RuBee's Little Red Coop

[RuBee]

Welcome to BYC!
We are glad you joined our flock!
This video will help you learn how to navigate this site:

Coop Ideas:
Chicken Coops
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Hiya
Nice to meet you!

Hello, and welcome! I hope that you can get your coop and run predator-proof for your hen's.

Sounds like you jumped back into the drama and trauma of chicken raising with both feet!! And yet, it's so rewarding -- from fresh eggs to hatching chicks to the daily entertainment of chicken watching.

Trapping intruders can be a challenging experience. I was trying to snag a murderous mink -- what I got was a very surly possum. Removing it from the live trap safely (for both of us) was much harder than luring it in. Still, it was a better experience than kill-trapping the rat who settled in next door to one of the coops.

A Great Horned Owl that was trying to attack my ducks apparently knocked itself silly in the process by hitting an overhead electrical wire, and I got to meet a nice DNR officer who relocated the juvenile bird. Having poultry opens a person up to all kinds of life experiences. BTW, owls can have a really EVIL stare!

Enjoy your girls (and potential new additions, since everyone here understands chicken math), and welcome to BYC, RuBee.

I'm already enjoying the BYC community. I think my coop and run are predator proof at this point. I haven't seen the chicken hawk recently, but I'm still not comfortable letting the chickens out at this point.
Thanks for your advice.

 

[RuBee]

Hello, and welcome! I hope that you can get your coop and run predator-proof for your hen's.

I think the coop and run are predator proof at this point. Although I haven't seen the chicken hawk recently I'm not comfortable letting the chickens out.
I'm enjoying being apart of the BYC community.

 

[RuBee]

Hiya
Nice to meet you!

Thanks, I'm enjoying my chickens and the BYC community.

 

[RuBee]

Welcome to Backyard Chickens! We are glad you joined the flock! BYC is a helpful site providing all of the information you need to know about poultry! There is always space for more members on the BYC roost! A secure coop at night with no holes bigger than 2 in. is the only way to prevent these nocturnal pest. Hope you enjoy it here as much as we all do!

I'm glad to be apart of the BYC community. Such friendly and caring people. I think my coop and run are secure at this point. Still not sure what to do about the chicken hawk. I'm keeping the chickens in for now.

 

[RuBee]

View attachment 1603140
View attachment 1603141 Glad you decided to join us!

I'm so sorry you're having such a rough start and lost one of your chickens already. How old were the hens that you were given? Sex links are high egg producers, but unfortunately can be prone to a lot of reproductive issues.

Here's a few articles that may help give you some ideas on how to get your coop in good working order:
How Much Room Do Chickens Need

Chicken Coop Ventilation - Go Out There And Cut More Holes In Your Coop!

Predator Proofing

One thing to remember is that keeping your coop dry and draft-free with good ventilation is more important than holding in heat. This article offers a detailed breakdown of how chickens naturally survive the cold, and whether or not adding warmth is necessary:
Cold Weather Advisory

Best wishes in your new chicken adventure!!

Thank you for your advice and for the links. I live in Central Virginia. We have already had a few nights with temperatures below freezing. From all that I have read I don't intend to add artificial lighting or heating.
I think I have secured the coop and run at this time. Still not sure what to do about the chicken hawk.i do I'm just keepAugu

 

[RuBee]

Thank you for your advice and for the links. I live in Central Virginia. We have already had a few nights with temperatures below freezing. From all that I have read I don't intend to add artificial lighting or heating.
I think I have secured the coop and run at this time. Still not sure what to do about the chicken hawk.
I bought three sex links in August. Probably not my best investment. Two of them have passed away. The lone survivor has not laid an egg since I got her. Not sure what the first one died of. She was molting and laying rubber eggs. I found her sick on a Sunday, within 24 hours she was gone. The second one was egg bound with a very large egg. It burst, relieving the pressure, but also leaving shell inside. After nine days she was making a remarkable recovery so I returned her to the coop. I had been keeping her inside. I was devastated the next morning when I discovered her dead.
Now I'm faced with the dilemma of what to do with one chicken. Should I get another one or give her away and start over in the spring. Any suggestions?

 

[feathermaid]

Thank you for your advice and for the links. I live in Central Virginia. We have already had a few nights with temperatures below freezing. From all that I have read I don't intend to add artificial lighting or heating.
I think I have secured the coop and run at this time. Still not sure what to do about the chicken hawk.

Sounds good! I used to have a little coop very similar to yours (from what I can see in your avatar) and it seemed sturdy enough and the latches worked well, it was just the ground contact I was worried about and the possibility of predators digging under. So I built a 2x6 frame to raise the coop and hold in more bedding, and also attached a HWC apron to the underside and outside perimeter of the frame. I didn't want wire under my chicken's feet because they like to scratch and dig and didn't want to deprive them of that. I attached the HWC to the ground with garden pins and covered with gravel and stepping stones. Attached the coop to the 2x6 frame with flat braces both inside and out.


Depending on how you insulate, can adversely affect the moisture content inside, which can be more detrimental than cold. The links were just for some insight on how all that stuff works in a coop environment. Shortly after my above pics, I added several louvered vents to let any possible moisture escape, then before a winter storm I shielded the run with a breathable fabric.