Hey Matt, I have a question for you... How do you keep squirrels out of your chicken food? I have a similar set up to yours... Henhouse with a small enclosed run, inside a larger open run. Food is inside the closed run, but the door is open during the day. I've had squirrels get in to take food, and they have scared the dickens out of a couple of my hens while they were either heading to the laying box or leaving it. Its quite the ruckus. I have an automatic feeder, too, but the ladies can get messy from time to time, dropping food onto the floor.

Any suggestions much appreciated!

Thanks LKShepherd! I do have concrete wire under the rocks wherever I couldn't bury it straight down a foot. If your looking to add a lot of greens for your girls, you may want to consider Matt's grazing frame set up. My girls have absolutely decimated every green thing they can get their beaks on! They eat much faster than plants grow!

How many squirrels are we talking about? If it is one or two I would say get a BB gun and kill them. I do not like killing on the norm but if something is messing with my food or my pets I will do what I have to do.

Squirrels can really mess things up! Not only that they are very smart so it is going to be hard to stop them:(


LKShepherd, here are some videos of my grazing frames:) I do think they would come in handy for that awesome run you have. Your girls will have fresh greens daily!


How I made mine:



First growth coming in:



Chicken eating off the frames:



Chicks eating out of frame and maybe adding a bug zapper for them to have meat too:



Planting my grazing frame the easy way:



Here is a playlist of all my grazing frame videos I made so far:) www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvauaFZJqCU8ZWgahnGRD77FOREi6NZSs

Matt

Funny you guys mention the grazing boxes and the bug zapper... I mention those additions I plan to do in the video Matt I think I must had been at your Youtube channel cause I remember seeing those videos before as well and getting these ideas! LOL

Thanks so much. I try and work on the coop on my days off, so my next day off (Sun), I think I'll work on making 1 or 2 grazing boxes. Probably 2 so that I can rotate them around the coop as as one grows, I can have fresh greens in the other one. I already own a bug zapper.. just need to add it to the run now

No problem at all:) With frames the size of mine your girls will eat it all in one day but it will keep growing as long as you keep it watered!

I ordered my 1st set of hens through Ideal... they are to be shipped on Aug 20th! Getting a bit excited I'll post more videos as I continue

In the meantime, I fixed the air flow issue with my watering system. I altered the piping I was using to close the jug taking the cap off, and replacing it with an elbow. Then I cemented a piece of screen inside. I did this to help reduce the chances of dust, dirt and bugs from getting into the water! Now I have no flow pressure issues

Good job:) Since your chicks will be coming soon I would make sure to get some electrolytes just in case they come and are dehydrated.

Thanks Matt... I went out and got some yesterday at your suggestion.... I also went into PANIC MODE yesterday....

WHY? You ask... Well, I thought I was doing so well... being new to all this, did my research & got ideas from everything I could find on the web... even did blueprints and made my 1st very own chicken coop.... So pleased with myself, I even posted a video showing it off.(as you already know).... I placed a brooder ("The Isolation Ward" as I like to call it) in the coop to bring new chicks into the coop & get them use to the flock that would be in there (thinking into the future). I thought I had it all worked out... planned and I was all ready to get my new chicks (keeping in mind this is the 1st time I will be a chicken owner & the primary care taker of these little feathered friends, however not a complete stranger to chickens cause my parents had them as I grew up).

Soooo all good... even went online looking at local breeders, and eventually someone had told me about Ideal and their "Surprise Special" that only has pullets in them (currently not looking for any roosters cause I am not knowledgeable enough to breed; even by accident if possible).

So yesterday I was sitting around, reading the forums thinking about how my chicks will be shipped on the 20th (tomorrow) and I will have them here at the end of the week - even called the post office to make sure they had my contact information and aware of the fact I had livestock coming in.... I was ready... SO I THOUGHT.... where am I going to place these brand new spankin chicks while they are to little to go into my coop & make sure they have the heat, water and food they need... I HAVE NO BROODER for inside my house.... OMG!! PANIC MODE......

So I ran outside, looked to see if I had anything to put these chicks in... (old dog kennels - anything) and although I do have an old 100 gal fish tank, old rabbit cage and even totes... I didn't want to use these items - so I gathered all the supplies I had left over from making my run and coop and came up with this...

I have to say I am VERY pleased how it turned out - I started the project at about 3pm and was done by 11pm Only thing I went out and bought was the hinges and latch! My chicks will have a safe place when they arrive at the end of the week I can now relax and wait

Ha ha ha!! It happens my friend:) Funny little story and an awesome brooder you have there.

Things you will need:

1. You little perch. (For there play time.)
2. A waterer. (See my video below.)
3. A feeder. (You can see mine in the video below as well.)

Love your coop!