post your chicken coop pictures here!

[AUplantman]

I have to say...GREAT JOB on the build! I especially like your two-run system...nice! Now for the bad news unfortunately.....


You have wired your entire setup in plain chicken wire.....eegads!!! You live in Alabama, your setup is backing up to a forested area, and you have predators galore I am sure. Chicken wire only does one thing...keep chickens in. It is, sadly, totally useless against predators like raccoons, possum, weasel, skunk, coyote, wild dogs, etc. They will tear through your chicken wire like it was butter and there ya go...your flock destroyed after all your hard work. Using 1/2" hardware cloth is the only way to go to defend your flock against scumbag predators. I see that you did 'apron' your wire somewhat into the ground...that's good, but again, 1/2" HC is really your only defense.

I apologize...don't mean to offend...

No offense taken!

We are definitely in a rural area, where all of these animals are abundant. It is hard to tell, but there is a layer of wood lattice on the back and sides, (i know predators can tear through this also) as well as a layer of hog wire fence that encircles my entire property, which should rule out wild dogs/coyotes etc. Now I am waiting on the raccoon, or opossum etc to show up. I do have a dog that stays right beside the coop that is not pictured. (cross between mountain cur and Feist) that are very aggressive toward raccoon and opossum. I also will be setting live traps behind, and on top of the run if needed, but luckily only one snake so far.

ohhh boy. hope i have not jinxed myself now..........

 

[Sylvester017]

I am not sure but my kids say that they are Red-tailed. They are big and are not afraid to try to swoop down even when we are standing right there.

Our Cooper's Hawk doesn't seem to fear humans either. We have to make a really loud noise which is working less and less - or wait for the Crows to chase him/her off. Crows are good at chasing off predators plus they leave our hens alone!

 

[Sylvester017]

We don't have those problems here (rat, squirrel, raccoon, oppossum, or hawks). We are also what you would call an "urban ranch". We are in the city of North Las Vegas and I have 8' brick walls all around the yard with no way for anything to get in, or out. I also have a lab that protects the flock. I love the tree because it provides all of the shade that is needed for the 100+ degree days we have during the summer months. We clip wings of the chickens that are able to jump and fly anything over 3 feet so no one is able to get out...

We never had problems with wild critters in the suburbs until we got chickens. A road-kill oppossum or raccoon on our cul-de-sac tells us they're around! Over the weekend we heard about an escaped illegal albino Cobra loose in the city of Thousand Oaks - scary stuff! An 8-foot wall is a wonderful protection from canines - dogs, foxes, wolves. That kind of wall is great. The only thing that bothers me when we build ours is that it won't keep raccoons out - they are clever and dexterous enough to scale stucco, brick, rain gutters, etc. They are really getting clever. And each female breeds a minimum of 6 kits more every year!

I know what you mean about those 100 degree days - we've got them too with 40% humidity on top of that. The chickens are miserable but they use the shelter of our pop-up canopy and several scattered plywood shelters and doghouses to snooze/hide in during the day. We have an Orbit Mister that works to keep them cool without wasting a lot of water. Chickens love the moist ground to scratch or dust-bathe.

For our girls we decided not to clip their wings. I asked my breeder and was told not to do it on the off-chance they need flight to get away from a predator. After having two stray neighborhood mutts break our gate and attack our little coop we felt it had been good advice. Our girls are very good about staying in the parameter of the backyard even though some can easily fly over the fence. The older ones show the younger ones what the "rules" of the yard are. We have a 2-foot-tall roll of rabbit fence dividing the vegetable garden from the chicken yard. A couple times some younger pullets flew into the garden but we quietly and slowly ushered them out the gate and they quickly realized to stay on THEIR side of the fence. It's only 2-ft tall but they respect the barrier - I never thought it possible til we tried it.

 

[TJordan]

We have red tailed hawks and a mated pair of bald eagles near here... Nothing like going to the store and seeing a bald eagle sitting in a tree... Five of us were sitting one side of the road watching it... Lol...

 

[PrimroseMom1]

I've got two kids... He knows I'll always cook food... Now I did go 2 weeks once leaving his dirty work cloths right where he dumped them.... it got filthy right next to his chair... And then there was the time I was sick for a week and in the hospital... I came home and wanted to torch the house...

Cure for that? Hire a cleaning service then tell him, may not be able to pay electricity this month, I had to get a cleaning service. I was told not to clean straight out of the hospital. JS

 

[debgal]

I ran out of pallet wood, but at least the north side of the coop and barn are covered. I'm pooped.

 

[PrimroseMom1]

Everyone who's building their coops right now, be sure to document your process and enter the coop competition!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...mmer-2014-win-a-20-byc-store-gift-certificate

So far I think the competition only has 13 or 14 entries, and with the amount of builds I've seen pictures of here, I think quite a few of you would have something to submit.

I decided I would enter mine but I don't have a "create article" button.
Administrators: why can't I enter my coop build in the contest?

 

[PrimroseMom1]

Here are a few pics of our chicken coop. We built 2 separate chicken runs, 12x12 with separate doors entering the coop so that we can determine which run the chickens will be able to use. We did this so that we can grow a small garden in one run while the chickens are in the other, rotating seasonally. We just finished the second run (on right) this weekend and spread some millet seed to germinate quickly for grazing. I will be moving the chickens over to that side withing 10-12 days (or as soon as the millet is a few inches high). We will be planting our fall garden in the first run as soon as the temps cool enough for the items we will be planting.

I love the double run idea. I think I will try a version of that. Great ideas. I noticed you used chicken wire which is not predator proof.

 

[PrimroseMom1]

I ran out of pallet wood, but at least the north side of the coop and barn are covered. I'm pooped.

Wow. That wood pattern is gorgeous.

 

[judesbrood]

Don't lie... Just say you had a nice afternoon

Then ask him to help outside

How the heck do you remove the cement blocks???? I hope not up over the top!