Scored a "coop" on craigslist...need suggestions and advice on modifications

[the poppster]

I've set up my big brooding box in my front porch...never housed the adolescent birds in there...wouldn't look forward to cleaning it up either....but ya almost have the coop ready...won't be long now!!! It's all coming together!!! All your hard work will be rewarded!!! Can't wait or see the birds in there new home!!!

 

[SunHwaKwon]

This weekend I...
- painted the main parts of the exterior (oops paint from HD) except for the goose house clean out door
- Installed sheet vinyl to the remaining portion of the coop and the goose house
- added a window to the man door so that I can see inside before opening the door
- built and hung the goose house clean out door and door to the run; I don't anticipate needing the run door but wanted to have one just in case. The goose house could always become a brooder or extension of the coop at some point
- put up most of the run fencing. I need to run a skirt around the parts that are not set on concrete and cover the spaces that are not covered by the tarp
- did a lot of the nitty gritty stuff like hardware, filling cracks, some little bits of trim work
- put three birds out in the coop. I'll be looking for signs of predator (fox) activity in the morning. I am trying not to be too concerned about their safety since the coop is 4 feet off the ground but I know I will worry anyway.





Still to do: finish installing trim work. Paint trim and doors. Cover the rest of the run. Build and install ramp from the bird door into the run. Run the wire skirt around the perimeter. Finish the roofing (installation and painting). Add more ventilation to the goose house. Add latches to the goose house.

Can you think of anything else?

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Oh the reason one side of fencing comes up so high is because that is chainlink that I unwrapped from the dog pen but I didn't want to cut it in case we want to use the dog pen again some day (the pen is not individual panels but a metal frame wrapped in fencing).

 

[the poppster]

This weekend I... - painted the main parts of the exterior (oops paint from HD) except for the goose house clean out door - Installed sheet vinyl to the remaining portion of the coop and the goose house - added a window to the man door so that I can see inside before opening the door - built and hung the goose house clean out door and door to the run; I don't anticipate needing the run door but wanted to have one just in case. The goose house could always become a brooder or extension of the coop at some point - put up most of the run fencing. I need to run a skirt around the parts that are not set on concrete and cover the spaces that are not covered by the tarp - did a lot of the nitty gritty stuff like hardware, filling cracks, some little bits of trim work - put three birds out in the coop. I'll be looking for signs of predator (fox) activity in the morning. I am trying not to be too concerned about their safety since the coop is 4 feet off the ground but I know I will worry anyway. Still to do: finish installing trim work. Paint trim and doors. Cover the rest of the run. Build and install ramp from the bird door into the run. Run the wire skirt around the perimeter. Finish the roofing (installation and painting). Add more ventilation to the goose house. Add latches to the goose house. Can you think of anything else?

 

[the poppster]

If you get lots of snow where you live...it might be good to put the goose house vents in the wall under the coop...so it doesn't snow in to the goose house....or rain. I also have a heavy duty tarp as a roof on my run...we lined it up square with the roof and used lath strips to secure it...the roof is covered with welded wire....so it supports the tarp....when we get snow...I go in and gently push out on the wire roof and the snow slides off...it's lasted for one winter so far...we get over 300 inches of snow around here...should make another year.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Looking at it now, I think I should have set the coop further from the run so that the chain link attached to a corner of the coop and both sides of the portion under the coop were coverered in hardwire, with a 10x6 fence of hardwire filling the gap on the other side. Similar to this



That would have given me about 40 more square feet in the run, which would be nice considering my current slight overcrowding. Right now they have less than 3 sq ft in the run and about 7 in the run, but at least everyone is still small at this point. In any case, I checked the weather last night and it said today is 90% chance of rain so that put the fire under my butt to get the roof covered, including the nest boxes. I still need a ridge cap though and no one has them stocked near me. I might just grab an asphalt or pvc one and be done with it. It's getting painted anyway.




My husband helped me a bit so unfortunately they are not as lined up as I would like. He does not have the attention to detail that I do.

 

[the poppster]

Dear SunKawk...I know what you mean...my sweetheart did the same sort of thing...sometimes their "Help" ends up hindering your project...but they do mean well, most of the time....It looks like everything is coming together...as far as the "Coulda, woulda,shoulda" are concerned...it always happens that way...but if we spent the time to get it "Just Right" we might not get it at all...so muddle on and enjoy the trip...I'm sure your birds will enjoy your efforts!!! Good job!

 

[Percheron chick]

I would not mix guineas with bantams. They can be terrorizing bullies. Guineas also need more space than chickens.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

If you get lots of snow where you live...it might be good to put the goose house vents in the wall under the coop...so it doesn't snow in to the goose house....or rain. I also have a heavy duty tarp as a roof on my run...we lined it up square with the roof and used lath strips to secure it...the roof is covered with welded wire....so it supports the tarp....when we get snow...I go in and gently push out on the wire roof and the snow slides off...it's lasted for one winter so far...we get over 300 inches of snow around here...should make another year.

Thanks for the suggestion about the tarp. I have trouble keeping water from building up in the tarp no matter how taut I strap it. Today we got a very heavy rainfall and I had to go siphon all of the water out of it. I was thinking I need some more supports for it but wasn't sure how to go about it. Your post has been helpful. Snow here can be hit or miss. It's nothing like when I lived in Indiana or even RI/MA, but can get some decent snow, so I need to make sure I won't have a collapsed run this winter.

The goose house vents are under the coop and I'm going to add another under the stairs that can be opened or closed as needed.

 

[keesmom]

Is there anything over the top of the kennel run besides that tarp? If not hawks can get in on the ends, as well as nighttime varmints (if you aren't locking up the entrance to the run at night).