What makes a chicken coop easy to live with?

[pbfhpunk]

My cube arrives on the 14th April and hopefully will be getting chickens the weekend after.

 

This is my garden

 

You can't see to well but the area on the left in front of the fence where all the leaves are is mud and the initital plan was to have the cube there half on the mud and half on the grass with aubiose or hemcore all over the base so there's plenty for them to scratc hin and also worms and stuff for them to pic up and make a little dustbath for themselves.

 

Since the clip was taken we've had it all rotivated and there is now quite a deep 'dip' between the mud and grass and so I'm not sure how foxproof this will be and also the possibility of foxes tunneling in under the run on the soft soil. Is it better to place it firmly on the grass with the run screws holding it down? If so we were thinking in front of the big tree at the bottom of the garden with the run facing up to the house.

 

Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

Helen

[Gallina]

Helen: if you have light soil as I have, the run screws don't work. I bought them, screwed them into the grass, and a weakling could have pulled them straight out.

 

And if you have light soil, it is crucial that the area is perfectly flat. If the skirt pokes up on one side, it will take no time at all for a fox to dig under.

 

Once you get your cube, you will know what you have to do. As you are not getting the chickens with the cube, you don't have to panic. Perfectly flat ground is essential, and slabs weighing down the skirt all round is desirable.

 

At least you don't have to worry about providing shade with the Cube: this is a big plus factor. The area under the cube is their favourite place when the sun is hot.