth in a few places using wire and made sure any pointy ends were pointing into the ground.
The floor is covered with a layer of dirt and I plan to cover this with straw or pine shavings or the like to keep mud levels down. There are going to be some feathered footed birds in here and I hear their feet can get quite muddy!
I didn't take a picture but we attached 2x4s to the base at right angles using 5 inch screws. We thought about brackets but the screws were sufficient.
2) The next step was picking up some 16 ft long cattle panels from the ranch store. We got three panels and overlapped them since the run is 10 ft 8 inches long. We used fence staples to secure the cattle panels on the inside of the frame. I then covered the panels with 1/2 inch hardware cloth and wove the hardware cloth sections together using wire. I found that it was better to weave the hardware cloth sections to themselves and not to the cattle panels because that caused bubbling between sections where a small rat or mouse could get in. We were hoping that the height of the hoop would be around my husband's height (6'2") however it is probably closer to 5'10" at the highest point.
3. The next step was placing the coop in the run. I found a lightly used Suncast deckbox off of Craigslist that is the perfect dimensions. The floor space is about 32 sq. ft. and it is about 4 ft. high. Originally I had planned to put the coop inside the run, but we realized there would be very little space left in the run. We decided to put half of the coop in the run with the other half sticking out the back. That meant more digging, and leveling, and building a platform for the coop.
We screwed the base of the box into the coop base. Then we framed out a door. We put hooks along the door frame and used wire to attach the hooks to the cattle panel for added stability.
4) Next we built a wooden frame around the deck box so no critters could get in that side and then covered the final two ends in hardware cloth, again weaving sections together with wire.
If filled in the sides with dirt and rocks to further discourage burrowing creatures and to allow for good drainage during monsoon season.
5) I considered a few ventilation options but was trying to reduce the holes that I drilled into the deck box. The top of the box can slide open in addition to the front doors opening. I figured that I would close the front doors at night but could have the top open to varying degrees depending on temperature. I don't want the birds to fly out the top until I let them out in the morning so I built a frame out of leftover wood and hardware cloth. I put roosting bars at two different heights inside towards the back where it is darkest and the least drafty. I haven't put nesting boxes in yet since it will take months before my birds need those.
Final steps: I plan to cover the run using a clear plastic tarp to keep wind, rain, snow, and hail out. On hot, sunny days I'll cover it with a shade tarp but generally I want the girls to get their vitamin D. I plan to put a roosting bar in one corner of the run and their feeder and waterer in the other. I'll be growing some fodder as well and putting that on top of the coop (but still inside the run) to encourage them to jump up and use that space as well. I'll let them out into the yard for a few supervised hours every day for some more exercise and foraging.
Let me know if you have any advice or feedback! I'm a first-time chicken mom so don't be too harsh
. As far as the ramp, they don't have to have one because they will jump or fly up, but it won't hurt either. I might still add that tarp for a little shade. I'm not sure how hot it gets in Colorado, but chicken feathers can get sunburned which could be an issue if you ever get into showing. Just a thought. Great Job though.
