We got our coop, it needs some revisions, advice please!

[FlutterbyChicks]

Well, a month overdue, we finally got our coop delivered. It is Amish-built, but I think it needs a few changes/updates/fixes. I have some questions for the long-time coop owners.

First thing is, he used 1x2 fencing wire everywhere, instead of a smaller hardware cloth. I didn't realize it when I ordered it. Since it's a sturdy fencing, and I will be leaving it all there, would it be okay to just use chicken wire on top of it, instead of getting hardware cloth? I want to reinforce the bottom part of the run, plus the windows.

Second thing...ventilation. The two regular windows in front, 2'x1.5' each, plus the one in the back, 1'x2'....doesn't seem like enough, plus in the wintertime, I'm afraid of it being too drafty for the chickens. I figured we could put some kind of ventilation holes up higher, but other than the front, there isn't much overhang, and it gets really windy up on the hill where we are. I'm thinking rain and wind will be coming in all the time. Any ideas?

Third thing, the run. We just have grass there now. The coop is on a very slight hill, so water will (and does) drain from the area very nicely. We never have standing water problems in our yard, regardless of rain, snow-melt, etc. I do think I'm going to cover at least part of the run in the wintertime. Any suggestions on what to put in the run to help keep it from getting stinky?

Thanks in advance to everyone that helps me out!

 

[BayBay Peepers]

Personally I think its fine to add smaller wire to the outside. We put chicken wire around the bottom of our run. I would drill out a few holes and cover with a bit of wire towards the top to make sure it's ventilated in winter.

As for the run. You can either keep cleaning it or add some sand. You'll want to clean it regularly anyways, but I hear sand is easy to clean and fun for them to scratch in. It may get messy with rain...so that wouldn't be fun. You could also try gravel if you had a way to keep it from washing out.

 

[BayBay Peepers]

Beautiful coop by the way!

 

[junebuggena]

The run is a bit on the small side. You need a minimum of 10 sq ft per medium sized hen in the run. If you have larger, dual purpose breeds; they need about 12 to 15 per bird.

 

[FlutterbyChicks]

The run is a bit on the small side. You need a minimum of 10 sq ft per medium sized hen in the run. If you have larger, dual purpose breeds; they need about 12 to 15 per bird.

It's a 4x8 attached run, plus 5x6 under the coop for them. We are putting up a regular fence around the whole back of our shed where we'll let them free range some of the time, and when we're not there, keep them in the enclosed run.

Beautiful coop by the way!

Thanks! We were going to make our own, but saw these, and figured it looked nicer (and was probably cheaper) than what we could've done.

Personally I think its fine to add smaller wire to the outside. We put chicken wire around the bottom of our run. I would drill out a few holes and cover with a bit of wire towards the top to make sure it's ventilated in winter.

As for the run. You can either keep cleaning it or add some sand. You'll want to clean it regularly anyways, but I hear sand is easy to clean and fun for them to scratch in. It may get messy with rain...so that wouldn't be fun. You could also try gravel if you had a way to keep it from washing out.

Thanks. I think I may just do the chicken wire, since we have some already around. And I may do the sand thing. Our soil has a lot of clay, so I think it would help things out a lot.

 

[FlutterbyChicks]

Do you think that this is high enough above the roosts to leave open in the winter? If I add a full 5' x maybe 6" permanent ventilation hole (covered in hardware cloth) above the windows (under the overhang of the roof), would that be sufficient? And have the windows cracked. There's really no other overhang on the other sides of the coop, and I'm just thinking snow will blow in all the time.

 

[BayBay Peepers]

It would all depend on what kind of winters you have. I think adding a permanent vent is an excellent idea.

 

[JackE]

You should not have to cut any more holes in that coop. Depending on how many chickens you are putting in there, you should be able to just shut the back window. Air will not blast into the coop, because it will not have a clear path to do so. The front of my coop is wide open year round, and there is a 3X7' screened opening there. In the winter, I have had 30mph+ winds blow directly at the open front, and you go in there, and it's as still as sitting in your living room. The air has no path through, so it's not a problem. One thing I would do with your coop, is to build a hardware clothed screen door, like the one below, for it. Hook open the big door in the warmer months, and just use the screen door. That will help with summer heat, and ventilation.

 

[FlutterbyChicks]

It would all depend on what kind of winters you have. I think adding a permanent vent is an excellent idea.

I live in PA, so we get chilly winters, with snow. It can get to around 0°F sometimes, though usually is in the 30s. I live on top of a hill though, and it can get windy.

You should not have to cut any more holes in that coop. Depending on how many chickens you are putting in there, you should be able to just shut the back window. Air will not blast into the coop, because it will not have a clear path to do so. The front of my coop is wide open year round, and there is a 3X7' screened opening there. In the winter, I have had 30mph+ winds blow directly at the open front, and you go in there, and it's as still as sitting in your living room. The air has no path through, so it's not a problem. One thing I would do with your coop, is to build a hardware clothed screen door, like the one below, for it. Hook open the big door in the warmer months, and just use the screen door. That will help with summer heat, and ventilation.

So just having the front two windows open should/would be okay? They're on the east side of the coop, and not a lot of our winter storms come from the east, so it wouldn't get a huge draft anyway. I would probably open the back window on nicer days. But would that be enough ventilation just with the two windows?

I like the idea of the screen door inside the main door. I may have my husband look into building one. It would nice for during the day in the summers. Thanks for the tips!

 

[aart]

You should not have to cut any more holes in that coop. Depending on how many chickens you are putting in there, you should be able to just shut the back window. Air will not blast into the coop, because it will not have a clear path to do so. The front of my coop is wide open year round, and there is a 3X7' screened opening there. In the winter, I have had 30mph+ winds blow directly at the open front, and you go in there, and it's as still as sitting in your living room. The air has no path through, so it's not a problem. One thing I would do with your coop, is to build a hardware clothed screen door, like the one below, for it. Hook open the big door in the warmer months, and just use the screen door. That will help with summer heat, and ventilation.

Good point.