First Coop and Run Build

[wilsonnickp]

Hey everyone!

My dad and I recently built my first coop and run. We built it over 3 or 4 Saturdays when he could drive down and help and I have been basically constantly working on it since. Well actually, I acquired and reused the coop and we built a run around it. We have no experience building anything like this and basically made it up as we went (after research on this site, of course). We drew up plans, but fairly quickly made pretty big changes that rendered the plans useless. On of the main differences is the height. I had not planned on it being so tall, but I wanted the roof to slope and then meet the exiting roof on the coop, plus the ground is sloping a considerable amount, so the front of the run ended up being almost 12 feet tall. I had 7 Silkie chicks in the brooder and had to finish the coop and run in time for them to move out. The chickens moved in before I was completely done, but it is still coming along.

The coop itself has a perch and several nesting boxes inside and I can access the inside via a full-length door that is on the back in addition to the front door the chickens use via a ramp (also reused - it was a ramp for my dad's dog who passed away last year).

The main improvement I still need to make is the roof. I currently have it covered by a tarp, but I plan to add corrugated plastic roofing that will allow sunlight through, but no rain.

I also need a solution to prevent them from filling their food and water with the bedding and I would love it if I could keep the bedding from going through the hardware cloth into the mulch outside the run but I don't want anything to prevent seeing in and out of the run at the bottom. Before I finished it, I had cinder blocks in the corner where there was a gap to prevent them getting out and I found that I could see them from other places on the property, which I didn't like. I have since finished the skirt around the run, so I could remove the blocks.

Another interesting thing I have noticed is that they go up and down the ramp in and out of the coop during the day, but when the sun starts to go down, they all huddle in the front left corner of the run together. I'm not sure if they will eventually learn to go into the coop on their own or not, but as of now, I put each of them into the coop at night and close the door.

They have a dust bath under the coop with they seem to like as well as two "swings" and a perch in the corner of the run, but they don't use them at all yet.

I also have 2 goats and 2 dogs and haven't had predator issues yet, but I did have a skunk walk up to the run while I was in it in the middle of the day. I scared it off and haven't seen, heard or smelled evidence of any other visitors. I do see hawks and buzzards often, but the chickens are well protect from aerial predators in the run.

It's been a blast and I've loved learning as I go. The chickens seem happy and safe with is my main concern and I am constantly trying to think of ways to improve the set up.

 

[Sally PB]

Welcome! Thank you for putting your location in your profile!

Since you're in GA, heat and humidity will be more of a concern for you than cold.

I plan to add corrugated plastic roofing that will allow sunlight through, but no rain

I think you might end up with a very hot run. You might want to consider a solid opaque roof to BLOCK the sun. Chickens need shade in the summer. Are there trees near by that will provide some shade?

I also need a solution to prevent them from filling their food and water with the bedding and I would love it if I could keep the bedding from going through the hardware cloth into the mulch outside the run but I don't want anything to prevent seeing in and out of the run at the bottom

A short solid wall around the perimeter of the run would help keep the bedding contained. That might be a better use for the plastic roofing.

Most of the bedding that chickens fling around goes only about 5-6 inches up. I have the feed bowl on a cinder block, and I put it inside a Rubbermaid container. That keeps most of the flung stuff out of the feed. A nipple waterer will not collect stuff if you get either a horizontal or vertical one. The kind with the little red cups still collect stuff. Ask me how I know this.

It's been a blast and I've loved learning as I go. The chickens seem happy and safe

That means you did a good job.

 

[wilsonnickp]

Welcome! Thank you for putting your location in your profile!

Since you're in GA, heat and humidity will be more of a concern for you than cold.

I think you might end up with a very hot run. You might want to consider a solid opaque roof to BLOCK the sun. Chickens need shade in the summer. Are there trees near by that will provide some shade?


A short solid wall around the perimeter of the run would help keep the bedding contained. That might be a better use for the plastic roofing.

Most of the bedding that chickens fling around goes only about 5-6 inches up. I have the feed bowl on a cinder block, and I put it inside a Rubbermaid container. That keeps most of the flung stuff out of the feed. A nipple waterer will not collect stuff if you get either a horizontal or vertical one. The kind with the little red cups still collect stuff. Ask me how I know this.


That means you did a good job.

Thank you so much! I have been concerned about the heat with a clear roof. There will be shade under the coop itself, but that may not be enough room, so an opaque roof may be the better option.

The clear plastic border around the bottom is a good idea too. I am going to work on that this weekend.

I appreciate the feedback!

 

[Sally PB]

You're welcome!

I have been concerned about the heat with a clear roof. There will be shade under the coop itself, but that may not be enough room, so an opaque roof may be the better option.

It will definitely add some shade if the roof is opaque, and that's a good thing in the summer. Are you leaving the walls open? That will really help with air flow to keep the temp down. By open, I mean just covered with hardware cloth.

In the winter, you can cover the wall that gets the prevailing wind with some clear plastic, if it gets cold. I put clear shower curtains on the west side of my run, with a couple feet wrapped around the north and south corners. That way, the chickens could be out of any wind/rain/snow, but the run still had a lot of air flow and ventilation. You probably wouldn't need to go all the way up to the roof; 4-6 feet would be plenty.

 

[wilsonnickp]

You're welcome!

It will definitely add some shade if the roof is opaque, and that's a good thing in the summer. Are you leaving the walls open? That will really help with air flow to keep the temp down. By open, I mean just covered with hardware cloth.

In the winter, you can cover the wall that gets the prevailing wind with some clear plastic, if it gets cold. I put clear shower curtains on the west side of my run, with a couple feet wrapped around the north and south corners. That way, the chickens could be out of any wind/rain/snow, but the run still had a lot of air flow and ventilation. You probably wouldn't need to go all the way up to the roof; 4-6 feet would be plenty.

Thanks, Sally! Yes, I plan to leave the walls open in the summer. You are right, its very well ventilated and probably wouldn't get extremely hot, but I may go with the opaque roof just in case.

The wind really isn't too bad as there are trees breaking the wind about 10 yards away (the trees also provide some shade towards the end of the day), but I have thought about either a permanent or temporary wall as a type of wind break. I have considered a vertical garden on the outside of one wall that could serve that purpose. I would build it so the chickens could not get to whatever was growing.

 

[3KillerBs]

The main improvement I still need to make is the roof. I currently have it covered by a tarp, but I plan to add corrugated plastic roofing that will allow sunlight through, but no rain.

Since you're in Georgia you absolutely DO NOT want a clear roof -- it would turn the place into a solar oven.

You also won't need to block the sides of the run for what we southeasterners consider winter. Just give them a few straw bales as wind baffles. Here's my thread on prepping for a central North Carolina winter. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/winterizing-coop-and-pen-nc-sandhills-version.1431885/