Run design

[racizme]

Alrighty so I have a prob

me and my dad are almost done with my chicken coop. I think i have everything planned for but theres one thing that were still in disagreement about. The run. Our coop is a cement building and my dad thinks that he can cut a hole in the side. Then we were planning on making a little door to close at night. But then he talked to some of his friends. They said that rats would get to my chickens if we cut a hole in the side of the house. So my dad's like, oh we don;t need a run. But I don't wanna free range my chickens due to my poor front gate and the fact that I would have to protect my moms garden and keep an eye on them all day due to my less than honest neighbors. Please tell me, will rats kill chickens? I've only seen one rat since I moved her almost a year and a half ago, but my dad is worried.

backyard chicken people are great! I know someone can help me.

 

[speckledhen]

Well, I've never dealt with more than the little meadow mice here in the woods, but I know that rats will kill chicks. Alot depends on the size of the rat, I guess. So, if you dont cut a little pop door, your dad wants to just open the big door and let them out into the yard. You want a pop door into a secure run, right? Hmm, well, I would make a small run with a pop door that closes at night when you put them back inside for the night. I hope I'm getting what you're trying to say, sorry if I'm misunderstanding. The door would have to be closed at night and rats would be mostly a problem at night, I think. Sounds to me like you need a run with your situation. There will be times when you just dont want to free range your birds and a run will give you the option to let them out into a pen or the yard.

 

[racizme]

ye ur understanding. Now I just gotta tell my dad that I was right. He also says we should just leave um in the coop, but i said that that isn't good for a chicken. But he wanted a reason why. Whats a reason?

 

[speckledhen]

A good reason is air quality. Fresh air and exercise and eating bugs outside is good for them. And it's good for you, too. You would have to clean the coop so much more if they never left it. Also, they can't dustbathe in the dirt to get rid of mites, lice and such if they are always inside.

 

[racizme]

well thank you very much.

Now does anyone know what can be used to cut through cement. I'm not sure if my dad even knows how to do it LOL

 

[speckledhen]

A good power circular saw with a masonry blade on it or you can rent a really high-powered one from a rental place.

 

[racizme]

ok thanks. I think thats all my questions. Thanks for helping out. I'll have to find you if I have more questions LOL

 

[rheath]

We had rats but they didn't bother the chickens, just ate the food- mostly at night, I think.

We have a door into the run that swings up. there's an metal 'eye' on the bottom outside with a string through it that goes straight up to another eye on the outside of the chicken house and then it goes outside the fence of the run to a nail. The loop in the end of it can be slipped over the nail head to hold the door up (without having to go into the coop). There is also a 1inch by 1inch 3 foot long 'bar' that slides across the door to 'lock' it. We can be outside the run fence and still lock the door this way since the door swings out. Chickens can't push it out, and outside critters can' lift it up. This really kept animals out, but the rats eventually found a way up through the floorboards. you won't have that problem!
NHChickenMom