post your chicken coop pictures here!

[cc-robinson]

so excited getting the roof on our happy hen house!

 

[Linzzzey]

Got our lil coop! It is perfect for my backyard size and our tiny flock!

 

[iwiw60]

I'm sooooo depressed!!! My neighbor was supposed to show up today to dig my 14 post holes and then we were going to set them in with quik-crete, level them out, etc. He called a while ago that he is unable to do it today and will come over tomorrow........I painted all the posts yesterday, cleared the area for the run, raked, etc. Been sitting outside telling my 4 little ladies that "today we start the run!" .... NOT! If I wasn't 70 years old I'd attempt the post holes myself but know I'd drop dead after the first two.....life goes on...and on...and on....

(off my soapbox)....

 

[jtbass2756]

Frustrating isn't it!! In our younger days, we wouldn't have to ask for help....I hate asking someone to help me when I used to do it all!

 

[BrianandLisa]

 

[Sylvester017]

I think I will lay 16 x 16" pavers around the coop. Their area is quite safe, but it would only take one hungry critter to ruin everything. They have quite a bit of cover when they free range.

We eventually come to realize what will work best in our individual situations. Excellent choice on the pavers. I'm too old to carry the bigger stones which is why I can only use the 12x12's LOL. It's good to know you have a lot of free-range cover for them - they are smart cookies and just need us to give them those hiding areas.

I'm off to buy some pavers. At this point my only hope is that they lay golden eggs. I do have rabbits on my front lawn most nights. I see them as the canaries in the coal mine.

For how much we've invested in 4 little chickens they had better lay PLATINUM eggs for us! LOL

I put 1/2" hardware cloth over the dirt floor in my coop (poultry stapled to the walls about 6" up after we saw an ermine (cute little harbingers of chicken death!) in the yard. They wouldn't have had to work too hard to follow the vole tunnels into the coop. The voles aren't predators but they don't dig starting at the coop wall either.


I think the run should be left with a dirt floor but the coop needs to be more predator proof. I'm sure paving stones would help deter dogs and coons, but not weasels. Relatively cheap insurance in my estimation

Bruce

Bruce, I keep forgetting about areas that have the weasel problems. Our area is mostly city raccoons and I forget that many areas have other nasty critters as well! One of my concerns is that some idiot in our neighborhood will have a loose Boa Constrictor slithering through the neighborhood - there are even some that let loose their overgrown reptilian pets because they don't want to care for them anymore! Just so many kinds of predator situations to think about that the 1/2 inch or smaller hardwire will basically solve a myriad of predator problems.

 

[ChickenDave13]

Our coop was made using recycled materials, just finished it today. Pallets, used abd new lumber, above ground pool liner for the roof, and a solar system for lighting when needed.

 

[kenmlang]

Our coop was made using recycled materials, just finished it today. Pallets, used abd new lumber, above ground pool liner for the roof, and a solar system for lighting when needed.

Looking Good!!

 

[jtbass2756]

Please cover the walls and ceiling with at least 1/2" hardware wiring....was at my son's last week.....he had just put together a coop from pallets. I love to recycle, however, he didn't get the "holes" covered or get the run covered with anything except poultry (chicken) wire.....lost 6 or 8 that night ! has one little slikie left and about 8 or his little reds left! Can't explain what the predator did to the wiring ... surprised even me and I had known that raccoons and weasels, etc can tear it up. Check out the picture of the poultry wire I'm attaching..... Where it is dug is where I'm having my grandson bury some better wire.... I had also tried to straighten out some of the chicken wire myself to make do until my son could get home...(in military and was away)..

 

[gilcamp4]

My coop is very solid and nothing could get in by breaking in. Could a fox dig under? the coop is sitting on 4 x 4's. I didn't think there were predators in my neighborhood, but a fox was killed (hit by car) right by my driveway. It goes to show you can't be too careful. I can't bury wire because the ground is full of gravel. The girls free range and are locked in before dark.

I am not sure if a fox could get in but just keep an eye out when free rangeing. it was almost day light when they came the 2nd time, could not get into coop as we locked them in close all doors, we had left the run door opened that night.