post your chicken coop pictures here!

[Sylvester017]

Has anyone had any experience with battery operated chicken door openers? We don't want to run electricity in pipes to the coop, plus we don't feel comfortable running any cords/wires to the coop, so we looked into the battery type openers. We don't trust any type of automatic door openers so want something to use while we're home to keep an eye on its daily function - if it works to give us a couuple extra hours of sleep in the morning we want to try it. Can someone share their experiences or look at the following timer and give me feedback or recommend another brand:
http://www.backyardchickencoops.com.au/coop-accessories/automatic-chicken-door-opener/
TY

 

[WthrLady]

Not worried about fading or dirt. I could NOT bring myself to using shades of brown. Everything here is dull and dead coloured. I'll just repaint as needed.

I do photography, watercolours, and used to do art quilting for fun. I LOVE colour!

 

[Sylvester017]

I am disappointed, Sylvester, in your lack of comment on the egg collection "design" but perhaps you didn't notice the first picture is the egg collection door open.

Not only is there no overhang, the door is hinged on the BOTTOM so when you open it to collect:
1) the door is in the way as it is held up by chains
2) any precipitation will go DIRECTLY onto the open door and run into the coop.

The design and materials were so preposterous that it didn't even deserve the amount of comment I wasted on it!!!!!

 

[Sylvester017]

Not worried about fading or dirt. I could NOT bring myself to using shades of brown. Everything here is dull and dead coloured. I'll just repaint as needed.

I do photography, watercolours, and used to do art quilting for fun. I LOVE colour!

I bet you have some artwork in mind for the walls already! We artists can't help ourselves!

 

[Sylvester017]

"Tilly's Nest" website has an article on how/why the new avian flu is spreading and how the type A viruses mutate -- she's a nurse and is always on top of medical issues re: chickens.

 

[TalkALittle]

Saw a Hampton chicken coop designed by an architect featured on New York Times.








What do you think of this fancy coop?
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/05/g...ern-coop-by-aro-architects.html?emc=eta1&_r=0

The more I look at this coop, the more I actually like it. Yes, it has flaws. As others pointed out, the radiant heated floor is impractical and unnecessary, the exterior egg collection door allows for rain and snow to get in during use, and it looks like it has very little ventilation and natural light.

However, it looks big enough to walk into to gather eggs on rainy days, has a lovely overhang by the door, and there is a whole 4th wall that we don't even see that for all we know could have a beautiful big window in it (yeah, I know it's probably just a plain wall).

I think it's kinda cool to look at. If it had been built with a window in the door, a nice big one on the opposite end, and a ridge vent for ventilation, it'd be a cool coop to have in the back yard. From a practical standpoint, even with the improvements it's still probably not worth the price must have cost, but from a design standpoint there's something to be said for having a non-conventional, one-of-a-kind coop.

 

[WthrLady]

Here is the whole article
http://www.dezeen.com/2015/02/12/sh...-york-home-hens-architecture-research-office/

 

[KensingtonHens]

We have 11 bantams now.  4 Silkies, 3 Bantam Easter Eggers, 1 Bantam Dominique, and 3 Bantum Buff Orpingtons.  We do plan on letting the Silkies raise a few chicks this year if they decide to go broody again.  I would feel comfortable with about 20 chickens in this space.  (I want them to have plenty of room.)

That's a nice number. Are you hatching too?

 

[KensingtonHens]

The fact that it's shiny means that it would reflect rather than absorb energy.  Surfaces are rated with emissivity coefficients-the ability to reflect energy.  The ideal reflective surface would have a coefficient of 0 and a surface that reflected no light would have a coefficient of 1.  The better at reflecting, the smaller the coefficient.  Polished stainless steel is low, 0.16 vs. a painted surface which is about 0.9ish or plain wood at about 0.8ish.

http://www-eng.lbl.gov/~dw/projects/DW4229_LHC_detector_analysis/calculations/emissivity2.pdf

One of the benefits (or curses) of having an engineer for a husband is I get to learn all about this kind of stuff.

I was reading through the posting about the fancy coop backwards and became very worried as hubby just finished covering our coop/run with shiny corrigated tin! Then I read your post Talkalittle and reallyrelived!! We have built it under a very large pecan tree so it's shaded vutually all summer and the gets more light in the winter but never direct light. I'd hate to think I might have set my bantams up for roasting!! Love those engineers!

 

[dawgfan01]

Will try to get some pics of mine tomorrow if it isn't snowing all day.Lots of great looking coops in here