UPDATED - MORE PHOTOS ADDED - Our Coop and Run.

[festivefeet]

My husband finished up the coop and run last night. There are few more things to do, but most of it is done. We still need to hang the feeders and add another roost in the run.

Questions:
Little late to ask, but do you think this coop and run is big enough for 6 chickens, I have seen that many others runs are much larger?

Can chickens dig underneath the run boards?

How to prevent other animals from digging in underneath the bottom run boards?

This coop is movable. How often do I need to move it to prevent a total bare patch of grass?

Any other suggestions would be appreciated...

J.

 

[1mommahen]

Great Job! Looks big enough to me! Don't know about the moving it timeline!

 

[joebryant]

That is so neat and well designed. You don't give the dimensionsk, but just looking at it, I'd say that it's big enough for six chickens.
Why move it? Put about 6-12 inches of construction sand in the run, get a couple hundred feet of 2/4 farm fencing and encircle the coop with it (no posts... just sitting on the grass loosely, and let them free range during the day. Move the wire from front to back weekly so that they don't damage your grass.
BTW, lay enough of the 2/4 farm fencing on the ground around the entire coop and bury it an inch or two so that predators can't dig under and enter your run or coop.

 

[lurky]

That is a VERY nice coop

Very lucky birds

 

[joebryant]

Quote:
Okay, I have to change that; you'll have to move your coop one time. Have a small load of construction sand used for laying pavers dumped in your yard where you want the house to be. Then place your run and coop over that pile. It's a lot easier to level/spread the sand than it is to put it in one shovelful at a time. I speak from experience. I made that mistake. SEE MY SBY PAGE and you'll see what I'm talking about.

 

[sloallie10]

IM SO JEALOUS!

 

[chills]

sorry cant answer any questions for you, just admiring your chicks new home, i like that its up on legs, to keep bad guys out, and that it looks so very sturdy and strong, love the color too ..
can i ask a quick question, the man door on the left of the coop there, will you just open it and rake out the woodchips/manure ??
we (ok, I) am still in the planning phase..
thanks for sharing!

 

[sloallie10]

what kind of chickes do you have there?

 

[redoak]

Very nice coop and run, and cool design

 

[festivefeet]

Thanks for all the compliments. I will pass them on to my husband.

The left larger door is the door I will open to rake out the wood shavings and clean the coop. The feeders will also hang in front of this door from the ceiling of the coop, this way I can just open the door and fill the feeders.

The right hand smaller door is used to access the laying boxes and retrieve the eggs. The top skinnier door opens to ventilate, and there is a window for light and ventilation as well.

There is a small door where the chickens enter the hen house. This way we can put them in at night, for protection.

My husband made the entrance the way he did, to prevent strong winter winds from whistling into the coop and freezing our birds. I liked that design. I am always amazed at what he can do. This all came out of his head, no drawings or anything. He is great with his hands.

My only concern was predators going in underneath the run.

I have two buff orpingtons, two easter eggers and two silver laced wyandottes.

J.