Recent content by SpoilMyPooch

I would agree with Ridgerunner about not making the choice between sun and shade but between dry and wet and good drainage and poor drainage. Your chickens need to be kept dry as much as possible. They are built to handle quite extreme cold temperatures but they cannot tolerate wet and cold...

You are right, it does seem daunting. As has been suggested, try the coop plans pages. The "you can do this" doesn't come as part of a plan but in your desire and passion to get it done. The idea of looking for a used/ free shed sounds ideal because of the cost and that you only need to...

You are drowning in information and advice! It can be so overwhelming that you become paralysed. Have any of your neighbours got any outbuildings in their yards or on their land that are a similar size to what you want to build? How are they secured to the ground? Even if you are in an area...

That looks impressive!

Sounds like a great project! There are a whole variety of surfaces that people have in their chicken runs. Every surface has its pros and cons. Most people have dirt (which was originally grass! but as Eggsoteric has mentioned, some people use sand. Sand though seems to be highly contentious...

Yes remember fresh air/ ventilation. Otherwise, the inside of the coop will get too damp (because there is nowhere for the damp to escape to) and that is when the real danger starts for chickens!

Yes, you don't want to make them too small but your chickens need to feel cosy in them and so try not to make them too large either. The suggested ration is 3 or 4 hens per nest box but as many owners will say, it is very common for several chickens to favour one nest box whilst other boxes stay...

This is a difficult one. It is not cold that will kill chickens in winter but a combination of cold and damp. Overnight, a chicken coop gets very very damp because of the chickens breathing and their poo. So ventilation is incredibly important because that dampness needs to escape- even though...

The use of construction sand is quite controversial. The Chicken- Chick is a keen fan and uses it in her coop and her run. However, other highly respected Chicken commentators do not think that the use of sand is ideal at all. Two of these people are Lisa Steele from Fresh Eggs Daily and Terry...

Don't worry about your chickens getting cold, they can cope well with very, very severe cold temperatures as long as it is dry. It is the combination of cold and dampness that is dangerous to chickens. Do not think about heat but think about more ventilation. As long as the cold air is not...

Thanks. That is great. It is on my list of chicken things to do...

This is a bit of a delicate balance! I think the important point here is to do as little as possible to get rid of the dirt so that it does not contaminate the other eggs or the chick inside the dirty egg. If the dirt can be lightly brushed away, then that is great. Otherwise gently scrub it...

Marnette, You could let your broody hen store them for you by continuing to sit on them! Eggs that are laid within 6 days of each other can be "stored" by a broody hen (question #43 in my guide.) If you want to store them yourself then store them in a cool dry place, out of direct sunlight. A...

One of my hens has been brooding for the last couple of months and although I have tried to break her, she has not relented. I have to say that I am a bit suspicious though...I think at times her unwillingness to come out of the coop might be connected to how much it has been raining as much as...

Hello, I am intrigued... I would like to see your plan but as I don't have a copy of Sketch Up installed, it won't let me. Could you post a screenshot of the plan as a .jpg or .png instead? Thanks,