PLEASE HELP I DON"T KNOW WHAT TO DO

[black_cat]

Seems like every time you almost have a solution, another challenge pops up! But hang in there, your determination will overcome all these pesky obstacles! I am reminded of something my mother used to say: "to every problem, there is a solution!" I can still hear her in my head, lol. She was a very stubborn, determined woman. She was also fearless. That's what I remember about her. You remind me of her. Keep calm and carry on!

My current logic is, if I solve all the problems, eventually there won't be any more to pop up! I can't wait for when I hopefully can build my own coop. The feeder and waterer most definitely will NOT be anywhere near the roost!

 

[aart]

Does it work to leave off the entire end panel of the new run, thus making a bigger hole in the end?

This!

I didn't even think of leaving off the entire end panel. We've already built it.

Was it put together with screws?

I suggest you measure and see whether removing that panel would help.

Yes, measure carefully.

Is either of your parents handy?
Are they following along here on BYC?

 

[Gooseface]

@black_cat ....have you thought about putting a post in your states thread? Maybe ask if anyone has any extra materials (fening, chicken wire, old boards, etc) that they might be willing to donate to your cause? People are often willing to help younger people such as yourself. Also, check craigslist! Seriously....check the free section often. If you see something that will help you, email them quickly. Since they are full grown and it sounds like you don’t have many predators, what about cattle fence? It’s cheap....you could make a hoop style run? Seems like your coop is small enough to fit in one of those. Just trying to help. I’ll go back to lurking.

 

[black_cat]

This!

Was it put together with screws?

Yes, measure carefully.

Is either of your parents handy?
Are they following along here on BYC?

It was put together with screws. I will measure it today. My parents are sort of handy. They know their way around tools but don't regularly build things. they aren't following along here.

 

[black_cat]

@black_cat ....have you thought about putting a post in your states thread? Maybe ask if anyone has any extra materials (fening, chicken wire, old boards, etc) that they might be willing to donate to your cause? People are often willing to help younger people such as yourself. Also, check craigslist! Seriously....check the free section often. If you see something that will help you, email them quickly. Since they are full grown and it sounds like you don’t have many predators, what about cattle fence? It’s cheap....you could make a hoop style run? Seems like your coop is small enough to fit in one of those. Just trying to help. I’ll go back to lurking.

I have not thought of posting there! I may do that closer to when I'm building a coop, however. I do have predators, but they don't really seem to come through my yard often. I like the idea of a hoop run, but I think that my parents have been pushed to their limit of 'let me build things for chickens' I think that the only reason that they're considering the poultry nipple waterer is because they don't want to clean poop out of the water all the time!

 

[Megonies]

I find myself in a VERY bad situation here. We decided to start with adult hens and a coop from a local farm. I didn't want to undermine the farm people, so I let them set it up. Mistake. They put nothing on the floor of the run, which was covered in hardware cloth. Worried that they would hurt their feet/beaks trying to get to what was under it, I tried to put some bedding in. Mulchy stuff. One of the hens escaped. It was TERRIFIED. They're all terrified and scruffy looking, missing feathers and such. I only managed to catch the hen because my friend who had owned chickens before was there to help. The farm people put everything in in the worst way possible, so we can't see if the feeder or water is running low. the only way to get eggs is through the main door of the coop. The hens are terrified of everyone and if one escaped I don't know what I'd do, I'd feel terrible. Nobody else in the household has ever held a chicken before and the ones that I've handled are treat trained (will come running for treats and are so motivated by them) and not actually afraid, just grumpy about being picked up. What should I do? There is no way to seal off the coop or run for cleaning and put them in the other, and there is no outdoor egg collection hatch. I feel like a complete failure and need advice. I have 3 RIRs and 1 leghorn.

 

[black_cat]

Any ideas for waterers that could be set up in the run and filled from outside? Could I get a drill and some tubing and modify the current one to be in the run? If I hang it in the run, it hopefully wouldn't get messy, but the issue is that if it's in the run I can't easily access it.

 

[NatJ]

I'm using this waterer, because it came with the rental:
View attachment 2235920

Any ideas for waterers that could be set up in the run and filled from outside? Could I get a drill and some tubing and modify the current one to be in the run? If I hang it in the run, it hopefully wouldn't get messy, but the issue is that if it's in the run I can't easily access it.

For that style of waterer, modifying it to fill from outside will probably not work.
Hanging it in the run is a good idea.

I just don't understand your difficulty accessing the run--open the door a little, shove the hens back, reach inside to grab whatever needs grabbing, pull it out and close the door again.

You could practice with open the run door a tiny bit, reach your hand way in to drop a small treat, close the door again--not enough space for the hens to push out through the door, but gives you and them practice with the idea that you can open the door, put your hand in and out, and they don't get out.

 

[black_cat]

For that style of waterer, modifying it to fill from outside will probably not work.
Hanging it in the run is a good idea.

I just don't understand your difficulty accessing the run--open the door a little, shove the hens back, reach inside to grab whatever needs grabbing, pull it out and close the door again.

You could practice with open the run door a tiny bit, reach your hand way in to drop a small treat, close the door again--not enough space for the hens to push out through the door, but gives you and them practice with the idea that you can open the door, put your hand in and out, and they don't get out.

I'm mostly just nervous about them escaping. I'll try that practice idea, thanks! It's been hot out and I've been wanting to give them some frozen berries, so this seems like a good practice!

 

[NatJ]

I just remembered another style of waterer that can be tended from outside the pen:
https://www.strombergschickens.com/product/plastic-pop-bottle-founts

It's a little plastic trough that goes on a pop bottle (or soda bottle, depending on where you live.)

The trough sticks into the pen through a 1" by 1" hole in the wire, and the bottle hangs on the outside for easy access.

Good points:
--They cannot dump it over (because it's attached to the pen)
--Dirt and poop usually stay out, because it's small and raised
--It does not take up much space inside the pen
--It can be tended from outside.
--Easy to store, if you quit using it for a while and might want to again later (just store the little plastic troughs, and grab a new bottle when needed.)

Bad points:
--If you dump out the old water (warm, stale) and refill with fresh water, it feels like it takes forever to do that, because the opening of the bottle is small.
--You probably need at least two, because of how much the bottle can hold and how many chickens can drink and once and whether they chase each other away from it.
--Not good in winter, because small things freeze so fast.
--You do need a 1" hole in the hardware cloth (even with brand new hardware cloth sometimes has holes, so you might not have to actually cut it.)
--If you don't drink pop in the right kind of bottles, you could try a water bottle, but the neck-size of the bottle does matter: so you might have to try several bottles to find one that's just right.

If you want to try that style--do not try to hang the whole thing inside the pen. Going through the hardware cloth is an important part of keeping the parts together, so it does not work to just hang it inside.