Reviews by thecatumbrella

I remember seeing this a few years ago and falling in love with it. Great problem solving, and honestly, my chickens would LOVE to live in something like this. Lots of hidey holes and options to explore and roost. Nicely done!

This is fantastic! I struggled so badly trying to use vet wrap on my feather-footed chick. Bookmarking this article for next time!

Amazing illustrations! I love that the article gets right to the point on all the benefits of coop height (for both feathered and unfeathered occupants). Vertical space is useable space in the chicken world!

Awesome article with great pictures! I 100% agree that colorful "toys" are wasted on older chicks and chickens, and the focus should be on more natural activities. My young chicks still take a lot of joy in pecking at unique objects, but your mileage will vary.

One of my favorite BYC articles. I come back to it again and again. Hoping to create a sectioned area of our run for exactly this purpose.

These photos are too cute. I really appreciate the step-by-step. What a perfect model

Everyone deserves love at Christmas!

Very nice collection of ideas on how to spoil your feathered friends.

Having a picture to go along with each egg type is incredibly helpful. Really appreciate this write up.

I love this. You really made the best of the space. We use an Omlet Cube for the same reason (red mite resistance), but it doesn't have a tiny ambient fireplace!

Unbelievably timely. I have a pullet littered in spots. Top possibilities are dirt or pecking (pecking order has been amped up lately). So well written, and gives me a springboard to start diagnosing.

Fantastic article. I had a suspected egg bound pullet this afternoon (she passed the egg before I could act), but I'm bookmarking this for future reference.

This so unbelievably well done. Kudos to your husband and son. So many thoughtful touches from someone new to chickens!

I had asked about the egg song on the forums today, and was referred to this article. What an interesting concept! I have noticed one chicken calling when the other was in the nest box. She stops if we (or her chicken friend) come back outside. Perhaps she is calling for assistance!

Absolutely stunning! Great choice of finishes and color. Lots of attention to detail. I especially like how you skirted the hardware cloth around the base. I'll probably "borrow" this idea when we attempt to build our own run. Thank you for sharing!

Really interesting to see the evolution of chicken raising! I agree about brooding in cooler temps. We started ours upstairs for a few days while they got their sea legs, then moved them down to our 50 degree basement (with a heat plate of course). They did outstanding! Feathered very quickly, and were able to start enjoying the outdoors by 3 weeks. We'll be attempting chick integration next spring, and I'm going to utilize the advice in this article (do it early, escape portals, etc.)

Really enjoyed this article. Thorough, yet to the point. Our chickens are in their first winter, and are troopers even in the 20's. When it dips lower, we deploy some of the strategies from this post (cracked corn, BSFL, etc.)