We got a coop and run built by Bill Finnigan of "For the Birds Custom Chicken Coops." It is beautiful, functional, and completely predator safe.
Here's the site our gardener prepared before the coop was built. Bill said this was the best ground prep he had seen.
Both the coop and run are roofed and have double main doors in case I want to change the location later. The entire run is protected by 1/2" hardware cloth in addition to 2" x 4" welded wire. The three coop windows are covered with plexiglass, which can be opened for additional ventilation. Eggs can be collected from the outside.
My chickens are happy, and my husband and I, relieved. Our dog Shiro is thrilled to reclaim his backyard.
Last night, I checked inside the coop around 9 p.m. with a flashlight. My chickens had chosen different spots. One was roosting, two were side by side on the pine shavings on the floor, and another two were together in one nest box. This evening, all were roosting, except one that had chosen to sit in a nest.
My next plan is to add an extension to the run!
