Coop outside the run

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torgrosset
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Coop outside the run

Post by torgrosset »

Hi, I'm new to this forum, so a BIG hello!

At the moment I have 4 ex-bats in a 12ft x 9ft walk in run with a 3ft square coop inside, but I find the coop seems to take up quite a bit of room and I wanted to give my girls a bit more space. Plus my girls are getting a bit elderly now, bless them, and I 'm thinking about getting a couple more later this year. I can't really extend the run (well I could, I have the room in my garden but hubby would flip!!!) so I was thinking of either putting the coop on legs so the chooks can go underneath or putting the coop on the outside of the run. Personally, I think I'd rather have the coop on the outside of the run, it'd make life much easier for me with cleaning it out and collecting eggs etc.

My only concern is how safe it'd be outside the run? I live in a village in a rural location. I haven't seen any foxes, but there must be some about. The coop itself is a traditional style wooden one, which is quite sturdy and if I put it on the outside of the run I was planning to put it on legs with a ramp down into the run. I wanted to know from people who have their coop on the outside of the run, how do you attach the coop to the run so it is safe? The thing I'm worried about is that if the coop is on the outside, would it make a natural "weak spot" where the pop hole would be? And would the coop itself be safe and secure? Any suggestions, comments or experiences, good or bad would be much appreciated. Thank you. Oh by the way, getting the coop out of the run would not be a problem!
Happy chooks :o)
ex-bats Roxy, Lulu, Mavis and Toffee
Twinkle-toes (RIP)

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jackian
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Re: Coop outside the run

Post by jackian »

First of all welcome to DTL )t' I have a Walk-in-Run about the same size as yours with a wooden coup inside...well two actually .
I also live in the countryside and have never seen a fox but always on the look out.(Also next doors dogs) My girls FR as much as i can allow when I am home and the reason for the run is more to keep them in and safe from creatures like foxes.
I reckon the coup is better on legs like mine are (also less bending when cleaning)or you could have the coup a short way away with a tunnel of wire leading in to the Walk-in-Run...A bit like the poor tunnels they come with that are always on runs when you buy them.
Thats all I can suggest but I am sure that someone else has better ones and will be along.
)piicy( we love photos and keep in touch .

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sarabee
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Re: Coop outside the run

Post by sarabee »

Hi
Our run is pretty much the same size, very slightly bigger, and the coop (on legs) is inside the run. The girls love sitting on the coop together and they seem fine for overall space. We had 4 big girls but sadly just lost one.
Sara

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Re: Coop outside the run

Post by davina112 »

My coup s on the outside of the run, but the run s not fox proof and my girls do free range a lot of the time. It is. Chance I take, so I guess it would be up to you really do you want the security of knowing they are safe inside. Putting the coupon legs inside would b a solution.
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Re: Coop outside the run

Post by Mrs B »

I have the plastic cube and it is pushed up against the run. I have seen a video of fox trying to get in (thanks Richard) but it failed. I think Little Brow Hen has her cube outside the run too.

If you are nervous would it be possible to make a removable safety cage around the coop? Although that could be nuisance when you need to collect the eggs.

My previous coop was a wooden wendy house and that was pushed against the run too, it was raised a little though.

I have urban foxes and they are not phased by humans so have no doubt been all over the runs and houses trying to find a way in.
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Re: Coop outside the run

Post by Wellington Boot »

My first thought was also, getting a coop with a run attached, and connecting this to you existing run. Although nothing is ever 100% fox proof, the commercial coop and run arrangements are designed with predators in mind, and you can always make them a bit more secure by adding extra bolts/latches and by putting paving slabs round the bottom. Maybe check out the chicken coop photo pages for some inspiration?

My run isn't the least bit secure, but I only use it in the same way that I let them FR (it's more a corner of the garden, to stop getting chicken poo every where, save my flower beds, and give the chickens somewhere to play without getting chased by my children) the rest of the time they are in the small (but extended) run that came with the coop, but they seem happy enough.

Nx
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Re: Coop outside the run

Post by bmpsands »

My run is just a bit bigger - possibly a couple of feet or so in both directions - and I have two coops inside it. One is on legs, which all 6 girls lay in but only 4 sleep in. All 6 also use it for shelter/shade. The other is just slightly raised off the floor. Because we thought this was a bit cramped, we have a permanently fenced off area into which the girls are allowed most of the time. The chap next door, retired builder but raised on a farm, thinks I'm bonkers for stressing so much about their environment. We have lots of "enrichment activities", branches, things hung up, stuff to scratch in and yet we still let them out into the rest of the garden at this time of year.

Four of our chooks were rehomed to us after their owner died. In their original run they had less space that in your set up, never got outside the run and had one branch to perch on. They were perfectly happy and I think that we give them so much extra freedom to make ourselves feel better. When the better weather comes we're extending "their" bit of the garden because they won't be able to FR once the veggie plot is planted up and the flower beds sorted out.
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torgrosset
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Re: Coop outside the run

Post by torgrosset »

Thanks for all of your replies. )t'
Having discussed this with hubby, we have decided to try making some sort of platform with legs so that the coop is raised off the ground. We're going to try this first and see how it goes. Hubby wants to try and keep his fence/run that he lovingly made in one piece rather than chop a hole in it so the coop can go on the outside! I'll keep you posted with any developments!
Happy chooks :o)
ex-bats Roxy, Lulu, Mavis and Toffee
Twinkle-toes (RIP)
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chicken_house_man
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Re: Coop outside the run

Post by chicken_house_man »

We've made quite a few runs where we raise the chicken house up inside to free up floor space.

