TSC Coop/run modification/design thoughts?

[Yaychicks]

THanks donalt! Glad too see modifications are not too difficult. Our plan is nipple waterers/pipe feeders below

 

[donaltman3]

Yaychicks, post pictures as I plan to do the same thing. I want to find a cheap baking pan to keep in the old nest box area I can pull out like the other half of the coop.

biophiliac, noted I think I will do without. Our winters are as mild as you can get and still call it winter. Normally only one or two days all season it gets to a hard freeze just for a few hours in the early morning usually. Almost never for a full day.

 

[L2fly]

Dayrel.....I haven't done it yet... but I would think clean out would be easy because while it doesn't have a tray the outside egg hatch door still lets down.. seems like either a cheap baking pan might fit there or you could just pop the door open and rake it out.

baking pan is a great idea!

But if I can't find something that fits I'm also considering self-stick tile for easy cleaning, or maybe spray it with polyurethane, like for furniture, for a smoother, easier clean, water-proof finish.

 

[L2fly]

This is my coop.. all backwards and inside out.
Wasn't too much work.. involved flipping some stuff around and moving the hardware cloth to the other side on two panels. I drilled a few of the dowel pin holes all the way through so the dowels would still work.

Notice my door is on the other side of how it came and also opens in the opposite direction now. Just how I wanted it. so my egg hatch could be on the outside instead of up against the fence corner. Works great.. still not totally finished but really close.

Looks great!

Although I feel like I'm in the 'Upside Down' looking at it, because its backwards! (Stranger Things parallel universe reference)

 

[L2fly]

We are planning to do the same thing! Making one simply isn't in the picture this year- in a year or two, perhaps, if we enjoy the chickens. We only have 3 as well.

Here it's so hot much of the year our birds just sleep outside. Add some roosts to the run area.

Is it possible to remove any of the siding "strips" to be replaced wth hardware cloth? I was wanting to do that with mine near the top for airflow. 110 and no breeze gets HOT.

Thank you so much for this! I have not made the trip into town to get a good look at it, and this is really helpful.

I'm wondering if I could? (remove a side piece and add more hardware cloth...). I'm thinking I'd have to frame it, though, or it might be significantly weakened.

I'm hoping, because the coop is under a big tree and nearly always in shade, except for the late afternoon & I'll add some kind of shade screen for that, and the pop door will be open in the summer time, the big screen and the side and smaller one in back might be enough.

 

[L2fly]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BCCNZ98/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Here is the link for the indoor/outdoor, battery operated motion detector lights. These are the only outdoor ones I could find that weren't solar powered, and since my coop/run is mostly in the shade, solar powered wouldn't work for me.

I'm hopeful this will stop curious night-time critters from spending a lot of time trying to break in.

 

[aart]

I'm hoping, because the coop is under a big tree and nearly always in shade, except for the late afternoon & I'll add some kind of shade screen for that, and the pop door will be open in the summer time, the big screen and the side and smaller one in back might be enough.

Deep shade, especially with a good breeze, will help.....shade screen an excellent idea, but can block airflow.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BCCNZ98/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Here is the link for the indoor/outdoor, battery operated motion detector lights. These are the only outdoor ones I could find that weren't solar powered, and since my coop/run is mostly in the shade, solar powered wouldn't work for me.

I'm hopeful this will stop curious night-time critters from spending a lot of time trying to break in.

Nah, won't help for long, if at all.......spend that money on more mesh.

 

[donaltman3]

I plan to add a motion detector sprinklers pointed away from the coop and into predator faces.

Another reason I chose this area is because the fence will give a lot of protection from rain and also shade the run area. I have it spaced just far enough off the fence to allow for air movement.

 

[L2fly]

Deep shade, especially with a good breeze, will help.....shade screen an excellent idea, but can block airflow.

Nah, won't help for long, if at all.......spend that money on more mesh.

I'm also thinking a strategically placed large plant might do the trick, to keep it in shade, too!

After reading the "Ventilation" link in your signature, I'm also thinking about adding some more ventilation to the one wall in the coop without a window or anything...thoughts about installing this right under the roof line? https://www.amazon.com/Accord-ABFRWH214-Register-Louvered-Measurements/dp/B002JPPFDG/ref=sr_1_4?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1492465777&sr=1-4&keywords=2-inch&th=1

I'd drill extra holes in it and bolt it in very securely.

I'm not sure if I'd need to add hardware cloth behind it, as the slats seem to be are only 1/3 inch apart, and its steel. Another bonus, I could close the louvers in the wintertime. Unless I'd be better off just doing the grill without the louvers over hardware cloth, as it rarely gets below freezing here, and that is only for a few hours in the early morning a few days a year... https://www.amazon.com/Wall-Registe...8&qid=1492465889&sr=1-3&keywords=2-inch+grill

But I'm kind of afraid that could blow right on them, as my coop is small, and my roost is about 10 inches under where that vent would be. (proposed position in red circle). The curse of a small coop!





As far as spending money on more mesh, I'm not sure what I'd use more mesh for? Are you suggesting a double layer of the hardware cloth?

TIA!

 

[aart]

I'd get the closable one and add HC to it also.
You could put a more open vent on pop door wall up under roof.

Do you have an HC apron all around the bottom of coop/run to prevent digging in?
That would do more for predator proofing than a motion light.