Reviews by thecatumbrella

This is a new favorite coop build of mine! Great details, lots of photos, easily sourced materials, and I'm amazed you were able to do it on such a budget. Getting it wedged under the pergola for added protection was a great idea.

A helpful overview of keeping chickens in tighter quarters, while also being mindful of your neighbors. Well done.

This is so fantastic! It was a joy to follow along, and you included so many details (even a video) for those that would like to build their own version. Excellent write up!

Great tips on keeping chickens cool, most of which I also use myself! One note: you mentioned using an outdoor-rated extension cord, but I would also extend that to an outdoor-rated fan. It LOOKS like you have the same outdoor model I use, but it's important to have one with a sealed motor to keep the chicken dust from infiltrating.

I'm so glad you shared this experience, and I'm sorry you ultimately lost two of the pullets. It just emphasizes the importance of quarantine before introducing new birds. I do appreciate the simplicity of how you split chores between the two groups (with your usual shower/change in between). However, I wonder how you would handle things if there was an emergency in the pullet pen during the day. Would you just shower/change again, or did you have another backup plan?

This is a really sweet topic and I related to so much of it! That said, there are always exceptions. My most trustful chicken would pitch a fit whenever I cleaned the nest box, and another that loved to nap together would lose her mind if I picked her up. So I'd consider these "bonus signs". If someone's hitting all 12 with their flock, then they're doing something right!

I like your innovation! It's obviously not a bullet-proof solution, but looks to be buying you more time between water changes. I'd very much like some photos of this setup. You do a good job describing, but it would help to see what you're doing as well.

Love this topic, and it's so true: chickens are easily satisfied. Reminds me of the bit about buying your kids this expensive toy, but they just want to play with the box. Well written with included links for extra reading. Expertly done!

It's wild how this entire build started from a loft bed! I very much like the open air concept. Great photos as well. I would like to hear how it performed for you, especially after this crazy winter we're having, and if the plywood boards were enough to get by.

Had a lot of fun reading this and appreciated the photos detailing the steps along the way. The finished product is outstanding.

Oh wow! This is a one-of-a-kind house, and what amazing photos! I would have liked to see a bit more of the coop itself and any build details, but thank you for sharing Fort Oprpington with us!

This is a beautiful coop, and I love the inclusion of several pictures! I understand it was built on the fly with inspiration from the Wichita, but I wish you had linked to that article so others could more easily find the build details. Even so, thank you for sharing with us!

This looks like a very unique build! Are those skylights? Have you found the chickens disturb the shiny insulation? I want to rate the article higher, so I'm hoping you return to add further details.

This article has a lot of good information, but like others mentioned, I hope you'll come back and convert the graphics to text. It does make it harder to read, but there are solid tips in there for different challenges one might face.

I've never seen water heated this way, so kudos for the originality! Good pictures as well for someone that wants to replicate it themselves. No icing at 25F is impressive, but I hope you'll update when you can test it at lower temps.

I am not a parrot person myself, but enjoyed learning about the "chop" terminology, the importance of it in parrot diets, as well as what foods are safe to offer. I would have liked to see the article cleaned up since it appears to be finished. I'd also suggest putting some bold headers on the two methods for introducing chop, which would make them easier to find in that larger block of text.

Excellent overview on the relationship between chickens and snakes. I also like that you included some snake exclusion measures to protect those precious eggs!

Fantastic deep dive into the world of chicken sunbathing. I truly enjoyed reading through it. Great photos and a cute graphic to round it all out. Perfect for those new to chicken behavior.

This is quite the comprehensive overview on quail! You did a great job dividing your content into categories, and it looks like you've been revising it over time to make the content more and more accessible to quail newbies (like myself). Well done.

This is a beautiful coop and I appreciate that you shared it with us.

If ever you find the time to add more build details so others can take a shot a recreating it (or even just parts of it), I will happily update my rating. The finished build is stunning!

Reviews by thecatumbrella

Show only:

Jj Hen Hut

Raising Chickens Within City Limits

Hobbit House Chicken Coop – Build Pictures from Start to Finish

Southern Heat: Ways to keep your flock cool in the summer.

Quarantine: how I kept the hens safe from Marek's

12 Little Signs Your Chickens Trust You

A method to keep water from freezing without electricity

10 Cheap or Free Things Your Chickens Love More Than Store-Bought Supplies

Open Air Coop and Run built off a Loft Bed in South Texas

It Has Gutters! or, a Coop and Run from the Ground Up

Time-traveling couple with 'historical coop' in New Hampshire!

Our fancy hen house

Portable little big house

Trouble-shooting when your eggs don't hatch.

No More Frozen Chicken Water?

Safe foods for Parrots - How to make a Parrot "Chop"

Can Chickens Kill Snakes?

Chickens and Sunbathing

Button Quail Care Guide - Revised Edition

Love Shack

Reviews by thecatumbrella

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