You know that feeling when you've just finished building something with your own two hands, step back to admire it, and then realize you have no idea what comes next? That's exactly where u/lgny1 is. They built a 4x4 coop with a 4x12 run. They have pine shavings, a feeder, a waterer, and some nesting pads. And now they're staring at it, hoping the internet will save them from a fowl mistake. We've been there. It's equal parts pride and panic.
Let's start with the most obvious thing: that run is generous. 4x12 gives your birds room to actually be birds, scratching, dust-bathing, and chasing each other for the sheer drama of it. But generous space comes with a responsibility. A run that long with a coop that small means you need to think about predator-proofing like your chickens' lives depend on it, because they do. Hardware cloth, not chicken wire. Buried at least a foot deep or laid flat with rocks on top. Raccoons will dig. Hawks will watch. And a 4x4 coop can get stuffy fast, so consider a second ventilation panel near the roofline. Chickens are hardy, but they suffocate easily on their own humidity.
What we'd tell u/lgny1 next is to stop thinking like a human and start thinking like a chicken. You have pads for the nesting boxes, great. But where are the roosts? Chickens sleep on elevated perches, not on the floor. A roost bar an inch and a half wide, set at least a foot off the ground, with droppings board underneath, will save you from waking up to pancake-flat birds. And while you have a feeder and waterer for the coop, consider adding a second water station in the run. Chickens walk three feet and suddenly forget they're thirsty. Redundancy prevents panic when it's 95 degrees and one gets knocked over.
Your pine shavings are a solid choice, but don't skimp on depth. Six inches in the run, four in the coop. That's where the magic happens, composting in place, odor control, and happy feet. One more thing: a simple dust bath area. A kiddie pool filled with sand and some food-grade diatomaceous earth. It's not a luxury. It's chicken self-care. They'll thank you by not giving you nightmares about mites.
You're 90% of the way there. The last 10% is the difference between a coop that works and a sanctuary that thrives. Add roosts, double your predator defenses, and give them a spot to roll around in the dirt. Then invite us over, we'll bring the egg-citement and a handful of scratch grains.
