Would like input on a coop & run/corral design

[Bobbelcher1316]

Hi! My two cents:
Having observed my birds in general, hopping a fence to get onto the patio is quite different from either wanting to roost on a wire fence (yes I've had birds do that!) or spooking and incidentally clearing 4 ft in the process. If the RIR are older, maybe they'd be less likely to clear the 4 ft, but any younger birds probably would, even if it's a large area. Even a 5 ft fence would prevent most of the birds I've had from accidentally clearing 4 ft if startled, and this has included leghorns and andalusians as well as various dual purpose and sex links.
As for the partitioning part of the big barn to use for the chickens, was that area to be enclosed in hardware cloth, wire, or walled off? sorry I missed that part. I've brooded small numbers in a shed for very few weeks, and even though I tarped off the area, many belongings were covered in dust.

I've had these chickens perch on the rafters of this animal barn already. The previous owners just let them free range everywhere and they would come and go into the animal barn. Many times just living in the animal barn. So I'm well aware they can fly over a 4 foot fence. I think 8 feet would still be iffy for some of these birds.

My thoughts on the 4 foot fence. Given more than enough room to range and keeping them in the pasture field, they might occasionally fly over the 4 foot fence but I'd assume it's like the patio fence and they will run the fence line trying to get to the other side. I know it won't keep them in 100 percent of the time but most the time? Occasional escapee? Or will I be adding another couple feet to the top of the 4 foot fence?

Yes my intention is to build a wooden enclosure covered in wire mesh as indicated in the one pic with drawings on it basically making a 12 x 16 box in the one corner of the barn. Isolating that section but only with wire mesh. I know the entire barn will be dirty but honestly it is already. It's an animal barn. I don't use it for anything. So I'm okay if the barn gets dusty from the chickens in the corner. Who knows. Maybe at one point I'll have to convert the entire barn into a coop due to the amount of chickens I have lol.

 

[RojoMarz]

So I'm struggling with this run idea for sure. So forgive me on my ignorance here. But let's say that run is 8 feet tall, 8 feet wide and 40 feet long. You're saying to add a door big enough for me to get inside, closer to the barn. Is this door also how they will get out of the run and into the pasture? Should I add a small door down low for them to get in and out? My thoughts here are I'm not home all day. So the coop had a auto door to open at sunrise and close at sunset. So I'd like them to be able to leave the coop and go to the run. But also be able to leave the run to free range in the pasture. Basically the run would just be an area to protect them from hawks or large predators. But smaller predators could still get into the small doors they access the pasture with. If that makes any sense?

Forgive me if I'm misinterpreting, but I gather these chickens are not "pets", but more of "working animals" (which is what mine are) and that if a loss happens, you will deal with it and move on, but not be devastated. If that is the case, perhaps a man size opening w/o gate, up by the coop would be sufficient. It seems like it would be more convenient for the humans to have it there, instead of at the original location mentioned. I do think a man gate would be useful. There may be some times that the chickens need to be contained in the smaller run.

My setup is coop with automatic pop door, that opens to run (12x20). Last year we added on a new run (20x20). There is a man gate between small run and large run, that I leave proped open during the day. But, if needed, I can not let the chickens into the larger run. I had to do that this week. The snow slid off the smaller run's roof and into the larger run. The larger run had bird netting covering it. The bird netting was ripped down because of the snow load.

 

[Bobbelcher1316]

Forgive me if I'm misinterpreting, but I gather these chickens are not "pets", but more of "working animals" (which is what mine are) and that if a loss happens, you will deal with it and move on, but not be devastated. If that is the case, perhaps a man size opening w/o gate, up by the coop would be sufficient. It seems like it would be more convenient for the humans to have it there, instead of at the original location mentioned. I do think a man gate would be useful. There may be some times that the chickens need to be contained in the smaller run.

My setup is coop with automatic pop door, that opens to run (12x20). Last year we added on a new run (20x20). There is a man gate between small run and large run, that I leave proped open during the day. But, if needed, I can not let the chickens into the larger run. I had to do that this week. The snow slid off the smaller run's roof and into the larger run. The larger run had bird netting covering it. The bird netting was ripped down because of the snow load.

