You are so sweet! TY for getting back to @Mortisha1010 Such a great story about growing up with chickens. What happened with the coyotes? That's horrible! Did they just show up? What did you do different to the coop? They walk my fence here and are brazen. They usually stalk in two's, but I hear the pack most every night. My neighbor behind me recently lost 8 turkeys, a bunch of chickens and a Chihuahua to them over a couple different attacks. I don't let mine out unless I'm down there. They're in an enclosed barn stall, but I don't shut the door to the run at night. I have an Aussie that lives in a barn stall that would alert, and my Dad lives in an RV down there, do you think that's enough? Edit to add pic.
Aha! Do your chickens love the play house? I have an exactly copy of that in my yard that my free ranging roosters love, especially when it's hot. Your set up looks pretty good, except is it possible to dig underneath the walls? That's how the coyote got into our run...the girls slept outside as the former coop was not suitable for them to roost in and one dug underneath and killed them all (8). We didn't hear a sound, but you know how chickens are at night. It's like they are drugged. We revamped it by taking 5' 2"x4" welded wired and running it all around where the chickens are kept, burying an apron about 2' out from the run and having about 3' running along the inside of the chicken wire to prevent digging and tearing into the wire. Also they now have a coop where they are secure at night; no critter that comes around here (coyote, bobcat, badger, bear) would be able to get inside the coop where they sleep without tearing into wood and metal. Now with you having a dog outside, you probably don't have to worry about a coyote being stealthy enough to dig without causing a ruckus. But if you could make it so you could close the chickens up at night, or provide a hen only door, it might make them a little more secure. Eventually we'd like to have an LGD and have all the dogs outside at all times, but we have to build doghouses for our currently pampered indoor sleeping dogs first.You are so sweet! TY for getting back to @Mortisha1010 Such a great story about growing up with chickens. What happened with the coyotes? That's horrible! Did they just show up? What did you do different to the coop? They walk my fence here and are brazen. They usually stalk in two's, but I hear the pack most every night. My neighbor behind me recently lost 8 turkeys, a bunch of chickens and a Chihuahua to them over a couple different attacks. I don't let mine out unless I'm down there. They're in an enclosed barn stall, but I don't shut the door to the run at night. I have an Aussie that lives in a barn stall that would alert, and my Dad lives in an RV down there, do you think that's enough? Edit to add pic.
Any parcel in Inyokern 5 acres and smaller is zoned A1 Agriculture so no, there is not a limit on chickens. Although I may have to get a special use permit some day if I have as many as I would like. In order to properly breed some varieties you have to hatch a lot, and Marans is one of those varieties.
Nice fortress! Yes, they love the little house. It was supposed to be my coop on stilts. I did this chicken thing "bass-ackwards". Got 6 chickens first (sounded like a good max for eggs) then started planning a coop. Got 9 MORE chickens cause I saw really cute ones in the catalogs! Hubby is a perfectionist and is on "hubby time", so I bought the house on CL for $50. Planned to put it on stilts in a chicken yard. Here's my yard so far...Aha! Do your chickens love the play house? I have an exactly copy of that in my yard that my free ranging roosters love, especially when it's hot. Your set up looks pretty good, except is it possible to dig underneath the walls? That's how the coyote got into our run...the girls slept outside as the former coop was not suitable for them to roost in and one dug underneath and killed them all (8). We didn't hear a sound, but you know how chickens are at night. It's like they are drugged. We revamped it by taking 5' 2"x4" welded wired and running it all around where the chickens are kept, burying an apron about 2' out from the run and having about 3' running along the inside of the chicken wire to prevent digging and tearing into the wire. Also they now have a coop where they are secure at night; no critter that comes around here (coyote, bobcat, badger, bear) would be able to get inside the coop where they sleep without tearing into wood and metal. Now with you having a dog outside, you probably don't have to worry about a coyote being stealthy enough to dig without causing a ruckus. But if you could make it so you could close the chickens up at night, or provide a hen only door, it might make them a little more secure. Eventually we'd like to have an LGD and have all the dogs outside at all times, but we have to build doghouses for our currently pampered indoor sleeping dogs first.
Here's a pic of our main run setup, but I also keep bachelor roos in a dog kennel that is finished with a welded wire bottom to prevent digging in.
