I made a few minor changes to our coop before the pullets move in. It is nothing too big. Just a couple of improvements to accommodate our Pacific Northwest environment.
Predator proofing:
We've seen the occasional raccoon in our yard. In our old neighborhood I saw coyotes. We have a 6 foot fence. That's excellent for keeping chickens in, but not much out.
Our coop came with poultry mesh installed. I don't think that would stop anything larger than a determined sparrow. Also rats could just climb through. So I added a layer of hardware cloth.
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| I was originally going to remove the chicken wire, but it was installed really well. |
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| Kaylee helps out. |
Our coop is mobile and sits about an inch off the ground. In order to seal that area, and to discourage digging predators, I added a skirt of hardware cloth. I'll stake it down each day when I move the coop.
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| Skirt staked down |
Rain protection:
I originally thought that I would add some rain gutters to increase the covered area of the run. I realized later that I'd need gutters about 10 inches wide to make any difference. Soon after that, while I was installing the skirt, I got caught in a sudden downpour. I found that rain doesn't always fall down in a straight path.
So I bought 25 feet of greenhouse fabric. I made two tarps. I added three grommets to each. Then I attached them to the two sides of our run. It turned out to be a bit more work than I expected. But they make for a cozy coop. When the sun is shining, I keep them rolled up and tied like the rain fly of a tent.
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| Inside |
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| Rain fly down |
We're now as ready as we'll ever be!
