After finding out that there is more to chickens then a barbaque drumstick, I decided one day that I might be interested in raising a few chickens. As with anything that I do, I had to do my homework first. I started asking people that I know about raising chickens and to my delight, I recieved about 30 different ways to manage my new flock. Then one day I sat down to the computer and decided that somebody out there in this vast world should have a good book on the subject so I boutht Chickens for dummies and proceded to read the whole book starting at page one. As the days went by, I found myself absolutly fascinated with the subject of chickens and amazed at what I was learning in the process. I found that there really is more to chickens then just dropping them into the deep fryer. I found out that there are 200 different breeds of chickens and people do all kinds of things with them. I became so engrossed in my new found hobby that I decieded that I needed to build a new brooder. Off to the lumber yard I went. I had absolutly NO idea what a brodder should look like or how it works, I just knew that I had to build one. I scowered the internet until I came up with a photo of one that I liked and decided to try and imitate it, of course adding my own extra touches. As you will find out, when I build something I want it to be as user friendly as possible in the end, so thats how I always start my new projects that I have no idea what Im building or how to improve on it. Ok,,, picture time, so dont laugh... it works....
It was built so that the little guys/gals can live in a duplex for there first days here on earth.
Now that the lights have been turned on, its time to add some water, food and even a little jungle gym to get there excercise.
ok, so now that I have some little ones brewing in the brooder, I supposed its time to work on their future accomodations. So, back to the lumber yard we go. Once again I scowered the internet looking for coop designs and asked all my buddies for some technical advice, but to no avail... I'm in this on my own again...
I started this project with alot of zeal and enthusiasm, but as the days wore on, I started to beg the question,, when is the end of this project. Once again, I am prepared to show pics of the new chicken palace.......
I have many more pics to show the progress of the project, but this is just an overview from start to finish. But if you would like to see the interior decoration and furnishings, then your in luck because we have some of those pics handy too..
what you see here is a feeder, waterer and a homeade feeder bin. I pulled all of the wood for that out of the bone pile and was quite surprised when it took 2 1/2 five gallon buckets to fill it up... even the little chubbie meaties wont blow threw that in a sitting.
I set of nest boxes. There are 9 total, I want the little gals to have their choice of comfort so that they can deliver me lots of nice eggs.
THE other six are accesable from outside of the coup.
THis here is part of the electrical control system for the coup... It consists of 2 brooder lamps plugged into an outdoor timer,(one I still havent figured out yet, as Im still just using the on/off button). It has 28 programs available but only 2 plug-ins...Im still working on that one and will have to get back with ya on it.
on the north end, we have a cleaning access door with the little chicken door built right in. The ramp is screwed in, so it can be moved at any time.
Litterally on the south end of the coop, we have the bathroom facilities...In the first pick, I have wire for flooring to allow all of the poo during their roosting time to fall into the pit below. Of course this is accesable through the south access door. Under the flooring there is a catch box built into the coop, so when it is time to change out the box, it can be easily pulled out (pic3)
So at the end of the day, everyone can play together and romp around at their new address.......
.... As this went to print and I sit back satisfied by a job well done, a little birdie wispered in my ear....
"Don't forget about the upcoming addition to the coop, to make room for our 35 brothers and sisters ariving in May"............ One last thing,, if you notice the pooch in most of the pics, that was no accident.... He thinks that he is still the center of all attention, and up until today he was allowed to enter the pen with me until I caught him licking the chickens... I scolded him of course that there is no taste testing before they are cooked...
Well this has been fun taking a journey in a day of the life of "Mark the rookie chicken farmer"
BYC
It was built so that the little guys/gals can live in a duplex for there first days here on earth.
Now that the lights have been turned on, its time to add some water, food and even a little jungle gym to get there excercise.
ok, so now that I have some little ones brewing in the brooder, I supposed its time to work on their future accomodations. So, back to the lumber yard we go. Once again I scowered the internet looking for coop designs and asked all my buddies for some technical advice, but to no avail... I'm in this on my own again...I started this project with alot of zeal and enthusiasm, but as the days wore on, I started to beg the question,, when is the end of this project. Once again, I am prepared to show pics of the new chicken palace.......
I have many more pics to show the progress of the project, but this is just an overview from start to finish. But if you would like to see the interior decoration and furnishings, then your in luck because we have some of those pics handy too..
what you see here is a feeder, waterer and a homeade feeder bin. I pulled all of the wood for that out of the bone pile and was quite surprised when it took 2 1/2 five gallon buckets to fill it up... even the little chubbie meaties wont blow threw that in a sitting.
I set of nest boxes. There are 9 total, I want the little gals to have their choice of comfort so that they can deliver me lots of nice eggs.
THis here is part of the electrical control system for the coup... It consists of 2 brooder lamps plugged into an outdoor timer,(one I still havent figured out yet, as Im still just using the on/off button). It has 28 programs available but only 2 plug-ins...Im still working on that one and will have to get back with ya on it.
on the north end, we have a cleaning access door with the little chicken door built right in. The ramp is screwed in, so it can be moved at any time.
Litterally on the south end of the coop, we have the bathroom facilities...In the first pick, I have wire for flooring to allow all of the poo during their roosting time to fall into the pit below. Of course this is accesable through the south access door. Under the flooring there is a catch box built into the coop, so when it is time to change out the box, it can be easily pulled out (pic3)
So at the end of the day, everyone can play together and romp around at their new address....... 
.... As this went to print and I sit back satisfied by a job well done, a little birdie wispered in my ear....
"Don't forget about the upcoming addition to the coop, to make room for our 35 brothers and sisters ariving in May"............ One last thing,, if you notice the pooch in most of the pics, that was no accident.... He thinks that he is still the center of all attention, and up until today he was allowed to enter the pen with me until I caught him licking the chickens... I scolded him of course that there is no taste testing before they are cooked...Well this has been fun taking a journey in a day of the life of "Mark the rookie chicken farmer"
BYC
