DIY Thread - Let's see your "Inventions".

[aart]

Would you like to take this discussion to a more appropriate thread or to PM, as this is pretty much off topic?

It is off topic, and I apologize for continuing this discussion here, off topic slants usually drives me nuts, so I will stop now.

It would be great if you would start a new thread in the meat section showing and explaining your processing procedures as I, and I'm sure others, find it fascinating to learn new things about how to handle chicken keeping. Thanks, I will be looking for your new thread!

 

[SavannahsBrood]

I have designed a small coop outside 4'x8'. It's 4' tall in the center and 3' on the sides. I would like ideas on what if anything I should change.
The front door looks like two but will be one and it will open making getting the waste and old bedding out. I may add a silo on the right front side for looks but also to hold the chicks water container.


The small hinged area on the right is a safe place for the chicks to go and I was thinking of putting their feeder and waterer in there. the bottom board across the front of it is about 4" off the floor.

 

[perchie.girl]

Ours dip in summer too. In the summer (in addition to the indoor waterer) I put pyrex pans (13x9ish) in several places throughout the range area that they can stand in and dip faces, etc.


I also will not use the nipples for various reasons.

If you ever build that water system I'd love to see some photos of how you devise it. I really like the small cup waterers that would work well in that kind of system. Decided not to mess around with keeping the necks from freezing in the winter since I'm away at work during the day. Thus the new glass waterers.

Did you see the videos of how they set those up? I'll post them for you if not.

(Showed both the cup waterers and the glass waterer earlier in this thread.)

Not really interested in cup or fountain feeders for my self. I will turn my self inside out to help others that want them though. I tried to answer this last night but my computers got gremlins.... i replied to the wrong post....

Now I get two Thuds.... how appropriate.

Here is the place that I got the idea for exterior waterers from..... This is a place in Oklahoma that breeds quail. If you take a look at their Quai flight cage too its pretty awesome. I may adopt it If I get on board with Guinea fowl breeding.

Quail breeder watering system.

I want to adapt the Chicken coop for this kind of watering system..... The waterer will be easy enough. and the same kind of trough can be used for either FF or a big fifty pound feeder. Like I said It will be a while until I can actually live at my house.... so If I start up with chickens again I will have to be certain they will have both food and water for at least a week.... two weeks in case I run into trouble.

Even if I never do it for the coop I will most definately do it for my next brooder cage... That and a wire bottom.

deb

 

[Aphrael]

I have designed a small coop outside 4'x8'. It's 4' tall in the center and 3' on the sides. I would like ideas on what if anything I should change.
The front door looks like two but will be one and it will open making getting the waste and old bedding out. I may add a silo on the right front side for looks but also to hold the chicks water container.


The small hinged area on the right is a safe place for the chicks to go and I was thinking of putting their feeder and waterer in there. the bottom board across the front of it is about 4" off the floor.

I like that coop design, it looks nice, and love, love, LOVE the idea of the silo waterer.

That would be too cute.

Not really interested in cup or fountain feeders for my self. I will turn my self inside out to help others that want them though. I tried to answer this last night but my computers got gremlins.... i replied to the wrong post....

Now I get two Thuds.... how appropriate.

Here is the place that I got the idea for exterior waterers from..... This is a place in Oklahoma that breeds quail. If you take a look at their Quai flight cage too its pretty awesome. I may adopt it If I get on board with Guinea fowl breeding.

Quail breeder watering system.

I want to adapt the Chicken coop for this kind of watering system..... The waterer will be easy enough. and the same kind of trough can be used for either FF or a big fifty pound feeder. Like I said It will be a while until I can actually live at my house.... so If I start up with chickens again I will have to be certain they will have both food and water for at least a week.... two weeks in case I run into trouble.

Even if I never do it for the coop I will most definately do it for my next brooder cage... That and a wire bottom.

deb

That watering system looks great. I may try working out something like that in my new coop build and/or in the duck pen.

 

[Beekissed]

I have designed a small coop outside 4'x8'. It's 4' tall in the center and 3' on the sides. I would like ideas on what if anything I should change.
The front door looks like two but will be one and it will open making getting the waste and old bedding out. I may add a silo on the right front side for looks but also to hold the chicks water container.


The small hinged area on the right is a safe place for the chicks to go and I was thinking of putting their feeder and waterer in there. the bottom board across the front of it is about 4" off the floor.

Lot's more ventilation....adding some large windows for light and airflow will help keep them healthier and the coop environment healthier...and the chickens just love looking out windows. Placing the nest boxes outside with an inside entrance would give more floor space and also give you outside access to your eggs and for nest cleaning.

 

[perchie.girl]

I have designed a small coop outside 4'x8'. It's 4' tall in the center and 3' on the sides. I would like ideas on what if anything I should change.
The front door looks like two but will be one and it will open making getting the waste and old bedding out. I may add a silo on the right front side for looks but also to hold the chicks water container.


The small hinged area on the right is a safe place for the chicks to go and I was thinking of putting their feeder and waterer in there. the bottom board across the front of it is about 4" off the floor.

I like the concept..... How many hens are you going to keep in it? I was told rule of thumb.... 5 hens per nest box...

deb

 

[SavannahsBrood]

At 4sq ft per I should be able to get 6 but I'm going to use this as a brooder coop ( I guess that's what it should be called). Hatching chicks. My wife likes the idea of keeping the eating egg layers separate from chick hatching hens. So that's the reason for this one. I may cut down the on the number of nesting boxes ( I just created them to the wall for look). I'm wanting 3 hens and 1 roo in this one. I will have plywood for the number of nesting boxes shown from cutting the side walls. As hard as it is for me to find Black Australorp 6 month olds, I figure to raise my on. I have one I got last thursday night and she has layed an egg every day since, 8 so far. I may take the advise I got to put some windows in on the left side. Not sure if I need larger vent holes on the ends other than the 6" dia holes, being that there will be chicks in there that need it warmer, may make the window open for more air flow in the summer.

 

[SavannahsBrood]

Am I correct in thinking that the other hens won't stop laying if one is sitting on a nest. So if I get 3 hens then I may need 3 nesting boxes.

 

[Aphrael]

Am I correct in thinking that the other hens won't stop laying if one is sitting on a nest. So if I get 3 hens then I may need 3 nesting boxes.

No the others will not stop laying when one of them goes broody ... unless they all think it looks like a wonderful idea and decide to join in on the broody party.

That's what my bantams did. Silly birds. But I digress. The non-broodies will continue laying even while another is brooding eggs. You'll have to check the broody nest regularly too though because the ones still laying seem to like to "help" the broodies with extra eggs.

 

[SavannahsBrood]

Thanks. How would you know which ones are the new ones? Should I mark the ones when I notice a hen sitting?