We are finalizing our plans for the coop my husband will build. (the chicks are 2 weeks old- I told him he needs to get busy!)
We are planning a 4x4 coop for our 4 chicks. Then we will have a covered run that is about 4x10 in the corner of our yard under a tree- two sides of it are pre-existing fence. We dont plan to free-range due to a small yard, large hawks and a desire not to have poop on our patio furniture.
Since we are new to all of this, I have a few questions:
Does the food and water go in the coop, or out in the run?
If the run is enclosed, do we need to also close the chickens into the coop at night?
How often would we need to get into the run? (to catch chickens or maintenance or something?) We arent sure how tall to have it.
Will 1x1 welded fencing be sufficient, or should we go for the hardware cloth? (We have roof rats, blue jays and possibly racoons)
Thanks!
We are planning a 4x4 coop for our 4 chicks. Then we will have a covered run that is about 4x10 in the corner of our yard under a tree- two sides of it are pre-existing fence. We dont plan to free-range due to a small yard, large hawks and a desire not to have poop on our patio furniture.

Since we are new to all of this, I have a few questions:
Does the food and water go in the coop, or out in the run?
If the run is enclosed, do we need to also close the chickens into the coop at night?
How often would we need to get into the run? (to catch chickens or maintenance or something?) We arent sure how tall to have it.
Will 1x1 welded fencing be sufficient, or should we go for the hardware cloth? (We have roof rats, blue jays and possibly racoons)
Thanks!