Newbie looking for suggestions

[gomummygo]

Years on MN but never been on this topic before, hoping you'll all share with me your coop suggestions?

I have six ladies arriving in two months and need to build a coop and run! I'm in Canada so it will be insulated and have a snow fence around the run. We grow most of our food, so I can't let them free range as our garden is a necessity I cannot risk having munched on! :) Often see he who shall not be named in the back yard during breakfast, so needs to be well secured.

I can build it but I'm not at all creative, iykwim. It's going to be very visible so needs to be attractive as well as functional. Have seen lots of plans online but I'm really more interested in what "works" and what doesn't. If you had to build yours over, what would you keep and what would you do differently?

All suggestions greatly appreciated! TIA :)

My husband built ours and made sure that the footings were deep enough so mr fox could no dig underneath also double wired, we had the nest area at standing level so cleaning and collection of eggs was easy! Plus if mr fox got in he couldnt get up to them, i hope lol Keep everything at walk in height and we also had a large run area so we could let them into that, as for pretty just have some hooks for hanging baskets poss tomatoes or whatever. Can't say more then that really but the more practical the better! Good luck

Thanks Chirpy! Can I ask how deep is "deep enough" that HE cannot get under? Love the idea of having things at standing height, hadn't even thought of that. Will definitely add some hooks as well.

Just asked him and he said a foot and a half. It is so much easier having things at waist hight plus washing down the slabbed area helps with the smells

Ooh, good thing I asked, definitely wouldn't have known to go down that far!

Have changed our design to be raised another 18", DH thinks that's a fab idea as well (he hates bending down for stuff!). Greatly appreciated! :)

12 inches deep for a fence will usually deter a fox. But a determined dog will be able to eventually fight its way through a lightweight fence.

Always build your coop on legs high enough to allow chickens to walk under ? otherwise rats will be tempted to burrow and nest underneath.

If you get rat burrows in Canada just pour water down them in the winter ? it is easy to identify which ones are being lived in.

Ack, just lost my whole post!

I hadn't thought about the dogs - we do have large neighboring dogs who frequently try to access our garbage, so this is a possibility. Do you mean that a dog would actually dig under a 12" fence?

Was planning to raise the coop 16-18" (ground not entirely level), is that too high/low for them to walk under happily?

We do have rat burrows in Canada (though not actually here...yet...!), great tip on the water, thanks!

A determined medium weight dog will simply tear away at its head height with its front paws to get in at chickens. They are a tempting target. 18 inches high is probably best to give chickens some head clearance under the coop. Always give them the option of a roosting bar/perch, most will use it but not all. And mix some anti-mite dust from time to time with the wood chippings or whatever bedding you will be using. The chickens will need a dust down also about twice a season with the dust.

Good to know about the dogs! I wonder how on earth I'll keep the neighbour's big beasts away...

I was going to use straw for bedding as I have it and figured I could then compost it and throw it on the gardens after. I have a couple of small fallen trees that I was going to cut up for roosts.

I'm also wondering how big the coop should be? I've seen many different comments on space per hen, but am confused. Is it space per bird in the coop? Or is the run part of this calculation?

Our local feed store has told me not to make the coop any bigger than it needs to be for the number of hens we are having, as it will warmer in our winters if it is smaller, (does that make sense?) but didn't actually tell me how many square feet per bird?

Our run will be quite long and wide but only about 3 feet high, but I don't know if they'll go out in the winter or not, iykwim.

it will be warmer, sorry!

The thicker the fencing wire the tougher it will be for dogs to break.
Straw is fine for bedding. (Still throw in some anti-mite dust.)

The idea of a perch is that their feet are designed to grip on a perch ? and for many (not all) it is an instinct to perch up off the ground at night.

Space per bird ? don?t be too mean ? on very cold days they will spend all day indoors. They won?t like snow ? simply too cold on the feet. And at night either on their perch or on the floor of the coup they will sensibly huddle up close together for warmth.

Have fun ? they are all characters and some of them are far more intelligent than humans ever give them credit for being.

Thanks! :) We are really looking forward to them and I think DS will adore them. Hope the cats feel the same, lol!

Agree on intelligence maree1. One of our chickens seeks us out when we are in the garden and loves a fuss! They are great fun!