This is a great salvage coop. It's amazing what you can do with an old piece of someone else's junk, a little ingenuity and a lot of elbow grease. Nice Job!
Good one! We've all been there at some point, so it's fun to know that we're not the only ones being outwitted by a wily hen. I sure hope they figure it out soon, though - those Welsummer eggs are gorgeous!
Anyone looking for a basic, solid coop need look no further than here. And you're right, chickens don't need aesthetics ... but sometimes WE do! These coops would be very easy to "dress up" with a little paint or trim, if desired. Personally, I like the clean look of these boxy coops.
I do find myself wishing the writer had followed up with some of the behavior he/she wanted to observe. How did that pan out? Could you possibly add some commentary on how the chickens sorted themselves out? Please?
Your wish is my command.
There is a follow up article on the way. It's called The Tribal Chicken.
I find it hard judging the length an article needs to be in order to keep the reader interested and informed.
I decided the best option was write a number of articles and link one to another...It's slow progess.
Thank you for reading and commenting.
This is an excellent system and an even better write-up. All of the details are there, from exact door sizes to schedules to easy chick-round-up. Pictures are great and very helpful ... and the one with the baby peeking out through the open door is just priceless!
Thanks for a great article!
Excellent! Well written, well thought out and well presented. This is actually getting printed out for my daughter's next 4H meeting - proper credit given, of course! Thank you for a wonderful teaching aid for our new showers!
Okay, Folks - These are some pretty amazing, VERY creative coops, here. Let's see what anyone else can come up with. If your coop, or someone you know's coop rivals one of these beauties, let's see it! ... Please? I LOVE this stuff!
There's is a LOT of information here, but it's worth sorting through. If your eyes start to glaze from info overload, don't give up! Take a break, digest what you've read, and come back to where you left off. It's well worth the time!
Thank you for bringing the plight of the Bobwhite to the fore!
As a child, my mom and I would sit out back on the picnic table and whistle for the bobwhites. They would always whistle back! As I grew older, I would often whistle as I worked in my gardens, or whenever I found myself in a place that looked like a likely place for the little quail to hide. As time passed, I got fewer and fewer responses. I stopped, eventually, thinking that I was just too busy to wait as patiently as I had when I was younger. Then I had a chance to go back to the "old place" and whistled for my old friends. I waited. And I whistled. And I waited some more, but the quail were gone. That's when I started paying more attention. I whistled and waited pretty much every chance I got ... no bobwhites!
I now keep a "wild" patch of emergent forest in my yard. Next Spring, I hope to hatch some bobwhites for release. Between the foxes and the cats, there probably won't be many that make it, but I want to try. I miss talking to my little friends!
I think that's WONDERFUL!! If we just keep trying, hopefully we will eventually succeed where others are failing. We just have to be persistent and try to keep the predators away for a bit while the population grows. How wonderful of you!! It is so sad that they are disappearing! I would sure hate to lose such a magnificent species. Even the specialists don't know enough about them to successfully release them from coop. But I am finding that people here seem to know more about them than the specialists lol. I know that even man is a predator, as Bobwhite are hunted for food. But I think hunters need to think about the total loss of them, and help to revive them before continuing to hunt...just my opinion. I think if the environment is right and there are weeds, grasses, woody hiding places, bugs, and a water source, and we release just before breeding season so they can get acclimated, and we try to scare predators away for awhile, it will work!! Happy Conserving!! I'll pray for your success and that you may someday be able to call with your friends, the Bobwhites again!! I adore them!! I'm moving to the Arkansas Ozarks in a few years to retire, and will be joining this cause myself there. I think I am also going to speak to the Native Chiefs, Elders, and Council here in New Mexico, as they have most of the land here still, and see if we can't try here too. Bobwhites used to be here 100 years ago, and they are all but gone, only found at the far east borders now. In fact, people have no idea that we have lost the population of the entire west half of the United States in the past 100 years. I'm surprised no one even cared, especially because Bobwhites are hunted and consumed by man. You'd think someone would have spoke up much sooner. But instead, they just get them shipped from the midwest and eastern states, and then charge 30 to 50 bucks or more for quail dinner. It saddens me. We should replenish them before we consume them to extinction.
There is a great deal of thought and logic put into this experiment. Thank you for documenting the process so well! My coop is scheduled for an update, next Spring, so I will definitely be incorporating some of these changes. Nature truly does know best - and we would do well to imitate whenever possible!
Thank you. I'm pleased you enjoyed the article.
I have 4 more articles partially completed which I shall eventuelly post here. They all go against conventional wisdom so I'll be interested to see what reaction they get,if any.
What a neat concept and well thought out plan. I'll definitely be watching ... and listening to ... my hens a little more closely for a bit. I love this whole idea!
Very good article here - Lots of details in the plans, the tool and supply lists, even the "what to do differently" list. A lot of thought was put into both the coop plans and the article, and it shows. Thank you for an excellent guide.
This is a nice, basic coop. There's room to stand and work and plenty of room for Chicken Math to do it's job. The rain barrel is a good idea. Some info on how it was done would be helpful to others who would like to try it. The only reservation I would have is about predator proofing. It looks like the run started out as just chicken wire (smart move, adding the heavier fencing.) If chicken wire is what is buried underground as a safety apron, it will need to be replaced asap. Chicken wire is designed to keep chickens in. It does NOT keep predators out - the openings expand easily with a little paw pressure. The other big drawback of chicken wire is that most of it rusts, especially when in direct contact with the ground.
All in all, this is a good project - especially for a first coop build. Nicely done!
This is a great looking coop. The architectural window is a really classy touch - I love it! Some interior views and some text /pics on the building process would be a real bonus.
This is a great article for demystifying the genetic code of ducks. The only suggestion I would make is , under the "Putting it All Together" heading, putting the individual allele codes in after each phrase in the description would help novices (like myself!) to sort things out. Just the first couple, then make us work for it!
With an article like this one, I just may end up understanding genetics, eventually!