Feedback wanted

[SNJchickens]

We are all offering suggestions based on experiences and on our own growing pains. You can tell my experience by reading about my coop. In the end just take the suggestions you feel will work for you. We all just try to be helpful to others in the nicest possible way. We've all had unique experiences and each backyard bird will present her own personality, likes and dislikes once she is home in her own space.

That being said, chickens haven't read the book. At least mine have not. I made my roosts according to the "proper" dimensions but my hens all crowd together on one roost even in the heat of the summer. They all lay in one nest box especially when the cochin is broody. My floor is 4x4 feet and the 6 full size hens have no crowding issues. I don't know if this is because the feeders and waterer are suspended off the floor giving the hens all of the space, or if they just have not been educated enough to demand their full share.

I did read about the concern for the weight of the lift-up run roof. I split my lift-up roof on the first coop/run into three sections. The ability to open one at a time kept my pullets from flying out of a larger opening. Once when I had 2 spaces open at the same time they just flew out and over to the neighbor's fence! "Cute trick," I told them.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I believe everyone here is trying to be helpful. Everybody manages/houses and views chicken keeping a little differently. Some suggestions come from very experienced keepers, while others like me are still learning (and hope to learn for the rest of our lives). Personally I love my walk-in coop and run. It will always be a work in progress, there are different ideas I have read or seen that I would like to add or maybe even take away.

I do like the suggestion of using a pulley system to lift the top of your run. My question or maybe something for you to consider, when you lift the top, how are you planning on keeping the chickens in? If I read correctly the height is 3' and I know my lard butts can all fly that high.

Feeders/waterers do come in different sizes, etc. I'm sure you will find one just right for you. I would take a look at where the ramp comes up through the floor, a feeder/waterer to close too that opening could be interesting. If most chickens are like mine, they ALL want to do everything together, regardless of pecking order, very rarely does a chicken eat by itself. Think placing those stations far enough from the wall&ramp opening so they can all go round and round without squabbles. I hang my feeder approx. 18" from the wall and they have space to all move around it. Waterer is about the same distance from the wall as well.

 

[donrae]

I'm not quite sure how you're going to access the feed and water easily, unless I'm missing a door somewhere.

I don't see why you couldn't put them under the roost. There's not a ton of headspace so I'm not sure the birds would utilize that space a lot anyway. You've got that nice tray to protect the area underneath from droppings. You might add another...what's the word...block or baffle or whatever to keep the bedding out of that area as much to keep the waterer clean, also set it up on some 2x4s or bricks, whatever you have. That will free up more floor space IMO.

 

[TalkALittle]

What's to stop them from roosting on that other crossbar and pooping over the edge of the tray?

 

[imeister]

@TalkALittle - Nothing at all. Easy enough to expand the tray though.

@donrae - The nesting box side in the latest version is also a swing-out door. That should make access pretty easy, I hope. I'll likely hang the feeders/waterers based on stuff I've read here and a few other places.

@SNJchickens & @Wyorp Rock - I know most everyone is trying to be helpful - some are just nicer about it than others. Fortunately(?), I have a very short memory. WRT to splitting the lift-top, I think I forgot to address that earlier -- it's a great idea. Your comments raise a question though: do most people just not bother with wing clipping? How far/high can a chicken hop with clipped wings?

 

[SNJchickens]

Good question.

I have a friend who does an admirable job of clipping her hens' wings to keep them within the 6 ft chain link fence safely away from the foxes that roam her farm. Five of the 7 leghorn hens routinely get over the fence to free range without supervision. I was totally amazed to watch the hens get over the fence. They can't fly, BUT somehow they manage to get up and over the fence! A determined hen is a force of nature.

Personally, I don't clip wings. I chose breeds not known for being flighty, however, my hens have their own sense of humor. Every so often they get it into their flock mind to fly into a tree or up onto the neighbor's 6 ft fence. Up they go usually with the 4 year old plump Cochin (see my avatar) in the lead.

 

[Ridgerunner]

How far can a human jump with a sprained ankle? It’s going to depend on how bad the sprain is, the physical ability of the person to start with, and the motivation.

A chicken can still get some lift by flapping its wings even with a wing or two clipped. How much lift depends on how it is clipped. With both wings clipped the total lift is reduced. With only one wing clipped the lift on one side is reduced so it doesn’t fly level which makes it want to not fly, but it still can get some lift. It can get some help from the wings when it jumps if it has enough room to spread its wings. So how much does clipping wings help? It depends a lot on the clip job, how many feathers how short on which wings.

Some chickens with unclipped wings have no problems flying up 15 feet to a tree branch if they want to roost up there. These are normally the game type chickens and many of the bantams. Many people would be shocked at how high a chunky heavy full-sized fowl could fly if they really want to. I think you are asking if they can jump out of that 3’ high run if the top is open if you totally take away any benefit of wings. I don’t think you are going to totally take away the benefit of the wings but even of you could I think most chickens could jump that high if they wanted to. Gig heavy ones are not as likely to jump as high as more athletic ones though.

To me the biggest factor is motivation. I generally have no trouble keeping chickens in my 4’ high electric netting. Their wings are not clipped. While they can easily fly over that mine just don’t. (I had a fully grown Black Australorp get out. When I tried to herd her to a gate she calmly flew over that 4’ high netting to get back inside and cleared it by a foot.) When mine get out it’s generally when one is trapped against the netting or a fence in a conflict between chickens and the loser goes vertical to get away. I’ve seen a hen pretty much walk up a 5’ high fence with wings flapping to get away from an amorous rooster. She was trapped against the fence and did not have room to fly. When they are properly motivated they can perform amazing feats.

Will they hop out of that 3’ high section? If they are afraid of you they will probably retreat into the coop section if you do something out there, especially if you have something strange in your hand. Mine are OK if I have a feed bucket but if I have something they are not used to like a camera they freak out. If that’s how you feed them they will probably come running and not even think of getting out. Food! Food! Food! So they are unlikely to get out, wings clipped or not. But if one gets startled and is in the wrong place she could easily get out, wings clipped or not.

I think you are talking about that 3’ high run. If you are talking about something else like a fence my response would be a little different. Al this would still apply but I’d have some suggestions.

 

[imeister]

You were both on the money. What I'm hearing is that wing clipping is a deterrent at best, and that I'm better off just limiting their opportunity to escape, as well as getting them accustomed to being handled and having humans in their house. THAT tidbit persuades me to reconsider the whole walk-in concept. If it were just my convenience, I'd say 'whatever' but if it's an issue of keeping them safe and giving them proper socialization, that's another story.

SO glad I started this thread! Thanks once again everyone.

 

[imeister]

Well, I gave up on my integrated planter which makes me sad, and the run is smaller now but still suitable for the number of birds I plan on (4-5), but the coop and run are now walk-in, it has a vertical pop-door, and dual slide-out trays. Should the nesting boxes be lower? How high should the roosts be?

 

[aart]

That's lookin' much better!
BTW, what is your climate?

With a walk in, might want to rethink the trays, maybe poop board/tray under roost instead?
Frees up floor space, actually increases resting areas inside coop, and can hang/place feed and water underneath.

Nest could be lowered to below roost level and roost rotated to give better landing area.
Possible optional layout...quick and dirty, hope it makes sense.
Could also put nests on short wall opposite roosts.