U are correct. They are working animals. But the Mrs thinks differently and no one likes to lose a chicken. When I talked to the Mrs about what to do for this run. Her comment was something like what if one gets out? I said these birds ran around here all year without a covered run. She said yeah I guess. And I said let's be honest, at some point the cost of the coop and runs outweighs the benefits. Chickens are cheeeeaaaap to replace. Can buy a new one for a few bucks. Doesn't mean I wanna see one of the ladies die or be attacked. And I will take reasonable precautions to prevent that.

I actually like that idea. A man gate that can be opened most the time but if I need to clean their coop I can put them in the run while I do that. I like it. Thanks for the help!

 

[3KillerBs]

My question on the run is this. Is it just open on one end? I'm picturing the door opening and the chickens running out the door into the run. That run could in theory be 40 feet long but at the end of the 40 feet, there just be an opening that leads out into the pasture.

You'd want fence on all 4 sides of the run with a gate for you to access in a convenient place and one or more pop doors for the chickens in places that seem appropriate based on your setup.

But let's say that run is 8 feet tall, 8 feet wide and 40 feet long.

If your space permits it, a squarer run is usually better than a long, skinny run. It's more efficient use of materials to enclose the same space and it's better from a flock behavior standpoint because subordinate birds can pass dominant birds at a respectful distance whereas in a narrow run a dominant bird can hog a space and refuse to allow the low-level bird to access the territory.

So I'm well aware they can fly over a 4 foot fence. I think 8 feet would still be iffy for some of these birds.

The usual way to home chickens to a new facility is to lock them in for several days to a week so that they learn to go home there. In your case, I'd shut them into the barn coop for a week and then into the coop-and-run for a week and only then let them out to range.

Additionally, you can clip one wing on each bird to prevent them from flying well. By the time they molt they'll be used to not flying and stop trying as often.

 

[Bobbelcher1316]

You'd want fence on all 4 sides of the run with a gate for you to access in a convenient place and one or more pop doors for the chickens in places that seem appropriate based on your setup.



If your space permits it, a squarer run is usually better than a long, skinny run. It's more efficient use of materials to enclose the same space and it's better from a flock behavior standpoint because subordinate birds can pass dominant birds at a respectful distance whereas in a narrow run a dominant bird can hog a space and refuse to allow the low-level bird to access the territory.



The usual way to home chickens to a new facility is to lock them in for several days to a week so that they learn to go home there. In your case, I'd shut them into the barn coop for a week and then into the coop-and-run for a week and only then let them out to range.

Additionally, you can clip one wing on each bird to prevent them from flying well. By the time they molt they'll be used to not flying and stop trying as often.

Thanks, I could make the run as wide as the building is (24 foot). My original intent was to create a 20 x 40 run. but if i am going to be letting them roam the pasture i want to make the run smaller than that. maybe around 20 x 20. As I am going to have several hundred dollars fencing in the entire pasture, I would think the run wouldn't need to be as big.

I could add pop doors on 3 sides for sure. that shouldn't be a problem. and would give them a access from more than one place.

The previous owners didn't clean the chicken coop very often it doesn't seem. When I moved in it was the first thing i did when the weather broke was gut the coop and rearrange things a bit. I spent a full day cleaning all the old bedding out and scraping and wiping all the walls and ceilings down. Then the chickens didn't want to go back in there! I had to catch them and physically put them into the coop and lock them in there for a week. So i figured I would have to do the same thing with the chickens in the new barn coop and the run. But i like your idea of a week in the coop, a week in the coop and run and then letting them into the pasture.

I haven't clipped any wings. is that hard to do? I will have to look it up and see the procedure for that.

 

[3KillerBs]

Yes, chickens hate change.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ings-of-your-chicken-to-prevent-flight.47727/

The only tricky thing with wing clipping is if the birds have any blood feathers -- immature feathers that still have blood in the shaft. Don't cut those.

If you do accidentally cut one you need to pull it out and put pressure on the follicle to stop the bleeding. It won't stop bleeding if you don't pull it out.

 

[Sono]

Thank you for all the info. I will try my best to answer and have some questions.

