Thanks for the pictures, they are growing! Perhaps an Australorp, I am going with Wild Raptors perched in a tree, in their native habitat, waiting to hunt something!
Thanks for the pictures, they are growing! Perhaps an Australorp, I am going with Wild Raptors perched in a tree, in their native habitat, waiting to hunt something!
Gonna put the chicks out in the coop tomorrow. They are almost 5 weeks old and are outgrowing the 4x8 pen in the sun room. Looks like we ended up 14 girls and one roo! Lucky boy!! One of my grandsons chose the BO chick as "his" chicken when we first got them soooooo...I guess I'm going to have to deal with a roo! I have been paying special attention to him to get on his good side. So far he seems to like me. Been working on the coop and the runs for a couple of weeks and will post some pics soon. Going to have the 6 grandchildren carry the chicks/raptors to the coop one by one tomorrow. Should be a good day!!
Didn't get any photos of the "parade" it started without my being notified. LOL. Took some photos inside and around the coop. Still a work in progress. They don't have access to the runs as of yet I'm almost done with the tunnels and need to add the wire mesh and some more dirt to the runs.
I attached the hardware cloth on the inside of the coop with screws and washers and "J" clips. I cut the mesh an inch larger than each opening and made a flange and screwed it in with 1" truss screws and washers. The mesh is attached to the 1x2 14 gauge wire that was already around the bottom of the coop. I bought a 48"x100' roll of 1/2x1/2 16 gauge black pvc coated wire to put around the lower half of the runs.
So you're saying there is a double run of hardware cloth on the bottom? What got my attention was if there are any long runs and no attachment in the center. Call me paranoid but after a raccoon attack I see long runs with no attachment as a chance of one pulling that wire far enough to allow access to the coop.
It sounds like you're just as predator paranoid as I am.
So you're saying there is a double run of hardware cloth on the bottom? What got my attention was if there are any long runs and no attachment in the center. Call me paranoid but after a raccoon attack I see long runs with no attachment as a chance of one pulling that wire far enough to allow access to the coop.
It sounds like you're just as predator paranoid as I am.
Yes the coop was made with 1"x2" 14 gauge wire that was attached from the outside. I tried to pull it off and it would not budge I would need tools to remove it. I added the mesh to the inside so it can't be pulled out. I have also started to add screws and washers to the outside wire just in case the predators have crowbars and hammers. I have gone outside the last 2 nights on patrol with a 12 gauge Mossberg Shockwave several times. I also set up a field camera to get an idea of when the predators are lurking. My neighbors on both sides have dogs that are "barkers" so I'm always paranoid when they don't shut up.
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