Shed as a coop

[elizajay]

[QUOTE=
Would it be worth lining the inside of the coop with chicken wire? The shed is old (not sure how old - previous owners left it here) - so some wood is beginning to rot, which I've pretty much replaced (the floor needs doing next, for example)... [U]just wondering if a fox could get one of the slats off and then make its way in?[/[/U]QUOTE]

Yes, a fox chewed 2 slats off my coop one night and pulled a mother and 2 babies out one. Not pleasant finding a pile of feathers on the lawn. The slats have been replaced with thicker ones and the coop has been lined inside and out with chicken wire. Not that chicken wire will stop a fox, just adds a few extra barriers... We have had a few slats chewed at since, but nothing fatal.

[Flummery]

If the coop is in a really fox-proof run you should be ok. You don't need a window but you do need ventilation - even in winter. A few wide holes or a slatted bit (with chicken wire over if you aren't in a rat-proof run) will stop them over-heating - a bigger danger than being too cold.

[chris]

coop is just in a garden, they'll be roaming round the garden most of the time - I'm building a run to go on the front of the coop..

I've got ventilation in the top by the roofing (corrugations)... someone advised me this would be enough?

[chris]

SuzyB - I notice the slats in your shed aren't sealed... am I wasting my time sealing each slat with silicon? It's a bit of a job! Just trying to plug up any holes that any beasties, or mites could get in...