post your chicken coop pictures here!

[kenmlang]

Please cover the walls and ceiling with at least 1/2" hardware wiring....was at my son's last week.....he had just put together a coop from pallets. I love to recycle, however, he didn't get the "holes" covered or get the run covered with anything except poultry (chicken) wire.....lost 6 or 8 that night ! has one little slikie left and about 8 or his little reds left! Can't explain what the predator did to the wiring ... surprised even me and I had known that raccoons and weasels, etc can tear it up. Check out the picture of the poultry wire I'm attaching..... Where it is dug is where I'm having my grandson bury some better wire.... I had also tried to straighten out some of the chicken wire myself to make do until my son could get home...(in military and was away)..

Not only racoons and weasels, but coyotes, dogs, etc can get thru chicken wire. They should take that crap off the market, or improve it. It will keep (trap) chickens in, but will not keep anything out!! The whole thing about chicken wire is, it is "tied" together, not welded. If you work it enough, which isn't much, it will give and allow whatever to get in and, well you know. You can bury hardware cloth about 6" to 12" in the ground or do like I did, use sakrete around the perimeter. Go down about 6" to 12" , dry-pack about 3/4 of the ditch, and go the rest of the way with clay or you can go 100% of the way with the concrete. Between the rain and you wetting it down for about 3 days at 20 minute intervals, the concrete will set and deter digging. Combined with the hardware cloth (1/2" or smaller), your birds will be as secure as can be.

 

[iwiw60]

I am not sure if a fox could get in but just keep an eye out when free rangeing. it was almost day light when they came the 2nd time, could not get into coop as we locked them in close all doors, we had left the run door opened that night.

If you really want to predator-proof your coop/run...this is it:

 

[Sylvester017]

so excited getting the roof on our happy hen house!

LOVE THE EXTENDED ROOF LINE FRONT AND SIDES!

 

[Sylvester017]

If you know me by now I always suggest an extended roof or attached awning over the nestboxes so rain doesn't go into the boxes when the lid is open. With your obvious construction talents it would be an easy remedy for you. And of course don't forget a paver stone walkway all around the coop to deter digging predators. Very neat construction job.

 

[Sylvester017]

Our coop was made using recycled materials, just finished it today. Pallets, used abd new lumber, above ground pool liner for the roof, and a solar system for lighting when needed.

What is an above ground pool liner for the roof? Do you mean a soft rubbery material that can be torn or is it something solid?

Love the ventilation as I imagine TX gets pretty hot and humid in some areas.

Will you use a tarp to cover in the winter?

Nice that you got some good pallets - all we ever found in our gleaning are really trashed ones that weren't worth the effort to salvage.

 

[ChickenDave13]

We had an Intek above ground pool that got a leak in it. I gut the bottom out and used it for the roof. its 18 gauge rubber and is very hardy and flexible.

I used the walls of the pool and cut them into sections to hang on the walls for the winter, kinda like a tarp.

I was fortunate to find good pallets, I have been asking all the local stores for a couple here and there and have been lucky.

Thanks for the questions and I'll post more pics as I continue.

 

[bruceha2000]

I'm sooooo depressed!!! My neighbor was supposed to show up today to dig my 14 post holes and then we were going to set them in with quik-crete, level them out, etc. He called a while ago that he is unable to do it today and will come over tomorrow........I painted all the posts yesterday, cleared the area for the run, raked, etc. Been sitting outside telling my 4 little ladies that "today we start the run!" .... NOT! If I wasn't 70 years old I'd attempt the post holes myself but know I'd drop dead after the first two.....life goes on...and on...and on....

(off my soapbox)....

It is tomorrow NOW!

Go outside and tell your girls "today we start the run!". I'm sure it was disappointing to YOU, the birds really have no clue so they were not disappointed.

I am not sure if a fox could get in but just keep an eye out when free rangeing. it was almost day light when they came the 2nd time, could not get into coop as we locked them in close all doors, we had left the run door opened that night.

Foxes live in deep dens they dig themselves. So yes, a fox can get under a 4x4.

Not only racoons and weasels, but coyotes, dogs, etc can get thru chicken wire. They should take that crap off the market, or improve it. It will keep (trap) chickens in, but will not keep anything out!! The whole thing about chicken wire is, it is "tied" together, not welded. If you work it enough, which isn't much, it will give and allow whatever to get in and, well you know. You can bury hardware cloth about 6" to 12" in the ground or do like I did, use sakrete around the perimeter. Go down about 6" to 12" , dry-pack about 3/4 of the ditch, and go the rest of the way with clay or you can go 100% of the way with the concrete. Between the rain and you wetting it down for about 3 days at 20 minute intervals, the concrete will set and deter digging. Combined with the hardware cloth (1/2" or smaller), your birds will be as secure as can be.

I don't know that it needs to be taken off the market but it seems people need to educate themselves on what it IS good for (keeping chickens where you want them or out of where you do not). I wouldn't want to break the bank to put 1/2" hardware cloth on fences if the only purpose is to keep the chickens from going farther.

Even here on BYC and in the coop threads, HOW many times have you seen a coop posted with chicken wire over the openings or covering the sides of the run which is ALWAYS commented on with respect to the NEED for something stronger if you don't want your birds slaughtered inside their "safe house"??

If you really want to predator-proof your coop/run...this is it:

I agree. Shy of small weasels, the 1x3 welded wire is good for the "no dig" skirt. Probably better than 1/2" hardware cloth since it is larger gauge wire.

Bruce

 

[sunnysideup2]

We eventually come to realize what will work best in our individual situations.  Excellent choice on the pavers.  I'm too old to carry the bigger stones which is why I can only use the 12x12's LOL.  It's good to know you have a lot of free-range cover for them - they are smart cookies and just need us to give them those hiding areas.


For how much we've invested in 4 little chickens they had better lay PLATINUM eggs for us!  LOL
Bruce, I keep forgetting about areas that have the weasel problems.  Our area is mostly city raccoons and I forget that many areas have other nasty critters as well!  One of my concerns is that some idiot in our neighborhood will have a loose Boa Constrictor slithering through the neighborhood - there are even some that let loose their overgrown reptilian pets because they don't want to care for them anymore!  Just so many kinds of predator situations to think about that the 1/2 inch or smaller hardwire will basically solve a myriad of predator problems.

 

[sunnysideup2]

So I laid 16" x 16" pavers all around the attached run and I secured 1/2 " hardware cloth to the floor of the coop. The wire is covered by weed block fabric, shavings and Sweet PDZ for easy clean up. The run is dirt. I think I have done everything I can to protect the girls short of mounting a machine gun station with spot lights.

 

[heartsizedfarm]

So I laid 16" x 16" pavers all around the attached run and I secured 1/2 " hardware cloth to the floor of the coop. The wire is covered by weed block fabric, shavings and Sweet PDZ for easy clean up. The run is dirt. I think I have done everything I can to protect the girls short of mounting a machine gun station with spot lights.

Yeah I can just see it now -- searchlights panning the coop walls, sirens triggered by motion sensors, machine gun mounted on your back deck -- and someone on this thread will say, "yes, but . . ."