Questions for Coop vs Run

[Fishybiz]

i have really enjoyed finding this site and reminiscing on when I had chickens roughly 30 years ago as a kid living in the suburbs. Finding this site was a result of my kids wanting those cute chicks at the stores around town in Chandler, AZ. I finally relented and the process has started...


I have some questions (many are probably ridiculous to all the experienced people here) because how I remember my chickens years ago differs from what I am reading.

1) In understanding "coop" vs "run", is the coop basically the "house like structure whereas the "run" is essentially the enclosure that allows the chickens to roam around?

2) I frequently read that people are "locking the chickens in the coop". Why does there need to be a door that is closed by a person? I recall when I had chickens that they just came and went in their "coop" and we never closed the "door". Is it mainly for predator prevention or in colder climates to help keep them warmer?

3) (depending on above answers...) I am planning on leaving it a free passage from their run to coop and don't see the need for food or water in their coop. Also I have added an 18" x 48" area with hardware cloth screened in that was going to be part of the coop's floor. There is a roost above it so the theory I had was to let their poop fall to the run. Any reason why the coop needs to be a completely solid floor? Maybe chickens like it pitch black?

4) for the walls and roof of the coop and ceiling for the run, I am using radiant barrier sheathing like is used on homes. It has a "foil-like" bottom. Anybody think it might be an issue in the coop because the chickens will see silvery foil everywhere at night? With temperatures 115-120 here the radiant barrier really helps.

Thanks in advance to all of you.

 

[fayoumisfeathers]

1) the coop is where they sleep (the structure) and the run is the enclosure that the chickens can go in to experience "outside".

2) people mainly lock chickens in the coop at night to help prevent predators, encourage roosting, and so the chickens feel safer.

3) I'd personally close a door for predators, but that all sounds appropriate. I'd also put a water container and a food dish in the coop if space allows it.

4) i'm not very knowledgeable about radiant barriers, and have never personally used reflective surfaces in a coop, so i have no expertise there.

 

[Fishybiz]

Fayoumisfeathers thank you for your input. I don't believe there will be any predators that will get in the run (my coop is part of and adjoining the run and two sides are bordered by wall).

 

[User395221]

I don't think they would be seeing the foil in the dark. It's only reflective of light and if it's dark it won't be shiny. I'd be more concerned that they'd peck at it. If they started on it, you could always clad the interior with some other lining to cover the insulation.

 

[member 373180]

You'll want to make sure they can't reach the foil from any perch in the coop or they'll have it peeled off and shredded in no time. They will actually jump to reach it so if there's not enough headroom I'd pass on it.

 

[Frazzemrat1]

I would do some research on the predators in your area as you undoubtedly have some, including neighborhood dogs and cats. If your not going to lock the coop at night, make sure the run is the Fort Knox of all chicken runs. If your doing this for the kids, depending on their age, it could be really traumatic to find something got in and killed all the chickens one night. As my Dad always said; 'better safe than sorry', and 'better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.'

Oh, and I don't put food and water in my coop as it's where they sleep only... part of my run is covered, so during the day they are fine going out to eat and drink.

 

[saysfaa]

Chickens are very well designed to handle cold. They do well even at 20, 30, and 40 below zero in a three sided building if it is has good, draft free ventilation (not all three sided building have good ventilation and/or are draft free). It is lack of good ventilation that causes problems when it is cold. Not that people necessarily know that so many will close up coops for warmth.

There are a LOT (REALLY LOT) more predators around than there were 30 years ago in much, if not most, of the U.S.. That is why many people didn't close the coops at night back in the day but most people close them nowadays.

Chickens don't need a floor, solid or otherwise, unless you want to lock them into the coop.

The openings of hardware cloth are too narrow for the poop to fall through. Some poop will but overall it won't as you describe.

 

[rosemarythyme]

2) It's for predator protection. Just because you don't see anything crawling around doesn't mean it's not out there. Not all predators are big and obvious like a coyote... rats, mice, snakes are all things you probably don't want in your coop, even if they don't outright eat your chickens.

Even if you decide you don't want to close the door every night, you should still have a door installed as there will be times you want the door shut, i.e. when you're acclimating your new chicks from the brooder to the coop.

3) As noted above hardware cloth as a coop floor won't work the way you're thinking. Instead of poop falling through you'll just have poop clumped into the mesh and that will be far more work to clean.

What might work better for you is a "poop hammock" (search the forums for it) - a lot of people on here seem to have something like that, and it sounds like it works well. I just let my chickens poop straight off the roost and clean out the bedding underneath instead, but that only works if there's nothing else beneath the roost.