post your chicken coop pictures here!

[TJordan]

Thanks everyone... As for some of your comments, we are not using deep litter method... It's a small raised wooden coop that is WAY to small for 10 black austolorps... We didn't think they would all live (husbands words). Now we are will be building a 4'x8' coop with around 3.5-4' peak at the back sloping down for rain drain off....

Great info on the boxes.... They need to be lower than the roosts lol.

They will have plenty of room to range...

 

[iwiw60]

Thanks everyone... As for some of your comments, we are not using deep litter method... It's a small raised wooden coop that is WAY to small for 10 black austolorps... We didn't think they would all live (husbands words). Now we are will be building a 4'x8' coop with around 3.5-4' peak at the back sloping down for rain drain off....

Great info on the boxes.... They need to be lower than the roosts lol.

They will have plenty of room to range...

Are you saying then that you're planning on expanding to a 4' x 8' coop for 10 Black Australorps? A 4x8 coop equals 32 sq.ft. Large breed girls such as BA's (which is what I have also) really need a minimum of 3-5 sq.ft. per bird. I would say that only 7-8 birds would fit comfortably in that size coop. Add to that the roost bar(s)/poop tray, waterers and feeders, nesting boxes....that's really really going to be a tight squeeze in the long run I fear. JMHO

 

[andreanar]

That looks like a sphynx in your avatar picture

It is! I have 2 of them. They are my babies!

 

[Sylvester017]

r/>Thanks
Thanks for the advice as all your suggestions were taken. I made an enclosed roof of the run using clear corrugated roofing that opens on hinges. The coop itself has a window in the back that allows for the needed ventilation.

For the winter, I plan on wrapping the pen using 6 mil plastic doubled over to use as break the elements. The corrugated roof panels allow for ventilation for the girls.

For the short duration that we've had them, Betty and Mabel have become pets and i love them dearly!

Thanks everyone for the valuable info!

Those hens do capture our hearts!

 

[bruceha2000]

Hi vehve, i'm new at this I started with 20 day old white legorn chicks and 16 survived they started laying a week back, I live on an island called Panglao its in the province of Bohol

Except for your chicken wire.......I'm in love with your coop. The chicken wire will not keep any predator out and keep your ladies safe! I'm saying this from experience.

1/4" or 1/2" hardware wiring is more expensive but at least you know if you bury 12" and use some kind of pavers around the perimeter.....I put the rest of the hardware wiring up 3' ....to the cheaper 2x4" x ?.... This has been the most expensive part of my coop.

Unless you have found a source for heavier gauge wire in 1/4" hardware cloth, I would skip it. It is much thinner wire than 1/2" hardware cloth and not all that hard for a larger predator to rip into.

Thanks everyone... As for some of your comments, we are not using deep litter method... It's a small raised wooden coop that is WAY to small for 10 black austolorps... We didn't think they would all live (husbands words). Now we are will be building a 4'x8' coop with around 3.5-4' peak at the back sloping down for rain drain off....

Great info on the boxes.... They need to be lower than the roosts lol.

They will have plenty of room to range...

Are you saying then that you're planning on expanding to a 4' x 8' coop for 10 Black Australorps? A 4x8 coop equals 32 sq.ft. Large breed girls such as BA's (which is what I have also) really need a minimum of 3-5 sq.ft. per bird. I would say that only 7-8 birds would fit comfortably in that size coop. Add to that the roost bar(s)/poop tray, waterers and feeders, nesting boxes....that's really really going to be a tight squeeze in the long run I fear. JMHO

What iwiw said

Double it and it might be enough space for 10 LF. Unless you have a serious square footage problem in the yard, make that sucker much bigger than you think you need. Make it big and tall enough for you to walk in. SO much easier to do maintenance when you don't need to reach in from the outside (and in all kinds of weather). And you can make an area inside to keep the feed in 10 gallon trash cans with wire loop handles that lock over the lid. No carrying feed out to the coop every day. It doesn't have to be expensive, if you don't make the Taj Mahal

 

[cyclearkansas]

Thanks. Its been a challenge. My fence needs a lot of work right now I agree. I haven't lost any in 3 years with it. I think due more to location than anything.

 

[goodbyddy13]

Cool coop cycle Arkansas

 

[EagleEyes]

Here is the best shot of my coop and run

 

[iwiw60]

Here is the best shot of my coop and run

Very nice for sure! Two things, however:
1. As you live in Wisconsin and get brutal cold, not to mention snow, have you put up plastic greenhouse sheeting around the run area? This will keep blowing snow and cold winds off them...you'll find they'll spend more time in the run that way. Be sure to leave about 6-8" at the top clear so there's ventilation.
2. You used chicken wire...aaaack!!

Predators like racoons, weasels, fox, etc., will tear through that like it was butter. At the very least I would suggest you use 1/2" hardware cloth around the bottom half, burying it 10-12" down and out so they can't dig in. Racoons are known for reaching in and grabbing hens by the neck and head and ripping them off. JMHO.

I wish you all the very best!

 

[EagleEyes]

Thanks for your suggestions.

If you click on my picture you will see that I have 1/2" hardware cloth on the bottom half and it is buried 8" deep all the way around and stapled with the kind you hammer in, every where.

In this picture you can see that I put up plastic on the bottom half and a small cover on one area that I can take off next spring, however, last night we had our first snowfall, only a couple of inches but i saw that a little snow came in on the south/long side so I'm off to ACE to get another 9' of plastic, (and it's the stuff that has nylon thread running through it) for the top half and I'll leave a good 6-8" open on the top.
When I put the first plastic on they hated it,and pecked at it. Kinda funny to me, but not to them.