Sporadic Travel - can I leave them in coop a few days

[bobbi-j]

The coop and run design section of the forum is a GREAT place to go for ideas!

 

[Cacique500]

You might also want to see if you can get electric out to the coop. I'm guessing you get some semi-cold winters...you'll have to worry about frozen water. I have a large heated dog bowl in addition to a "normal" waterer...if the normal one freezes, the heated dog bowl is always good. I too travel quite a bit but I do have the temporary luxury of a neighborhood kid who checks them for me a couple times a week.

 

[christwodog]

We travel about 4-6 times a year, usually for a week at a time. I have the pvc tube feeders, which hold a week's worth of food between two of them (for 6 chickens). I use the 5 gallon bucket with the horizontal nipple dispensers, this holds plenty of water and has 5 dispensers so if one were to get clogged, there are others they can use. My coop is kind of like a big run in itself, with nest boxes and a little "house" they can go into if they want. I have a neighbor's daughter babysit them while we're gone, I pay her and she collects eggs and checks on them, I leave treats with her so she can give them a fresh cabbage for the cabbage hanger or other fruits and veggies. She also puts fresh hay in the coop a few times during the week, which helps keep it semi-clean. If we are gone only for a long weekend, they are fine on their own. The only downside is that when we are gone, they don't get to free range in the yard like they normally do. But my neighbor doesn't want to risk losing a chicken while I'm gone, so she doesn't let them out. You will figure out what system works for you, try a weekend trip to start and see how it goes. But the pvc feeders and nipple waterer are worth their weight in gold. Good luck, it will work out fine!

 

[Jakedude]

Friends;

I have found a few local folks who will build a coop, I have considered building one myself, and I continue looking into other alternatives.

In my search I came across this coop available online through Tractor Supply.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/pr...ra-large-green-walk-in-coop-up-to-15-chickens

*My apologies if the external link causes any problems.

This appears to be large enough for 5-6 birds and has the size that I could leave them alone for a day or so without major issues (considering that I leave enough food/water).

This also has the advantage of not requiring me to rip out part of my fence to get a coop into my back yard, the cost is affordable and I won't need sketchy contractors around the house for days.

I would re-paint/seal the wood and would bury hardware cloth or the like on the edges to prevent digging.

Do any of the more experienced Chicken-ists see any profound issues with this coop (given my travel issues discussed infra)?

*The better half and I have decided to try 5-6 Buff Orpington type of birds for our first go, largely because they are friendly and we are getting chickens 50% for the eggs and 50% for pets and they seem to be the best mannered for birds that we intend to keep past their laying prime.

As always the advice is very appreciated.

Jake

 

[cavemanrich]

That coop would do OK for the amount of Chickens you want to keep. The total price with delivery and Tax is close to $450. Give or take. How much do others want to build one for you? If you were to build one yourself, you would have cash leftover from the materials bill. You could also make the run larger and more secure as well. Are you handy enough to do the work yourself, and do you have the TIME?

 

[Jakedude]

The folks that build them that I have found thus far build them off site and deliver which is extra and I would have to tear out 8-9' of my privacy fence to get it into my back yard. I have found them "turn key" for $1,200.00 to $1,500.00 locally including the fence work.

Honestly, I could do it myself, but it would probably be a bit of an eyesore. I priced out doing it myself in the $800 realm because I would have to pick up a few new tools and it would take a considerable amount of time due to my relative lack of experience (I also don't personally own a pickup truck).

I'm hoping that the better half and myself can try this out as inexpensively as possible to see if we like it and if so, we can upgrade. But, I don't want to stick the birds in an inadequate space - the whole idea is that we want happy chickens.

Jake

 

[lutherpug]

Given that you're in Tulsa, I'd check out these coops. Less than 3 hours from you. They'll deliver or you could rent a truck. Plus they're customizable. For not much more money you'll get something that's not an eyesore and is probably better built.

I don't have any experience with this company personally but I was considering buying a coop from them as they're 3 hours away from me as well.

If I were going to customize one it would be to add more ventilation above where the chickens roost. This is an important aspect of a well designed coop.

http://chickencoopcondos.com

 

[just13nat]

Hi! I am local to you, I live in Verdigris. Another option for a pre-fab coop is Metro Building Supply. They have multiple locations, but the one in BA has chicken coops, I really like the loafing shed coop. Also, there's quite a few local FB chicken pages that always have coops for sale. There's specifically a Tulsa Backyard Chickens group as well as Oklahoma Chickens, Oklahoma Backyard Chickens, BA backyard chickens, Oklahoma Poultry, etc etc. That would be a good starting point for local advice!

Here's link to Metro Building Supply. Most of the shed places you see all over Tulsa have chicken coops as well, some are a bit pricey though and do not have adequate ventilation.

http://www.metrobuildingoutlet.com/6x12-deluxe-loafing-shed-chicken-coop-4J3b.html

 

[Jakedude]

Team;

For a little update. I found a local craftsman who is willing to build a coop for me within my budget and will be considerably larger than what I think I need for 6 birds. Photographs will follow soon. We are thinking about ordering up 6 Buff Orpington chicks (female) at the end of the month. I have a small 2nd living room in the house I don't really use much and I will post them up in there with a heating light for the 6 week grow out. I assume its ok to let the chicks go outside if the trip is tightly supervised?

Looking forward to the journey - I will keep everyone posted.

Jake

 

[lazy gardener]

As for predator safety: In the run, cover the top to keep climbing predators out, as well as hawks. Buried skirt around the perimeter of the run. Chicken wire will not keep a predator out, it will only keep a chicken in. A weasel will squeeze through any opening you could push a quarter through. A single weasel can kill an entire flock in a single night just for the sport of it. Your coop will need lots of ventilation all year round. IMO, it would not be good to keep them shut in the coop during the heat of the day, so you are going to need a predator proof run. General rule of thumb is 4 s.f. of floor space in coop and 10 s.f. in run/bird. I agree with all PP that the prefab coops are a waste of money, poorly designed and a total misrepresentation of the # of birds they will house. Walk in style coops are by far easier for all concerned.