Regrouping after predator wipe-out...

[carcar80]

NCBantam- spring!?!? lol I'm not NEAR that patient of a woman!

I'm hoping in the next few weeks to get a few young (not baby) hens, all from the same place I got my others. This lady runs an impressively spic & span operation and I just can't bring myself to get anything but baby chicks from anyone else. And I just don't have it in me to start back all the way from chicks..

 

[carcar80]

(Corrected below w quotes)

 

[carcar80]

I'd make your coop 4x4. It's a good size and allows you to put nestbox inside if you want and has room for two or three roosting poles where only one pole would fit in a 2x4.

So you're saying yes, it should be totally enclosed?

Well, when spring comes around, you'll be happy when you go to the post office to pick up a box with little fuzzballs in it! Until then, you might have to buy yourself a .22 rifle for Christmas, that dog won't like 36 grain hollow-points if he attacks again.

LOL!! You think like my husband. Text from him the next morning said, "My .22 Is on our bed I saw 2 white dogs in the pasture this morning but they were gone when I got back with gun"

Hehe..

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I'm up north so mine is enclosed. Being in GA you could have an open air coop but make sure it's good welded wire on open side or sides.

 

[deacons]

Can't wait to follow along-looks like you've got some great space to set up. My girls are also situated under the lean to next to my garage. I'll post some pics this weekend.

 

[centrarchid]

Consider hotwire around property perimeter and immediately around birds are to be. Some dogs will chew through coop materials be they wood or lighter types of wire. I use hotwire and even with gaps for my dogs to use, it keeps other dogs out very well. It can also be used to detour predators from trying to challenge your bird containment by giving shocks to predator as it tries to chew through the coop.

 

[carcar80]

Just had two dogs at front of property.. A medium-size collie type and a small chi/terrier looking one.. Let my Doberlady out and she made impressively quick work of getting them on the run. She got LOTS of praise/treating on her return, lol. Problem is, we're not here all day to release her and I can't just leave her out when we're not home. :/

What I would LOVE to have is a GP to give free range while we're not home. But again, without a perimeter fence I just can't leave a loose dog without worrying it would leave the property and be shot as well (and rightfully so, IMO)

 

[henless]

I am in the process (slow, but it is progressing) of building my coop. I have a 30x30 barn that I will be using 2 of the stalls for my coop. I plan on a 10x10 semi-open air coop with a 10x10 covered run attached. I plan on putting 12x12 cement patio blocks vertically in the ground around the parameter and putting a welded wire apron about 2 feet out around the whole pen. Also I will be using the mesh cloth to cover all open areas of the pen. I'm debating on putting up an electric wire once I'm finished. I'm wanting to keep the dirt floor since I plan on using the deep litter method.

I had thought about enclosing the coop part totally, but it gets so hot here in Texas during the summer, that I don't think that would be a good idea. I'm sure it gets hot in Georgia, so I would use some heavy duty wire and put up wood for 1 or 2 of the walls for your roosts/nesting area.

We have a stray dog problem here also. In fact, 2 of my dogs are strays that showed up and stayed. I don't know why people think they can drop off their strays in the country so they can live a "free" life. We try to catch and rehome what we can, but it's not always possible.

 

[aart]

I'd take this space and make part of it sheltered, as is appropriate for your climate and site, for sleeping roosts and nests, and make the rest of it a fort knox predator proof run that they can have access too all day while you're at work.

Can you access the other side of that solid wall? Cause you could put the nests in that wall and gather eggs from the other side of it if you wanted.
Might be able to relocate your existing coop...or most of it...to this space...just some thoughts.

 

[carcar80]

I'd take this space and make part of it sheltered, as is appropriate for your climate and site, for sleeping roosts and nests, and make the rest of it a fort knox predator proof run that they can have access too all day while you're at work.

Can you access the other side of that solid wall? Cause you could put the nests in that wall and gather eggs from the other side of it if you wanted.
Might be able to relocate your existing coop...or most of it...to this space...just some thoughts.

Aart- yes, just outside the right side of this pic is the roll-up door to the workshop, and there is actually a window into the shop under this lean-to.. But then I'd be infringing on hubby's space, lol. We "fight" over this space!

He is out here now brainstorming heavily. He does want to move old coop here..So here we go!