post your chicken coop pictures here!

[Pecanny]

You and me both. I figured I had it made converting the horse stall to a coop since it already had 2x4 welded wire over the openings on three sides except the opening for the horse (just a 3' high piece of plywood door) of which I have ZERO. All I had to do was put in a 4x4 post so the very well made door covered with 2x4 welded wire I found in the barn (there are 4 or 5

) would have something to swing to and make a chicken door in the rest of the space with wire above. EASY and CHEAP! Then I started reading about coop protection. I wouldn't have to worry about the larger predators getting through the welded wire and the walls are wood to 4' high so no grabbing through except right where the roost is against the sides, but I know the people we bought the place from lost chickens to weasels in their coop (in the smaller barn and not at all predator proof). So, off to Amazon I went to get 1/2" hardware cloth. It was the biggest expense by far until I got the Pullet Shut door last spring since I covered the floor, ceiling and all the other areas that were not solid wood including the door.

There is no such thing as using too much or too strong of fencing. And you can't leave a single weak spot.

I see some of these coops with nothing but a covering of chicken wire and I'm thinking they are only one night away from a bunch of mangled chickens and they don't even know it.... Just like I was.

 

[chikmagnet69]

I built a hoop coop using 1/2" hardware cloth...a neighbors lab stopped by for a visit one night. Happy to say all 8 girls are still clucking. My neighbor next door not so lucky, he lost 7 hens..."lab + poultry wire = dead chicks"

 

[iwiw60]

I built a hoop coop using 1/2" hardware cloth...a neighbors lab stopped by for a visit one night. Happy to say all 8 girls are still clucking. My neighbor next door not so lucky, he lost 7 hens..."lab + poultry wire = dead chicks"

YAY for 1/2" hardware cloth!!!!! People think I'm crazy for ranting and raving about using strictly hardware cloth on their coops and runs....just goes to show, eh?!!

 

[chikmagnet69]

I purchased the hardware cloth at a local ag store...it was half the price if not more, than lowes or home depot. I couldn't beleive it. So what did I do...I went back for more...lol

 

[Sylvester017]

I wonder if a homemade coyote roller type thing would stop raccoons from climbing fences. The rollers spin so there isn't a handhold.

How about a rifle instead?

 

[Sylvester017]

Quite true.

I think IN GENERAL, the purpose of covering the run is to keep the arial predators out during the day as the chickens will be in the coop at night. I know it is possible a coon can be hunting during the day but I think that is unusual. Covering it with hardware cloth would necessitate having something to fasten it to along the edge of each "sheet" of wire so you don't have weak places where the pieces meet. More work and expense.

So unless there is evidence of them out and about during the day, I would have to go with the affordable covering option.

You see, Bruce, the sad thing is that you don't know you have Raccoons until you get chickens. When I house-sat my daughter's place last 2 weeks there was a giant male Coyote, Jackrabbits, dog killed an Oppossum in the yard, and a Raccoon pulled down a HUGE trash can and trash was strewn across the entire yard - I think the dog would've tangled with it if I hadn't happened to bring her in the house when it showed up - I wasn't going to have either the dog or myself tangle with that enormous bugger.

We never knew in the 25 years we lived on our city street that we had any kind of wildlife - UNTIL we got the chickens and those d**n goat-sized 'Coons crawl out of the storm drains. They're out in broad daylight - we see them on the open golf course all the time a mile away from us which is not distant for wildlife. Saw another road-kill Oppossum yesterday so they're out there even if you don't think you have them. It's sad to find out that netting doesn't work against them. Just sayin'.

 

[vehve]

I wonder if a homemade coyote roller type thing would stop raccoons from climbing fences. The rollers spin so there isn't a handhold.

I started thinking if something similar to what was on the Berlin wall would work, those huge round pipes on top. They don't offer any grip either.

 

[Sylvester017]

Hi all you chickeneers -

Thanks for posting and re-inforcing our statements to use 1/2 inch hardwire to cover coops and forget that nasty waste of money poultry wire which is just folded into itself and not even interlinked so the slightest push on it makes it come apart and bend easier than a straw. A couple mutts broke into our yard and mangled poultry wire with their teeth and claws - if not for a Good Samaritan neighbor I would've lost my flock. Poultry wire is barely sufficient for keeping chickens INSIDE and certainly not for keeping predators OUTSIDE!!!

Hurray for all you hardwire-using chickeneers that realize the most expensive part of your coop/pen will be the secure hardwire !!! Even if you don't see them the wildlife predators can sniff out chickens more than a mile away and so-o-o much better to be safe than sorry!!! Can't afford the hardwire? Then you can't afford the chickens either.

Smiles - Syl

 

[Denwendairy]

About 6 weeks ago, we made a trip to our local Peavey Mart to pick something up completely unrelated to chickens. Well, we happened to arrive there during the two days that they sell heritage chicks! After much deliberation, we returned later that day and chose 6 Barred Rocks, and 1 each of a Light Sussex, Rhode Island Red and a Brown Leghorn. I mean, we live on a farm - how hard can it be to set something up for chickens!? I'm sure many of us have said those words...and then realized how much work it really is!

We've re-homed 4 Roos and bought 3 Buff Orpingtons and 2 gold laced Wyandottes since then- along with a whole lot of construction!

We bought an 8x8 foot used mini- barn off of Kijiji and started renos. We added a window, made the door taller, re- sided with rough sawn lumber, painted the inside to brighten it up, added a chicken door and tunnel to the run, added a framed/hardware cloth roof to our former dog turned rabbit turned chicken run, put on a metal roof, and added a flower bed. We are still going to add eaves troughs but feel like we are just about there!

We have happy little pullets and love how this turned out!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/content/type/61/id/6441298/width/350/height/700
[IMG]https://www.backyardchickens.com/content/type/61/id/6441336/width/350/height/700
[/IMG]

 

[LindaB220]

About 6 weeks ago, we made a trip to our local Peavey Mart to pick something up completely unrelated to chickens. Well, we happened to arrive there during the two days that they sell heritage chicks! After much deliberation, we returned later that day and chose 6 Barred Rocks, and 1 each of a Light Sussex, Rhode Island Red and a Brown Leghorn. I mean, we live on a farm - how hard can it be to set something up for chickens!? I'm sure many of us have said those words...and then realized how much work it really is!

We've re-homed 4 Roos and bought 3 Buff Orpingtons and 2 gold laced Wyandottes since then- along with a whole lot of construction!

We bought an 8x8 foot used mini- barn off of Kijiji and started renos. We added a window, made the door taller, re- sided with rough sawn lumber, painted the inside to brighten it up, added a chicken door and tunnel to the run, added a framed/hardware cloth roof to our former dog turned rabbit turned chicken run, put on a metal roof, and added a flower bed. We are still going to add eaves troughs but feel like we are just about there!

We have happy little pullets and love how this turned out!

BEFORE:



AFTER:

Outstanding job!!!!

Keep posting. Glad to have you.