Eastern Washington

[IAMADOL]

Oh the first egg is so exciting !! But it I had my two cents I'd say wait until Spring! Mother Nature is very wise!

 

[Saris]

Oh the first egg is so exciting !! But it I had my two cents I'd say wait until Spring! Mother Nature is very wise!

I was thinking of starting the eggs in February or so, that way they spend the coldest parts indoors and I get new eggs earlier in the year. There's also an outdoor brooding method I read about that I want to explore further. I want to wait until my hens' eggs have gotten bigger anyway before trying to hatch them.

 

[MarthavR]

Hi Folks. I'm new here. In Wenatchee, WA, but recently moved from Portland, OR where I had a flock of happy hens.

I'm looking to buy a coop (made the old one, but don't have time to build this one) for a small back-yard flock (probably 4 hens).

I'm curious about a few vendors and wonder if anyone has a coop from them?:

www.amishstylecoops.com These seems rather spendy but look well made. I really don't want the coop to just fall apart. This guys is located in Eastern, WA and charges $250 to deliver (ugh)

Also found this other guy on the west side on craigslist: https://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/grq/5183541079.html
I don't know yet what he might charge to deliver. I wonder about the longevity of his coops.

I've also seen the Saltbox Designs coops from the seattle area: https://saltboxdesigns.wordpress.com/products-2/coops/
He will ship the Island coop for $250 but I have some concerns that it looks kinda flimsy too. I know he has a good reputation and even sells one of his designs to Williams Sonoma...but...still wondering.

Does anyone have a coop from one of these builders and have a good or bad review?

Thanks so much!

 

[jennabug]

Hi Folks. I'm new here. In Wenatchee, WA, but recently moved from Portland, OR where I had a flock of happy hens.

I'm looking to buy a coop (made the old one, but don't have time to build this one) for a small back-yard flock (probably 4 hens).

I'm curious about a few vendors and wonder if anyone has a coop from them?:

www.amishstylecoops.com These seems rather spendy but look well made. I really don't want the coop to just fall apart. This guys is located in Eastern, WA and charges $250 to deliver (ugh)

Also found this other guy on the west side on craigslist: https://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/grq/5183541079.html
I don't know yet what he might charge to deliver. I wonder about the longevity of his coops.

I've also seen the Saltbox Designs coops from the seattle area: https://saltboxdesigns.wordpress.com/products-2/coops/
He will ship the Island coop for $250 but I have some concerns that it looks kinda flimsy too. I know he has a good reputation and even sells one of his designs to Williams Sonoma...but...still wondering.

Does anyone have a coop from one of these builders and have a good or bad review?

Thanks so much!

Hi!
I placed an order with amishsytlechickencoops.com in May and haven't received it yet. They seller has not been very communicative, and claims that the window is on back order. The last time I talked to him he said it should be ready on September 14th. I'm cautiously waiting and praying that I'm not being scammed for $1500. But, on a positive note, I'm pretty sure he exists...
I'll post an update when/if anything changes.

 

[jennabug]

I am happy to report that my birds are all hens and laying albeit some with strange vocalizations. My next question is about maintaining egg numbers. I do not plan on butchering my hens. I know that their prime egg laying years are the first two. How long do chickens live? Is it better to add a few new chicks every year or a larger amount every other year?

As far as I've read, they can live to around 6 to 7 years, or longer. I've had the same thoughts on how to maintain egg numbers within the flock. And egg production can depend a lot on the breed. I have a marans that is 3 and lays 4-5 eggs almost every week during the summer. But I haven't had chickens for a long time, so I don't know a lot from experience. This graphic below is the best visual that I've been able to find. During the first year, a hen will be at her peak laying (say 250 per year for a barred rock). The next year she may lay 85% of the 250 eggs: 212 eggs. At age 5, she may lay 50%, or 125 eggs. I do not know how accurate this is, but it seems like a good starting point.


http://blog.chickenwaterer.com/2012/09/how-many-eggs-to-expect-your-chickens.html

So... if you know how many eggs you want per year, you should be able to back calculate your needs for the next year. (I enjoy predictive numbers, so I've played with this before... for fun... lol)

 

[Saris]

Hi Folks. I'm new here. In Wenatchee, WA, but recently moved from Portland, OR where I had a flock of happy hens. 

I'm looking to buy a coop (made the old one, but don't have time to build this one) for a small back-yard flock (probably 4 hens). 

I'm curious about a few vendors and wonder if anyone has a coop from them?:

www.amishstylecoops.com  These seems rather spendy but look well made. I really don't want the coop to just fall apart. This guys is located in Eastern, WA and charges $250 to deliver (ugh)

Also found this other guy on the west side on craigslist: https://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/grq/5183541079.html  
I don't know yet  what he might charge to deliver. I wonder about the longevity of his coops. 

I've also seen the Saltbox Designs coops from the seattle area:  https://saltboxdesigns.wordpress.com/products-2/coops/
He will ship the Island coop for $250 but I have some concerns that it looks kinda flimsy too. I know he has a good reputation and even sells one of his designs to Williams Sonoma...but...still wondering. 

Does anyone have a coop from one of these builders and have a good or bad review? 

Thanks so much! 

Costco usually has some cute small coops in the spring. I think they're around $200. They're even on wheels or you could put a small fence around it for a chicken run.
craigslist often has Dog runs for sale that would work great.

 

[MarthavR]

Hi!
I placed an order with amishsytlechickencoops.com in May and haven't received it yet. They seller has not been very communicative, and claims that the window is on back order. The last time I talked to him he said it should be ready on September 14th. I'm cautiously waiting and praying that I'm not being scammed for $1500. But, on a positive note, I'm pretty sure he exists...
I'll post an update when/if anything changes.

Wow! that is a long time to wait. I think I saw your comment on his FB page and it made me wonder. I spoke with him on the phone with a few questions. He is still saying 6 weeks to delivery. He also said he had just gotten a shipment of hardware and windows in and was expecting to get a bunch of coops delivered. Still doesn't sound like the greatest customer service and I would be worried too. At this point, it seems like I won't get chickens until the spring anyhow, so I don't mind a little wait, but don't want to be left worrying if I won't ever get the product.

Thanks for your feedback. I'd love to hear a follow-up.

 

[MarthavR]

Costco usually has some cute small coops in the spring. I think they're around $200. They're even on wheels or you could put a small fence around it for a chicken run.
craigslist often has Dog runs for sale that would work great.

I've looked at the costco ones, but after reading the reviews decided that they were probably going to fall apart within a year. I've been scouting out craigslist. Hoping something amazing comes up!

 

[Saris]

I've looked at the costco ones, but after reading the reviews decided that they were probably going to fall apart within a year. I've been scouting out craigslist. Hoping something amazing comes up!

I hope so too. I was lucky to have a handy husband and a neighbor who does contracting to build our coop. Best of luck!

 

[jennabug]

Wow! that is a long time to wait. I think I saw your comment on his FB page and it made me wonder. I spoke with him on the phone with a few questions. He is still saying 6 weeks to delivery. He also said he had just gotten a shipment of hardware and windows in and was expecting to get a bunch of coops delivered. Still doesn't sound like the greatest customer service and I would be worried too. At this point, it seems like I won't get chickens until the spring anyhow, so I don't mind a little wait, but don't want to be left worrying if I won't ever get the product.

Thanks for your feedback. I'd love to hear a follow-up.

I'll definitely post an update.
I'm really glad I had an existing coop that I was replacing. If I was trying to figure out where to keep chicks that had grown out, I would be panicked.

P.S. Cute newt!