1st question is you say 15 sq feet of ventilation. What do you mean by that?

Also to update I talked to the Mrs and she likes the idea of fencing in the entire acre of pasture and adding a run inside it to give them protection but also be able to roam free over the acre of pasture. This would be a 4 foot tall 2x4 wire mesh fence all the way on the outside.

The run I'm not sure what to do for that now that we want to give them the entire pasture to free range. I'd assume it wouldn't need to be very large. The barn coop will be 12 x 16 so plenty of room for our current hens and room to grow a little and if we needed too, we can expand into the barn if we ever got larger.

I do not plan on having any of the fencing electric.

Not having the roosts higher than the nesting box is my problem then. Because of the low ceiling height of my current coop, the nesting boxes are up higher and there isn't a lot of roost area above it. This will get fixed with the barn coop for sure.

The perimeter fencing in the pasture would be 2x4 welded wire fencing. The run I'm completely lost on what to do now that we are going to give them the pasture to free range.

I told the Mrs that we might have an escapee here or there with only a 4 foot tall fence but we had a 42 inch tall fence and only 2 made it inside. If a random bird makes it outside the perimeter from time to time that won't be the end of the world.

See attached pics of the inside. Sorry for the very crude doodles of my plans for the inside.

clip left flight wings on half and right flight wings on the other half. Reason for this is, they cant actually fly to get over the fence BUT it scatters them when a predator does by chance get to them,,,,

 

[Bobbelcher1316]

So I have been working on this project a bit. The coop is almost complete. Starting on the run and fenced area this weekend.

Pictures are of the coop. It's 12 foot x 16 foot. Cement floor that will end up with 3 or 4 inches of sand on top of it.

Hardware cloth enclosed on the front and side. A wire mesh fence on the roof. This is just to keep them from flying into the rafters and getting out. This coop probably didn't need hardware cloth as it's inside a barn but better safe than sorry. I could have probably used the much cheaper mesh fencing for the side walls and been okay. But I only wanted to do this once. On the wire cloth side closest to the far wall I plan on adding a coop box for any mom's and chicks to live in until they can move to the full coop. My old coop has this and it was nice to be able to give the mom's and chicks some space of their own.

I didn't take any pics but on the 16 foot outside wall I have a 16 foot long 2x6 running flat the entire length for the chickens to perch on. And 2 foot wide poop board trays under the perch pole to catch their poop with a place for sand or coop refresh.

I'll update with more pics as I get more done. Including using old plastic shutters shown in the last pic that I'm using as a ramp for the chickens to walk up to their perch.

 

[3KillerBs]

So I have been working on this project a bit. The coop is almost complete. Starting on the run and fenced area this weekend.

Pictures are of the coop. It's 12 foot x 16 foot. Cement floor that will end up with 3 or 4 inches of sand on top of it.

Hardware cloth enclosed on the front and side. A wire mesh fence on the roof. This is just to keep them from flying into the rafters and getting out. This coop probably didn't need hardware cloth as it's inside a barn but better safe than sorry. I could have probably used the much cheaper mesh fencing for the side walls and been okay. But I only wanted to do this once. On the wire cloth side closest to the far wall I plan on adding a coop box for any mom's and chicks to live in until they can move to the full coop. My old coop has this and it was nice to be able to give the mom's and chicks some space of their own.

I didn't take any pics but on the 16 foot outside wall I have a 16 foot long 2x6 running flat the entire length for the chickens to perch on. And 2 foot wide poop board trays under the perch pole to catch their poop with a place for sand or coop refresh.

I'll update with more pics as I get more done. Including using old plastic shutters shown in the last pic that I'm using as a ramp for the chickens to walk up to their perch.

View attachment 3050953View attachment 3050954View attachment 3050956

Looks wonderful!

 

[Bobbelcher1316]

Looks wonderful!

Thanks. Still have a lot to do with the enclosed run and open fenced in area. Just need the weather to cooperate for the outside stuff.

Love that I can walk in this and not hit my head on everything. My current coop is 6ft at the highest point and angles down to like 4 feet. I'm 6'5" tall.