Adding a chicken coop to the homestead

[Ron Kulas]

April 9, 2024

Its spring, it rained last night and i sick of the mud around the new coop and run so Im doing something about it.

Where the coop and run sit, was a huge pile of dirt just 8 months ago since we were excavating for another building on the homestead. Our soil is clay and rock and when it gets wet, its slime.

The other problem was the grading, It pitched toward the run. I got to play on the tractor all day to begin to fix this problem.

[Ron Kulas]

April 10, 2024

Part of that plan is to plant 5 apple trees between the coop and the garden. The apple trees I ordered, arrived today.


After spreading more pea gravel around the coop and run, I thought I would try my hand at using the backhoe feature on this new tractor. This ground is nothing but clay and rock. Im done digging holes with a shovel now that I have this thing.


I went down 4 feet. I will fill the hole with a mixture of sand and garden soil to plant the trees in. I dont think the roots would have taken well in the native soil. This is why our garden is a raised bed garden that we filled with a soil that will grow great food.

[Ron Kulas]

April 11, 2024


It was a rainy afternoon here so I worked on perimeter security for the birds. My main predators will be members of the weasel family (with ermine being the most likely of all), coon, fox, skunk, after that, its coyote, bobcat, feral cat, possum, Lastly wolf and bear (but far less likely)

I built 3 weasel boxes to add to I disagreeortment of "predator deterrents". There are a few additional tools in my tool box for preventing vermin from eating my birds. I wont discuss those here. These will be deployed in advance of putting the birds in the coop/run. I think it sends a message that these birds are not for you. Tell your friends................. Oh wait, you cant because you are dead ;-)









I noticed the chicks dusting themselves in the pine shavings so I made them a dusting pan for the brooder.

[Ron Kulas]

April 14, 2024


I secured my last vulnerability at the sky light. Mr. Ermine should be locked out now.

[Ron Kulas]

April 21, 2024

when we put up the deer fence around the garden, I bought the black version because they claimed that from a distance you cant see the mesh (they were correct, it cant be seen)

When I put the shiny galvanized mesh on the chicken coop/run, it blocked the view through the mesh. Because I have an automatic door to let the chickens out, I had a hard time seeing through the mesh to know if the little solar powered door was open or closed.

Today, I painted the mesh black on one side to see it it improved visibility through the 1/2" holes. Here are the before and after pictures.

[Ron Kulas]

April 25, 2024

Its spring so we are spiting our time between expanding the garden space on the homestead and finishing the coop and run.


The chicks wont go in the coop for another week or two so I wanted to get the sand in the coop so it was dry by the time the chicks are added.


When we add the 24 chicks, they will remain in only the coop portion for 4 days until we open up the run to them. This will let them establish that the coop is home and a safe place to return to. (and eventually lay eggs)

[Ron Kulas]

April 29, 2024

We are getting closer to putting the protein out into the coop and run. Since it was a rainy day, I made 2 feeders and 2 waterers. One of each is in the brooder and they have taken to them very well. We will be able to remove the chick feeders and waterers from the brooder.

These are no spill/no waste feeders. They are weathrproof but will reside in a covered run and have a sealed lid so the food will stay clean and dry and should be hard to access by tiny rodents.

This stuff is so much different than the feeders and waterers we used 50 years ago on our farm.