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greenmtnfiddler t1_j5lg1gj wrote

Reply to comment by Dr_JackMeoff in Have had a visitor the last couple of nights. Seems that he really enjoys the local bunny population. by Dr_JackMeoff

You only need to worry about one thing: building the correct structure the first time.

Solid night coop, no cracks, weasel-proof wire on all outlets, 3 feet per bird minimum, so say 8-12 birds in a coop made on a 4x8 base.

Outside roofed-over day run, hawk/coyote-proof, can be lightweight with very open wire, just make sure it goes down into the ground.

Be faithful about when you let them in/out.

Free-range when the timing is right - when there's enough human activity to keep foxes away, when the sun is out -- hawks will hunt on overcast days when they don't flash a shadow for warning.

There's still going to be a nature-tax to pay, you will lose a few birds to your own learning curve and theirs, but in general you can keep a flock safe and happy, you just have to be realistic.

Adjust this plan to slightly-more-relaxed if you're around more people; add in more precautions like electrified wires at night if you live further out in the boonies. Everybody loves the taste of chicken, and putting your coop ten feet from the puckerbrush is more or less setting out a buffet. :)

But don't let this dissuade you! It's worth it. Chickens are cool. :)

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Dr_JackMeoff OP t1_j5li04g wrote

Thanks for that, very helpful. How do you keep their water from freezing in Winter? (If I built a coop it'd be in the corner of our yard, not close to electricity) Run a long extension cord? haha

Yeah I bet!

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anothervtcouple t1_j5ls6s3 wrote

I dug a 4-5’ deep hole in our run and put a small piece of plywood over it with a 5” hole in the center to place our water dispenser over. It keeps it from freezing most days, when it gets closer to 0 it doesn’t help though.

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SilverKelpie t1_j5r5fid wrote

I just set water out for them in the AM every day, but there are heated waterers.

I want to add, when you use the hardware cloth (Not chicken wire) to enclose your run, lay some of it under/around the edges flat on the ground. Bury it if you are motivated (or just let grass grow over time and sink it into the ground). Foils the digging predators.

Also be careful if you use heat lamps. Their benefits are debatable (I don’t use them), but the yearly incidents of people‘s coops burning down are not.

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syphax t1_j5on73b wrote

Very good advice. My only comment is that we have lost a bird or two with people outside- I walked to the far side of the house for a couple mins and a coyote got one. And we also had a hawk attack under similar circumstances, but that bird survived (long story)!

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