New House, Old Coop

[3KillerBs]

Many ventilation areas are openings under the eaves. That works best as long as the roof is high enough.

Height is your friend when it comes to ventilation.

 

[thlayli]

Update: Went out to the house again to get contractor measurements for some finishes to the basement. When I went to check on the hens (actually just to see if they were even still there) there was a snake in the coop (pretty rat snake) and a dead, mostly-gone carcass of one of the birds.

And then there were 5.

I'm kinda pissed there isn't anything I can do for the birds right now, but whatever I do once we take ownership, predator proofing has just moved to #1 on my list, especially if Previous Owners aren't going to take their chickens with them. I don't think the rat snake had anything to do with the dead hen (like I said, lots of mice because of open food everywhere), but SOMETHING got in there. The rest of them didn't seem agitated, but there were only 7 eggs in the nesting boxes. Last time I went, there were almost 20. Someone has been collecting eggs, and either didn't see or didn't care about the damn dead animal in the run.

I'm pretty steamed about it, let me tell you.

 

[3KillerBs]

Update: Went out to the house again to get contractor measurements for some finishes to the basement. When I went to check on the hens (actually just to see if they were even still there) there was a snake in the coop (pretty rat snake) and a dead, mostly-gone carcass of one of the birds.

And then there were 5.

I'm kinda pissed there isn't anything I can do for the birds right now, but whatever I do once we take ownership, predator proofing has just moved to #1 on my list, especially if Previous Owners aren't going to take their chickens with them. I don't think the rat snake had anything to do with the dead hen (like I said, lots of mice because of open food everywhere), but SOMETHING got in there. The rest of them didn't seem agitated, but there were only 7 eggs in the nesting boxes. Last time I went, there were almost 20. Someone has been collecting eggs, and either didn't see or didn't care about the damn dead animal in the run.

I'm pretty steamed about it, let me tell you.

The snake may have been eating the eggs.

 

[thlayli]

The snake may have been eating the eggs.

Coulda been, but she wasn't very big. If the hens would've seen her that would have been the end of that. I think she was more attracted to the copious amounts of tiny rodents. (Snek was safely relocated to a woodpile on the opposite side of the property. I like having snakes around, as long as they aren't in birds nests or chicken coops!) Snakes are A Problem but they aren't THE Problem. Something pretty big got the bird -- all of them look like marans size or larger. My main frustration is I have no way of stopping it from happening again. :/

 

[thlayli]

I also wanted to add that since I have a Sneaking Suspicion that the Current Coop Residents are going to still be there come moving day that I reduced my order from 16 chicks to 10. However, if predation keeps up I might not have to worry about space...

 

[3KillerBs]

I also wanted to add that since I have a Sneaking Suspicion that the Current Coop Residents are going to still be there come moving day that I reduced my order from 16 chicks to 10. However, if predation keeps up I might not have to worry about space...

You will make a big difference in those birds' lives if they do come into your care.

 

[thlayli]

You will make a big difference in those birds' lives if they do come into your care.

That's very nice to say, thank you. Although it's hard to do WORSE at this point. :c

 

[Percheron chick]

I also wanted to add that since I have a Sneaking Suspicion that the Current Coop Residents are going to still be there come moving day that I reduced my order from 16 chicks to 10.

Breaking up a large chick order to 2 smaller ones over 2+ years is a better plan. It will flatten out the production curve and help keep you in eggs. As the older group slows down, the second group picks up. The next year when the second group molts, the third group starts laying. Nothing worse than having to buy eggs when you have a coop full of ladies.

 

[thlayli]

Update: they took what was left of their flock, but were kind enough to leave the rotting head and skeletonized pelvis of one of their birds in the run, so that's fun. The coop also smells overwhelmingly of mice urine at this point. We close tomorrow so work on fixing the coop starts next week. Chicks come September!

 

[3KillerBs]

Update: they took what was left of their flock, but were kind enough to leave the rotting head and skeletonized pelvis of one of their birds in the run, so that's fun. The coop also smells overwhelmingly of mice urine at this point. We close tomorrow so work on fixing the coop starts next week. Chicks come September!

1/2" hardware cloth will exclude mice, but you'll have to find and block off tunnels and places where they've chewed through the walls.

If you shovel every speck of bedding out into a compost pile it will be great stuff for your garden next year.

I have read the whitewash is excellent for this kind of situation because of it's disinfectant properties.