The easiest way in my opinion is not to try and make a platform but just lift the coop up on a couple of timbers the width of the house. Screw a support either side attached to the inside of the run and then just lay 2 lengths of timber across and put the chicken house on top. The girls will love the extra perches you've created in the process and the whole job should only take a couple of minutes
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torgrosset
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Re: Coop outside the run

Post by torgrosset »

chicken_house_man, please could you elaborate more on how to raise our coop?!?! I'm not sure how I'd be able to attach it to the run without making moderations to it - my hubby made our run which has 6 posts sunk into the ground with concrete and wire around the outside. It's not posh by any means but an achievement for my no-very-DIY hubby!!! Plus it does it's job. Also, our coop doesn't have a floor, instead it has a slide out tray, which I don't actually use because when I slide it out all the bedding and muck gets stuck in the slot or gets scraped off in the process, so makes a right mess. I find it easier to clean my coop by removing one of the sides where an additional nest box could go. Anyway, I'm digressing, hubby is not sure how to raise it due to the coop not having a solid floor, hence him thinking of making a "table" or some sort of platform and using brackets to attach the coop to it. Obviously whatever he does it needs to be sturdy and safe. So if you could elaborate a bit more so I fully understand it'd be much appreciated, thanks.
Happy chooks :o)
ex-bats Roxy, Lulu, Mavis and Toffee
Twinkle-toes (RIP)
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chicken_house_man
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Re: Coop outside the run

Post by chicken_house_man »

Hi. As it happens we had chance to do this yesterday so i took some photos for you.
This literally took about 5 minutes and a couple of spare timbers. You'd probably want to add something for them to jump on between the floor and the house. It seems a shame to pay for a large run and then fill a quarter tof the floor space with a chicken coop.


You might need to repalce the floor if you don't have one.

Image

http://www.chicken-house.co.uk/wells-poultry-blog/chicken-coop-and-run-plus-chicken-run/

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urbanchicks
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Re: Coop outside the run

Post by urbanchicks »

Why would anyone not have a predator safe run?After All the recommendations and photos on this excellent website?

Maggie.
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Re: Coop outside the run

Post by Wellington Boot »

urbanchicks wrote:Why would anyone not have a predator safe run?After All the recommendations and photos on this excellent website?

Maggie.


Hi Maggie,

I guess keeping Chickens is a bit like keeping children, everyone has to find the way that works best for them. It's always hard to know where to draw the line between space/freedom and safety (with animals, and children). Personally, I let my Chickens FR a lot of the time, I know it's not the safest thing to do, but it gives them a better quality of life, so I make it as safe as I reasonably can and I am happy with my decision.

Obviously, I can only speak for myself, but I would rather them have a bigger space most of the time, and a smaller (but secure) run for the times when FR isn't possible, rather than keeping them in a small space all the time. If that makes sense? I think I am saying, that for me, the benefits of a larger space outweigh the risks.

Of course, some people hate the idea of free ranging, and prefer to keep their chickens in a smaller enclosure, and I think that's fine too. Some people maybe don't have the space, skills or cash to build a very large run, and again, I think that's OK too.

As long as the chickens are happy, and the owner is trying to take good care of them, I think that's OK.

Hope you don't mind me butting in, I just wanted to add my perpective (as someone who has spent many hours researching, and grappling with my decisions!)

Nx
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torgrosset
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Re: Coop outside the run

Post by torgrosset »

urbanchicks wrote:Why would anyone not have a predator safe run?After All the recommendations and photos on this excellent website?

Maggie.


Grrr un-called for comments like this make me quite cross - when have I said my run isn't safe from predators? I think it rather unfair to make a comment about my run when you know nothing about it. Ok my hubby built it himself and he's not the best at DIY but we researched the subject before buidling it and because we wanted a permanent structure, (hence why we sunk huge fence posts in the ground and concreted them in - this means that, unlike the ready-made runs) the posts are further apart. Unfortunately we simply don't have the funds to buy a lovely ready-made run so ours isn't as aesthetically pleasing, but what my girls have is a large size for 4 hens (plus they come out of the run if we're in the garden), it has 6ft+ sides (my hubby who is 6ft 3 can stand upright in it), it has double wire mesh around the bottom half of it and the wire mesh is bent out at a right angle around the bottom and then pinned down for extra security and the gate is also very sturdy and secure. The run as it stands at the moment is very secure, safe and as predator proof as it can be. My concerns are that IF we were to chop a hole in the mesh so the coop is on the outside, it COULD possibly create a weakened spot/area where a fox/badger or the likes would probably target (because the coop is more accessible being on the outside of the run). Besides we've decided against this idea now anyway.

chicken_house_man - thank you for posting a photo, it now makes complete sense what you have suggested! And I agree it would be the easiest option. Also, by doing it your way I don't think we'd need to replace the floor either as the coop already has supports running from front to back anyway. Hubby is now making plans to make some supports for the ends seeing as we don't have boards going around the endge of the run. Thank you very much.
Happy chooks :o)
ex-bats Roxy, Lulu, Mavis and Toffee
Twinkle-toes (RIP)
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