Recent content by Pnwchicks

Garden mulch sounds like a good option! I agree with you, sand would be very heavy to haul in. I hadn't thought of a sandbox but I'll add that into our plans as well!

Hi everyone, We are building our coop and enclosed run. The area of the run was previously a patio so there's gravel that is about 6 inches deep. We plan to dig out at least 3 inches of gravel so we can bring in 6-8" of new material on top of that. I'm in Eastern WA so we have a decent amount...

Wood chips sound like a great choice! Thank you for the info!

There isn't an engine in the car yet, it's just the body sitting there until we tow it to my dad's shop so they can work on it :) But that is a good thought if there was an engine!! Yes, it is gravel that was plate compacted but we were planning on digging down to remove about 4 inches of the...

That's a great idea! I was also thinking that our garden has a drip line...I could probably branch off of that and add some misters to help keep the chickens cool in the summer. The advantages to the paver area are adding up quickly!!

Thank you for the info! It seems the paver location has a lot more pros than the side yard!

It would be nice to build our coop on top of the existing pavers and keep a border of pavers along the outside of the run to help with predator prevention like you said. It definitely saves a lot of prep work to use the paver patio that's already level and ready. I hope your rebuild is going well!

These are all great points to think about! Currently the paver area is built up on about 6 inches of compact rock so there is great drainage. The side of the house does get more runoff from the house gutters and is overall more uneven/damp ground. The positives are definitely starting to add up...

That's really good advice to stagger to full capacity. I hadn't thought about it that way before but that makes perfect sense!

Thank you!

Thank you!

Thank you for the reply! I will consider a smaller flock as well. I just have a really hard time narrowing down breeds :) And I totally agree, the pre made coops seem so small and they are expensive! We do have a 1/4 acre yard that I might have them free range on a bit in designated areas. I...

Thank you! Thank you!

Thank you!

Thank you for the info! I feel like the side yard might be a little too "out of sight, out of mind". I do prefer being able to watch them while I'm out working in the garden and doing yard work. And you make a great point about the compost, it would be convenient being so close to the garden!