pointers/predator safe things we missed on new coop?!

[Loving my girls]

This is phenomenal well done. They are lucky girls, they won’t be anyone’s diner.

Have to add that it’s very pretty too,

 

[sweetpumpkinfarm]

Thinking about a few things and wanting to help you out.
To keep the nest as comfortable as possible for the birds 12" is good for the back wall but needs to be higher at the entrance so the roof can slope as well as allowing them to stand up.

A. How to do a modification without cutting into the coop wall.

If you built a new box that was 16" at the entrance side and 12" at the low side that gives a 4" difference so still a good slope. Your current roof may still fit but would need moved up obviously. The entrance for the birds can still be the opening you already have in the coop wall.

B. Top hinged nestboxes tend to leak.

Maybe look at ways to make the back wall on the nests a drop down or individual smaller doors for gathering eggs and cleaning nests. That or get creative with inner tube rubber and some sealant to protect that hinged area from water.

You have some time still so it's not a disaster but an opportunity now.

This is soo helpful and appreciated, thank you! So its ok if the entrance from insode coop is 12” and then the box it leads to has the full 16” height? We were thinking of ways to avoid changing coop wall so thank you! and duly notes about top hinge!

 

[sweetpumpkinfarm]

This is phenomenal well done. They are lucky girls, they won’t be anyone’s diner.

Have to add that it’s very pretty too,

thank you!! its all our carpenter, he is starting to do carp as a side hustle & this is his first coop (& ours) so we’ve been researching & going slow to get it all right, appreciate this!

 

[21hens-incharge]

This is soo helpful and appreciated, thank you! So its ok if the entrance from insode coop is 12” and then the box it leads to has the full 16” height? We were thinking of ways to avoid changing coop wall so thank you! and duly notes about top hinge!

It's totally fine to have the entrance at 12".

My nest bays are inside my coop so mine slopes toward the entrance. It's 12" at the front and 18 or so at the back. We have been using them over a decade with no issues.

I'll see if I have a picture. It would be in my phone if I do.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Found ONE picture. This was before a new paint job. Note the lower nests are just 14" tall inside with that flat bottom for the upper nests.

 

[NeoHomesteader]

SoCal wont get a whole lot of rain so leaking wont be too bad. You can laya rubber strip over top of the hinge point it will help soe of the rain from leaking in the crack. Seal it on the flat side, let it lay over the sloped side.

There is a gap in your roofing though. Racoon will crawl right in there.

If the coop part is on dirt not concrete, lay hardware cloth at least 12" wide down around outside to deter diggers. Burying in an L shape with 18" wire, 6 attached to current fence and the rest L'ed out into yard a few inches down will be better.

Depending how rural you are, I doubt you will ever have a problem though Good looking setup.

 

[gurlbear]

The most important security feature in my coop are the cameras. If something happens you want to know what. Like when a raccoon pulled screen out of the window..

 

[sweetpumpkinfarm]

SoCal wont get a whole lot of rain so leaking wont be too bad. You can laya rubber strip over top of the hinge point it will help soe of the rain from leaking in the crack. Seal it on the flat side, let it lay over the sloped side.

There is a gap in your roofing though. Racoon will crawl right in there.

If the coop part is on dirt not concrete, lay hardware cloth at least 12" wide down around outside to deter diggers. Burying in an L shape with 18" wire, 6 attached to current fence and the rest L'ed out into yard a few inches down will be better.

Depending how rural you are, I doubt you will ever have a problem though Good looking setup.

thank you! the entire bottom has hardware cloth attached as a base and the roof is plywood covered in hardware cloth and then the sloping plastic is over that!

 

[sweetpumpkinfarm]

The most important security feature in my coop are the cameras. If something happens you want to know what. Like when a raccoon pulled screen out of the window..

I really want a camera but having trouble with anything I can access live as our wifi doesnt quite reach & out house is in a cellular dead patch (we use wifi calling in the house). All suggestions for cameras welcome!

 

[cavemanrich]

This is just personal opinion.
Cameras are useful when your predators are 2 legged.
If you encounter those,, I will find camera options that are not WiFi