Lets hear about your coop!

[LipsChicks]

Don't give up. They will do some pretty stupid things. I had a Pullet disappear for over a month and she came back. I buy more than I really want because I know that I'll lose some. The trick for me is to not replace them.

 

[Hokum Coco]

Quote:

 

[PoultryBird12]

My coop just a simple 4x8 metal shed that blew away on a relative that I got for free. I reconditioned it and changed it into a chicken coop.
My pop door opener is quite simple and has not failed yet. I use a length of whipper Snipper line attached to a guillotine type door. I pull one end of the line and secure it door opens; I disengage that end of the line door closes. No pulleys or fancy do daddery just a small hole drilled down in the top frame of the door on a slope and the line threaded through. If you give a second glance you can see the line against the gray wall on the right. Magic!



If you give my coop another glance you will notice a trailer hitch on the left side or east end my coop faces north; East will be better I learned this year. You can tell where my coop was the previous year by the location of this garden spot and young buck. Makes gardening Easy Peasy less weeds and ground preperation. My gardens grow like wild fire.
Works for me in my small set up.

" I have close to 65 trips now around the sun; My coop was salvaged; Blew away from a relative. Hundreds of Coops can put mine to shame but I would not trade this coop for any because mine "MAKES ME HAPPY!"every day.

Watering
For along time I used heater tape around a bucket with chicken watering nipples. It worked excellent. However me being me I neglected to change the water as often as I should. This is what it looks like and it thermostatically controlled to come on at just above the freezing temperature. You would have to wrap it to suit your particular application if it is viable for your set up. It is available at Home Depot in Canada.




I switched to black rubber contains. The freeze solid every night but the ice just pops out of them in the morning and I replenish them with fresh warm water. They are available at the feed store.

The chickens congregate around them like people having their morning coffee. The only draw back is my yard is pepper with small ice bergs the size of the buckets.

April looks after that however..



My Coop is insulated with Styrofoam covered with veneer from interior doors from Habitat From Humanity. Here are a few tips and a quick look at my set up.
My floor are planks with a layer of tin for rodent proofing. On top of the tin I have a piece of vinyl flooring cut one foot longer than the length and width of my coop (roughly). Six inches squares are cut out of the 4 corners of the vinyl flooring. This allows the friction fitted flooring to travel up the walls six inches around the perimeter of my 4x8 salvaged metal coop. Shovel out the heavy stuff into a wheel barrow. Pop out the vinyl flooring hose it off pop it back in.
Easy Peasy!

Bedding
I have used all types of litter for coops.

I have not tried sand (sand gets good reviews on this site).

Of all the things I tried to date wood pellets have been the best. (I tried wood pellets as a last resort when pine shavings were not available.) They are super absorbent and swell up and eventually turn to saw dust. The droppings just seem to vanish and turn to dust when it comes in contact with wood pellets .

Replace my litter and clean my coop every October after I harvest my garden.


Works for me in my deep litter method.

I do add to pellets from time to time.

I have anywhere from 10 to 24 birds housed in my 4x8 coop.

Through the winter months the pellets froze harder than concrete with -40º temperatures. The poop froze before it could be absorbed by the pellets and there was like a crusty layer of poop in certain areas where they collectively took aim (no smell, messy feet or flies @ -40º). When the crust got big enough to handle with gloves I picked it up and dropped it into my compost bin. Come April things started to look after themselves.

Nest boxes
In my nest boxes I fold a feed bag to fit (nest boxes are 1 ft³). When a bag gets soiled; fold a new one; pop out the soiled; pop in the new. Feed bags are a nylon mesh bag frozen poop just peels off in below freezing temperatures and just flakes off in summer when left out in the sun to bake and dry.



POOP BOARDS are the "BEST" addition yet. Handles well over ½ of the poop in my set up keeps ammonia smell in check 3½" below roost excellent for catching eggs laid through the night (roost are in cups for easier removal and cleaning). I recently friction fit a piece of vinyl flooring over my poop board.it makes clean up even easier; Pop out; Scrap; Hose; Pop in.

Winter months even easier flex over compost bin DONE!

Easy peasy!.



Awesome!! looks like your chickens love it! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Cluckies]

You can see my coop if you click on "My Coop" on the left. I'm not too far from you in Nowthen. Practically neighbors

 

[PoultryBird12]

You can see my coop if you click on "My Coop" on the left. I'm not too far from you in Nowthen. Practically neighbors

Ooh! That looks like a really nice coop! I drive into Nowthen almost every thursday! I like it!

 

[BonRae67]

We had a swimming pool til Ibdecided I needed a chicken coop.

All the poles are set.

Today my daughter and I put up 28 inch garden fence all the way around the run area. Tomorrow we plan on getting the chicken wire put up on the run.

 

[BonRae67]

We got the chicken wire and boards up today. Behind the pavers at the bottom is another row of boards. Will help keep the sand in the run area. I think tomorrow I will plan out the doors for the run area.

 

[LipsChicks]

Where is the coop? How do they get into the run?

 

[BonRae67]

The coop is going on the back side of the run. It is going to be 10X10. I have one 12 week old that needs to get out and play when it is nice. That is why I am getting the run done first. She will only go out for a little while with us with her.

 

[BonRae67]

The framing is almost done. Ready to put another 2 foot run of fence around the run and split it in half. The coop will be split in half as well. Two seperate parts one coop and run.