Regrouping after predator wipe-out...

Hi everyone.. I'm starting a new thread here-- long story VERY short, I had one chicken seriously injured several weeks ago by what I suspect was a dog. Wasn't sure she'd even make it but she did with lots of TLC. However this week (only 2-3 weeks after I re-intro'd her to the flock), my entire flock AND our neighbor's goat was wiped out, all except for my sweet Black Star, Olive. She was always my best layer and my favorite hen, so I was most pleased that she survived.. but I do miss my flock terribly.

Here was the original thread for anyone super-bored, lol:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/829085/chickens-for-almost-a-year-first-massacre-yesterday

SO, for the ones who were following that thread, here is my new rebuild thread. Obviously, free-ranging isn't an option for me anymore (not all day/while we're away, anyway).. but today I did some scoping around the property and decided on a new plan. The BEST part is, it will cost us little-to-nothing to at least get this operational, then we can perfect things as time (and money, lol) goes on..

Here was my old coop just as a reference. It's 4x8' with 6' of roost bar and three laying boxes. I'd never had chickens before, and not thinking about the fact that mine would be free-range and would only need to sleep and lay in it, it's HUGE. LOL. Lesson learned.


That coop is under my pole barn, on the other side of that split rail there is stall/pasture. It is hooked onto our detached garage/workshop.

Now, on the OTHER side of that workshop is the original lean-to. It is 20' deep and comes out 10'. The back side is already closed in, and the left-hand side in this pic is closed to fence-height because that's more pasture on the outside of it. So. All we need to do is finish closing in the top half of that side, frame in the front, hang a door and voila! Do you know how many chickens I could fit in here!? LOL jk, I'm just wanting a flock like I had, which was 6.

Here is a pic of the lean-to as it is now. Please excuse our mess, I'm sure most of us know what it's like lol. Those tires out beside there.. they were here when we moved and have stayed there because of the ridiculous cost to dispose of them. But guess what! I think they would make lovely laying nests, maybe stacked two-high with some hay in them? Paint them a color maybe?



My next idea: to make an actual "coop", just for sleeping. Not that huge monstrosity to take up valuable floor space. So, I'm thinking of taking this shelf partially apart and closing it in. Yes, again excuse the mess. Guess who's apparently too lazy to carry empty feed/scratch bags an extra 20 feet to the burn barrel? :



This measures (inside measure if close in) 2x4'. I was thinking, take off the bottom shelf and the third shelf.. close in the rest, leave the frame of course for legs.. put some roost poles in? OR I could take the whole thing apart and use some extra frame to make it a 4x4' in the same fashion? Suggestions on whether 2x4 would be enough room? Not sure..

OMG! How can I forget, a pic of my beautiful lone survivor, Olive "Enjoying" her dog kennel time, an escape from her full-time coop-age as of late.



Too funny, now that my roos are gone she's squatting when I walk up to her. NONE of my hens ever once squatted to me when I had the roos. Oh, I miss my SLW roo..

Cool, can't wait to watch as you revamp your flock!

carcar80 said:

OMG! How can I forget, a pic of my beautiful lone survivor, Olive

"Enjoying" her dog kennel time, an escape from her full-time coop-age as of late.

Too funny, now that my roos are gone she's squatting when I walk up to her. NONE of my hens ever once squatted to me when I had the roos. Oh, I miss my SLW roo..

Click to expand...

She's gorgeous! Can't wait to share in your new journey with her!

What's with Olive comb?? Did it get injured in front...or just a weird camera angle?

LOL I don't think so, I looked at another pic w a slightly different angle.. It turns dark next to her beak and it is a tad limp, so it's a bad combo of the two. It does look strange there- It's all in one piece though.

I read your other thread about the struggle to save your RIR and then the horrible loss of all but 1 of your flock by the dog. So sad!!

Well, when spring comes around, you'll be happy when you go to the post office to pick up a box with little fuzzballs in it! Until then, you might have to buy yourself a .22 rifle for Christmas, that dog won't like 36 grain hollow-points if he attacks again.

Thanks for reading, Henless. Yes, it stinks BIG time. I just love my video on there of the whole gang. Gosh they were neat.

Everyone::: I would love to drag hubby out in a bit and start piddling.. But he raised a question. Do we HAVE to build a "coop within a coop?" In other words, he's wondering why, if the entire area is under roof and enclosed, we have to build roost bars within an enclosed area. And now I'm wondering if we really do? Could I just "box off" (for wind block) a corner and put a bar/poop board, or is that not safe enough?

I'd make your coop 4x4. It's a good size and allows you to put nestbox inside if you want and has room for two or three roosting poles where only one pole would fit in a 2x4.