Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[Celtic Chick]

good morning,
yah, CC, say you agree with me and then go on to map out your plan, all different than mine,,

I do agree with you, Jim. I really like your plan of using the concrete ring as the base for a coop, but seeing as she can only have a 4'x5' coop, I don't think that will be feasible. Using the ring for a run would be a better option in her particular situation. It is still your basic idea, just modified a little bit.

Everyone must have been out enjoying the weather today. I know I was. Got lots accomplished outside that was long overdue.

Hopefully tomorrow will be a repeat.

I am sure your hubby appreciates your help. They just aren't as capable of putting that appreciation into recognizable words. $#!T, d@MN, arghhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[jvls1942]

good evening,

CC I did not think there was a size limit to Dutch's coop.. since they live in farm land out of town almost as far as I am,, and there was a building on that foundation in the past..
but as usual, I am a man, and therefore automatically wrong ..

I had a burst of energy today, but it passed..

got all the geese into the coop and moved their eggs in there also.. one goose laid an egg and covered them all with straw, so the move was a success.. 8 eggs in the nest..

I have a feeling I am repeating myself,, I guess I am tired ..

......jiminwisc..........

 

[Celtic Chick]

You are not wrong Jim. I am. As usual, I got her confused with the gal in New Glarus. See? I can't keep all these newbies straight.

Go ahead. Rub it in.

In that case, yes, I would fill that ring in with concrete and put a coop right on top of it, then run a run off of it in any which direction. As long as you have no size limits, make the coop bigger than you plan, because chicken math will take hold in no time. And then you will be building another coop, and another.........

I am really tired too. Think I better hit the hay soon.

 

[whitmore]

I agree. 4x6 coop last year, 5x7 coop this year. Now we have two. Hindsight.

 

[glarnerchicks]

We're limited in number of chickens. Coop will be 4x6.

 

[jvls1942]

We're limited in number of chickens. Coop will be 4x6.

I couldn't turn around in that small of a coop.. better cut off about two feet of your shovel handle.
If I had to do it all over again, I would make my coop like a garage,, then I would have an overhead door so I could drive the tractor right in and scrape the floor ..

is there a size limit on your coop ? make it as large as you can,, then you can use the extra space for feed storage and the such..

 

[Celtic Chick]

I couldn't turn around in that small of a coop.. better cut off about two feet of your shovel handle.
If I had to do it all over again, I would make my coop like a garage,, then I would have an overhead door so I could drive the tractor right in and scrape the floor ..

is there a size limit on your coop ? make it as large as you can,, then you can use the extra space for feed storage and the such..

No kidding! Our main coop is 20x20 with a 36" people door. I so wish we would have put in a garage door instead. But then we'd need a bigger gate on the run.

When planning the size of your coop, you have to remember that a lot of chickens (at least my spoiled witches) do not go outside all winter, especially when there is snow on the ground. That means they spend all of their time inside the coop for 3 months if not more. Bored chickens get testy & tend to get a bit naughty by pecking and potentially injuring each other if they do not have sufficient room to walk around. Ever heard of the term "cooped up"? They also crap alot, and that poop freezes in the winter making it rather impossible to remove. In a very short time, your deep litter can get really deep in a small coop. Then the ammonia can build up. So an overabundance of coop space is much preferred to too little for many reasons. And like Jim said, having extra room for storage is always a benefit. The less you have to haul to & from the coop, the better.

We started with a 7x7 coop, now it is 20x20. We originally planned on the 20x20 to be a covered run, but as chicks started hatching and chicken math toke hold, we soon realized the 7x7 was way too small for all our birds. So the 20x20 got more walls and doors & turned into the main coop. The run isn't covered but has expanded a few times over the years. It is now 35x60' and I am looking to expand it again soon.

 

[Cindlady]

Hi All!

I hope at least most of you got to spend some time out in the great weather! I spent a good part of the day with a nasty headache

I had the back door open for awhile this afternoon, apparently Neil has been letting the hen turkey (Missy) in to clean up seed and treats he's spilled. When she saw the door was open she came right up the deck and in the door like she was invited! LOL Then TomTom came up and stood by the door until she was done.

Night All!

 

[wyoDreamer]

@Cindlady I am not so sure about your maid service there, may make more of a mess than it cleans up.

 

[glarnerchicks]

There isn't a size limit for the coop, but I want it small enough to be able to clean it, and I found a great deal on resin sheds in that size that I'm going to make into a coop.