Looks like this had great potential. Some thoughts.....
What is the design of the coop? I dont know yet exactly, i dont have much building experience, so i want to keep it simple, but my wife wants it to look "pretty" i want to do a Large window on the South Western Side of the Coop (facing the run) with Chicken wire. I want it to be a walk in coop with the main door facing the house, and I want to try and re-use the current Steel Roof on the shed now, it gets cold in the winter, so i've been researching coops for a few weeks was thinking a standard square coop, with the front facing the house higher and the back lower, but put the roof up on little 2x4 posts a few inches so it can vent? maybe dig a small trench behind it and put a little french draing that takes the water toward the neighbors fence and out into my yard proper?? thoughts?. Be thinking ventilation and lots of it and windows for natural light. Is this coop south of your house? Coop is South East ish, so in the picture the top right corner of the Coop outline will face south, was going to do the South Western facing wall with a large open windown with chicken wife over it If so, be sure to have some windows on the south side facing the winter sun.
What is the drainage pattern? What happens to rain water at the coop and run locations? Running into or running away from? away from coop away from run toward the house Having a concrete floor is a big plus for something like this.....keeps digging predators out and makes for a dryer, cleaner, more sanitary coop inside, even with deep litter (which is my preference).
Do you have either water or electric back there? I can run a hose from the back of the house, no electric, other than long extension cord for power tools that i can run from the back of the house
On the run, how will it be fenced? Chickens attract predators, even where you are. They are there, even if you never see them. I dont have a 100% plan for this yet. was thinking posts and chicken wire....i really dont want to put a "roof" over it
On vegetation for the run, once large weeds and plants are established, the birds probably won't take down 5' tall weeds, but if they are turned in early, the weeds may never get that high, although if there is enough vegetation, they can be selective, so a few might get past them. If so, they will probably be used for shade. Or you can divide this up and plan on providing shade, depending on how much work you want. A section of that run planted to tall crops like corn, sunflowers, okra, etc, will give the birds shady places to run around under, but only once they are established, so you have to protect those kinds of plants for a month or so until they get established. Plants of that type are also heavy feeders of the nitrogen and other that the birds will leave behind. Later in the summer, you reload with things like fall turnips. So in addition to being a run, it can also be a salad bar for the birds. Again, lots of potential, depending on how intensive you want to manage it. I was thinking of doing corn and sunflowers for both shade and "free" chicken food. never thought of Fall Turnips! i like the idea.
Thank you for taking an interest, i really want to succeed and do well at this, so please reply with ideas and thoughts
