Please help! Im building my first coop/run this weekend

struttachic

Hatching
May 24, 2016
4
0
9
Newnan Georgia
Greetings. I need help! This is my first attempt raising chickens,building coop and run. I have a few questions. We want to start building our coop and run this weekend. Our funds are (very) limited so keeping cost down Is a must.;-) Is there particular types of wood that should be used to withstand the elements? How wide should perches be? Are any building materials toxic to chickens? What type of metal protectant screening should we use? OK let's say we have the finished coop and run; What's next? Are we supposed to spread anything on coop floor? What about the nesting box, do we put hay (like they show in the cartoons lol:-D)? Also, our chicks are 4 weeks, our 7year old son talked us in to getting a couple of silkies that we pick up tomorrow. Im sure they're hatchlings. Are we supposed to keep them separated? Will the older ones attack/kill the newbies?Or how does that work?
 
Wow, you have questions! Is it too late to suggest you buy a book? (Not too late to suggest it, but too late to do you any good this weekend). But people have written entire books to address the questions you raise.....just saying.

On the wood.......plain old construction lumber from the box store will work for internal stuff (covered floors, walls, roof, etc). If it is exposed, I personally would not shy away from using treated lumber from a box store. It is not as toxic as the treated lumber of old. Plywood or even OSB if funds are tight. You may be throwing something together this weekend, but over time, will come back and do bigger and better......maybe this year, maybe next, or maybe never.

Wire would be galvanized hardware cloth........for the coop itself.......1/2" x 1/2" and use plenty of it (make sure you allow for lots of ventilation). You are in Georgia? Lots and lots of ventilation. Now much is lots? Maybe as much as 1/8 or more of the entire wall area. That would be nearly 1/2 of one of your 4 walls. With the right design, you could up that to screening nearly all of 1 of your 4 walls and it would be OK. Did someone mention lots of ventilation? They did and for the sake of your birds, please, please do it.

Perches can be 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" plain jane lumber. Put them along the back, about 8 to 12 inches from the back wall......about 8 to 10 inches of linear roost bar per bird. For now......you can start them low.......(training wheels).....low being no more than 2 feet off the deck. They can be moved higher later on.

No need to worry about nest boxes for the next 2 or 3 months. Plan a location for them, but don't worry about that this weekend.

On the floor......litter.....think wood chips if you have to buy something. Big bundle of them in the 8 cu ft range to start. You can add different stuff like leaves or straw later. Pine straw also works. If you have lots, use lots....maybe 4 inches or more. Size of droppings......size and amount.....is small now, but will grow into a much larger problem. When you build this coop, make sure you have a way to get in there to clean it out.

Aside from all that, make sure they have access to clean water and lots of it. And a self serve feeder that never runs dry.
 
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Greetings. I need help! This is my first attempt raising chickens,building coop and run. I have a few questions. We want to start building our coop and run this weekend. Our funds are (very) limited so keeping cost down Is a must.;-) Is there particular types of wood that should be used to withstand the elements? How wide should perches be? Are any building materials toxic to chickens? What type of metal protectant screening should we use? OK let's say we have the finished coop and run; What's next? Are we supposed to spread anything on coop floor? What about the nesting box, do we put hay (like they show in the cartoons lol:-D)? Also, our chicks are 4 weeks, our 7year old son talked us in to getting a couple of silkies that we pick up tomorrow. Im sure they're hatchlings. Are we supposed to keep them separated? Will the older ones attack/kill the newbies?Or how does that work?

i started raising chickens by learning things from the net.. the information are available for free online

everything you need to start will be from here.

instead of typing up some lengthy post.. watch these videos ..and if you still have more questions after watching these videos you can ask them here


for more videos browse through this channel
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLo_5xrvxxl_TAZb8ZjWnxNV7FoGLb2oAH

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