post your chicken coop pictures here!

[caychris]

This is a point that I came across and am really glad I did. Since mine is a work in progress....I'm going to change the roost situation around a bit to make it higher than the nesting boxes....

Does anyone find that if the roost is too high that Large fowl wont roost there. My Delawares have always just piled into the nestbox from the very beginning. Of course their brooder and the first coop never had proper roosts.

 

[1chief]

Here is my set up

And this is the one I'm building to sell

 

[Sylvester017]

Here is ours! Its was made by a local builder in the Raleigh area in NC. Its called the "Mini-Cooper." =)

A lot of companies/builders call their models "Mini-Coopers" - ezcleancoops.com has a Model they call the Mini-Coop-R. Seems to be a catchy name.

We bought our current little coop in a feed store custom-built so we had no say in its design. We set it on 2x4 skids on top of paver stones and started with a 3-foot wide paver sidewalk all around to deter digging predators. Saved our girls from 2 stray dogs that broke our yard gate to attack the coop. They mangled the flimsy poultry wire with their teeth and claws but couldn't dig underneath. Thank goodness a good neighbor chased them off.

As for Raccoons - they're everywhere. No one in our city neighborhood thought we had critters until we came home at 2 a.m. and saw a goat-sized Raccoon coming out of the street stormdrain.

Testimonial here - DO NOT use poultry wire on your coops or pens. It's wasted money and won't keep out critters. It only keeps the chickens inside but not the predators outside! And don't forget to buy or make an awning or extend the roof line over the nestbox to keep out rain when you lift the lid to collect eggs.

 

[Sylvester017]

We have way to much as well in what we call the Taj Mahal but we think there worth it. We only intended on spending $300-$400 but not even close.

GORGEOUS PLANNING! IT'S NEVER "TOO MUCH" LOL!!!

I HATE WALKING IN MUD AND NOTICED NO STONE PAVERS AT THE PEN ENTRANCE. FIRST SLOSHY RAIN YOU'LL BE HAPPY TO HAVE THEM THERE NOT TO MENTION MAKING IT HARDER FOR A DIGGING CRITTER.

 

[jtbass2756]

Here is ours! Its was made by a local builder in the Raleigh area in NC. Its called the "Mini-Cooper." =)

Suzyr:::; you know its a shame that a place as big as Raleigh will allow chickens when a place like Rocky Mount won't! And they wonder why so many people are moving either to the country or to a place like Raleigh!!!!

 

[Sylvester017]

Put out a dog house and a couple of 18" wide board planks on cinder blocks against fences or building walls for the girls to snooze/hide under from aerial predators. We never knew we had hawks or owls in the city til we got chickens! A couple rose bushes in the yard is a favourite for them. They like sitting under stickery plants and hawks won't go after hiding chickens. They only swoop down on chickens in open areas. Our Cooper's Hawk can sit on patio furniture not more than 5 feet from our girls but he won't go after them in the dog house or under their lean-to's or under the rose bushes. Boysenberry or stickery berry bushes climbing along a fence makes a nice hiding/snooze area, feeds the chickens and humans with berries, and makes a nice foliage cover over chainlink fencing.

Again GORGEOUS planning!

 

[Sylvester017]

I think an excellent price would be about $100 including shipping.....I can send you the NY address it should go to as well! (he he)

Nice coop! Also, the comment about the cover over the nesting boxes...who collects eggs in the pouring rain anyway? As long as it's leak proof for the girls, I wouldn't worry too much about that issue. Well done! Good Luck selling it!

MB

Sometimes you have no option running on the way to work to have to collect those eggs in the rain before a chicken eats them or breaks them with klutzy feet and there's a deluge overhead. So it does pay to think about those outside lidded nestboxes! Using an umbrella was useless the first time we did it!

 

[MrSelf Destruct]

Suzyr:::; you know its a shame that a place as big as Raleigh will allow chickens when a place like Rocky Mount won't! And they wonder why so many people are moving either to the country or to a place like Raleigh!!!!

I had no idea Rocky Mount will not allow chickens!?! That does seem kinda backward.

 

[Sylvester017]

i guess after researching coops i will ask 500.00 OBO IS THAT FAIR ONES THE SAME SIZE GO FROM 300-1375. mine is not a prefab. all custom made.

Custom-made is always better quality. Wish we had your talent. Like I said it is not a design I prefer but certainly appreciate the quality of it!

 

[waynem1983]

Does anyone find that if the roost is too high that Large fowl wont roost there. My Delawares have always just piled into the nestbox from the very beginning. Of course their brooder and the first coop never had proper roosts.

yes, my BO's wont use the roost bar even though its only 40cm off the floor, im fitting a cross bar 15cm up to try encourage them, but failing that I will have to tryfit a ramp into an already cramped hut.