This is a double post / cross post but I couldn't figure out how to post here last night so I appologize.
Last year I lost most of my flock and thought it was disease, then decided it could have been a poisoned mouse or potato peel because at the time I didn't know not to give them potato peel (which I did a couple of times with no problems but that could have been that last straw) and now I've lost two more close to the time I lost them last year. I am beginning to suspect heat. They are not free rang since our dogs would kill them but they have a nice sized run and coop. I put ice in their water this morning, and left them a shallow dish of water for standing in as well. This evening another one was dead. They have both been found dead in the coop. I'm wondering if that is our problem. We had three chickens and are now down to one. It is four 4' high, and the coop is 4' wide by eight foot it is mostly enclosed though it has vents and connects to both the nesting boxes outside the coop and the run. The connection to the run is a small open doorway just enough for the chickens to fit through. The run is 8' x 8' chain link over wood (started as chicken wire but the dogs broke the chicken wire and killed the chickens so we went to chain link). Could the short roof or the enclosed coop be the problem? They get shade because we have a board leaned up blocking the west sun because the evening sun otherwise would get them, and they are shaded from the east and south as well by the landscape.
I'm wondering could this be our problem and if we need to build a new coop and run, should we build and enclosed coop or have it open air with the roosting rods and nesting boxes open air instead of enclosed? I know we are warm most of the year but in the winter it can freeze pretty hard we are close to south mountain and that was why we made the coop enclosed. We put a roosting rod in the run because I had over estimated the intelligence of chickens when we designed the coop. I thought they'd use the coop if it was cold and the run if it was hot since I have roosting bars in both places. Instead they always go back to the coop.
We give them shade, and shallow dishes of water already. Plus I add ice to their water in the morning on the days that are as hot as lately. Perhaps I should do it more often but if that was making the difference I would think they wouldn't have both died on days I DID give them their ice. My only thought on that could the cold water have shocked their little systems? If it isn't the low roof I'm not sure what else could be making them hotter than if they were free range.
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Hi Erica,
Thank you for letting us know of your conclusions.
On the tree in/out of the run - happy mesquite can get really big. The chickens may like the pods when it gets older, but it would most likely grow too tall in a couple of years inside the run - unless you plan it in an area that will not have a roof - but that is not a good idea because of hawks. Outside would be better - on the "west" side of the run. Your new design plan sounds better for you and the chickens. Give some consideration to how the sun angles through the year. The south gets "some" sun all year long, while the north gets sun mostly in the summer and none in the winter. A westside planted tree would provide the additional cooling shade in the heat of the summer and filtered light in the winter.
One of the things that is really helpful, Erica, is for people who have had a sad set back is to share would you do/did to remedy the challenge - helps all existing members and newbees.
The plan is actually to have a roof and not a roof. Confused yet? Picture if you can a roof with a hole cut so that the trunk comes up through the hole and the hole is large enough to allow some growth of the trunk and can be cut larger as the tree grows, but the hole is not large enough for the chickens to fly out.
We currently have a nice large mesquite tree that we've had for about 4 or 5 years (can't remember). We bought it big and I believe we could do this again in the run. However if it didn't work we would plant on the west side. The plan is to keep the south and west side of the "coop" area solid wood, but the run completely open air, and the east and north sides of the coop area open air too. The run will connect like our current run right to the "coop" area from the north and will again be all open chain link but six foot tall. I think we will likely also hang a mister for the area too. And like we have with our fruit trees we'll probably put the mesquite tree on a drip water system (which we run at a rather high rate to fill the basin around the trees and then let soak in).
We'll let you know once it's done. Heck we'll post pictures. I'm hopeful this design will also look nicer when all is said and done. Hubby also wants to lay sod down in the run for the chickens.
Sounds like a good plan Erica while the west side of the coop should be solid you may want to reconsider my note about south vs. north. In the winter time a little sun from the south will warm the bare earth - you can use a stick in the middle of the day right now to determine where the sun will hit the coop - before the growth of the mesquite provides adequate shade - just and FYI
Re: the sod as Meg notes a small piece of grass will have a very short life expectancy AND may not do well even with the screen frame, as it may not get enough light in the run. We have a small lawn of tif and there are just some corners which never grow because they do not get enough light - we have fruit trees surrounding the lawn. Each of the bare corners gets some sun, but not enough to keep it growing in season. The sod will also only grow in the warm weather so you would need to over seed with winter rye - it might be too much work to maintain it for the girls.
Do you have any information or links on the screen frame?
On a side note about shade, the location of the coop and run is such that all the sun comes from the west side of the coop and run, it gets almost no sun from any other direction. And I'm not too worried about waiting for the mesquite to provide enough shade. We've bought mesquite trees before and we buy large and have great success. $150 sadly for a box mesquite BUT instant shade. Although I'll have to discuss finally details with hubby. We might go cheaper and place on the west side instead of inside the coop. It would make the design much simpler.
Hi Erica,
Although a tree centered coop is an appealing prospect -- my chicken yard was centered around a large tangelo tree -- since you are re-setting up the coop and run having the tree west of it and on the outside, does sound easier. You have had a rough time, you want easier AND successful :-)
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