Recent content by MelodyGraulich

  1. MelodyGraulich

    Fox

    A fox grabbed one of my girls during daylight hours a few days ago. I live in a rural area, on 5 acres, so there's no way to protect the girls from the fox if they're free-ranging, so I've had them locked in their run, and they're outraged. Any ideas about what to do about a fox? We won't kill...
  2. MelodyGraulich

    hurt foot

    My one year old rhode island red Scarlet started limping yesterday and won't come out of the coop today. She also won't come to me, which is unusual. I can't see anything wrong from a distance. Anyone have any idea what I could do if I catch her? Bring her in? Put some antibiotic on it. She...
  3. MelodyGraulich

    thickness of perch

    my 2 month old chicks won't perch on a branch i have in their run. they seem to like thinner branches. how thick should the perch branches be when they're full grown.
  4. MelodyGraulich

    big brooder suggestions

    I have six 4-week-old chicks who are outgrowing the large cardboard carton I've been keeping them in. Too cold for them to go into the coop anytime soon. And five cats. Does anyone have any ideas about EASY ways to construct an indoor brooder that woulc be catproof? We probably wouldn't be...
  5. MelodyGraulich

    door to ramp dimensions

    What are the best dimension for the door to the ramp down into the run? I am building a small coop about 4 x 7. Thanks!
  6. MelodyGraulich

    hardware wire vs. chicken wire

    I know everyone recommends using hardware wire, but I have been having trouble finding it in big rolls and, as everyone knows, it's very expensive. Meanwhile, the "poultry wire" I find seems much higher grade, with finer mesh, than the old-fashioned kind, and it's cheaper. What are folks's...
  7. MelodyGraulich

    hardware wire vs. chicken wire

    I know everyone recommends hardware wire but I have found it difficult to kind in big rolls in my local area, as well as expensive. But the "poultry wire" I find seems far superior to the old-fashioned chicken wire I'm familiar wire--much smaller grade and sturdier. Could I go with that? Or...
  8. MelodyGraulich

    How to anchor supports for elevated coop in cold climate

    Okay, thanks northern guys, you have convinced me. (And I've liked PatandChickens other posts.) Digging this time of year is (relatively) easy. What I hate is mixing the concrete.
  9. MelodyGraulich

    Small Coop Design Parameters

    I just read the ventilation site. It's Page created by:patandchickens. You need much more. I'm adding to mine in cold Utah after reading the site.
  10. MelodyGraulich

    How to anchor supports for elevated coop in cold climate

    I am building an elevated coop in Northern Utah and looking for advice about how to anchor the supports in ground that will heave in the winter. I built a deck before and had to dig very deep holes and fill them with concrete, which I would prefer to avoid this time around. The coop will be...
  11. MelodyGraulich

    pop out nesting

    Thanks for helping me perfect my plan. The nests will be inside, against the (relatively) warm garage wall.
  12. MelodyGraulich

    pop out nesting

    Why do so many folks make a pop-out nesting area in their coops? I am planning my first coop, and we live in northern Utah. It seems to me that a pop-out nesting area will be difficult to keep warm in the winter. Are there problems with just putting the nesting boxes in a rectangular...
  13. MelodyGraulich

    building a coop

    I am a beginner about to build my first chicken coop. I want to build it against my outside garage wall so I can use an existing outlet there to keep the hens warm. But I notice no one else seems to build against existing walls. Is there a problem with doing that?
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