We've Been Had.

[AllisonD]

Melinda: Thanks for those tips! I may not be able to have a new coop done by the summer, and the girls will be ready to be out by then. Maybe with the dividers removed and a proper roost, they can at least stay there until they're too big for the confounded thing.

 

[egar1861]

If someone charged your friend 300 bucks for that then shame on them.... sounds like there are more than one type of predator outside the chicken coop. Put you some wheels on the back and it you will have a good moveable coop. You can start with what you have and do a few modifications and it should work well to suit your needs. Good luck with your new flock!

 

[nurse_turtle]

I agree with your plan to remove the coop area altogether and use it as a run to a new shelter. Chicken keeping is a huge 'live and learn' experience. When it's all said and done, you'll be glad you did it.

 

[AllisonD]

Nurse_turtle: Oh, I don't regret getting started in chicken husbandry at all! I love our little chicks (three Barred Rocks and one "Ameracauna" that I suspect is actually an Easter Egger), but I do wish my pal had got in touch with me before buying this thing. Oh well.

 

[COUNTRYBOI]

honestly I wouldn't put hardware cloth on anything I cared about

 

[AllisonD]

Countryboi; why's that? I had been led to believe that it's a pretty good choice for predator-proof screening, and I'm interested to know why you wouldn't use it.

 

[2Old2Crow]

Yeah, like the others said. Sorry about that.

 

[COUNTRYBOI]

Countryboi; why's that? I had been led to believe that it's a pretty good choice for predator-proof screening, and I'm interested to know why you wouldn't use it.

I've seen possum chew right through it and poultry wire unless you get the heavy gauge stuff that and if touches the ground it'll rot in just a few weeks I mean do what you do but I live in the country and seen coyotes tear through some stuff... I'll take pictures and put on here show you what I mean .. if you can take a broom hand a put your weight in and tear it I personally would not use it we've done it I used it for floor wire in quail cages and brooder and it sag's bad choices on my part but it was cheaper ......

 

[AllisonD]

So what would you suggest instead?

 

[COUNTRYBOI]

rusted out in 6 months between critters and rust had to put boards up around this pen was built out of an old tobacco scaffle
tractor another tractor.... this type probably my favorite and fairly simple to build