1 thing I wish I knew when I was starting out...

[Basel]

I have bearded birds and they simply get messy. If I were to show them, I'd feed them dry a while before the show. But if I really drain the food well (and there is one brand of feed here that is more crushed grains which drain well) then they don't get too messy. But I'm finding the crumbles and pellets are made of much finer ground stuff, and becomes pasty and hard to drain. I find that mash works best.

No bearded birds over here. But it's covered rather thoroughly throughout the thread. Just search the thread for beards, or sizzle's or one of those types of birds and you'll get lots of info. There's quite a few pics of it as well.

Thank you, both. I'll read some more about it. The "more crushed grains" that don't get too messy sounds good. Thanks!

 

[BGerres]

I like your design! Can U describe your nesting area? or post pictures?
thanks

 

[rrhounddog]

A great coop and one I'll be building for our second coop is the Purina Mills coop plan. Thinking I wont be installing a sky light but like the coop design. Plans are free and you can easily enlarge it by doubling one dimension or both. The 4X4 truly houses 8 chickens if you don't lock them in during days. I'm just going to move the door to side with two nesting boxes same side and put clean out door on the front. This way it fits in the kennel space and as I don't have a solid roof for kennel provides rain shelter and shade form mid summer sun.

http://poultry.purinamills.com/stellent/groups/public/documents/web_content/ecmp2-0160674.pdf

I built one of these coops with an attached run at my old house. I ended up adding on to it, but in general it was very low maintenence and easy to build. I will be building a new coop at this house within the next few weeks and am seriously considering building this one again....

 

[bj taylor]

really great thread.
*i think one thing i would change is to have a place for a hen to sit on her eggs/chicks separate from the rest. i don't have that set up.
*i worried about their feet so i sanded the two boards i use as roosts w/an electric sander & smoothed out the sharp edges.
*i love my clean-out. my floor is linoleum, i use the deep litter method. my clean out is a door 1ft tall 3ft wide that comes off completely for clean out. then i just push broom the old litter & poop out the door onto a tarp. i take the tarp to the garden bed & dump it.
also for the clean out, my ladder up to the roost is hinged & i lift it & bungie cord strap it up to one of the roost boards so the floor is clear of obsticles for cleaning.
*i wish i had realized how low to the ground the heavy breeds live. i have a whole row of nest boxes they don't even think about using.
*i love my automatic pop door. it has to be re-programmed as the seasons change & the days lengthen or shorten - but it's still great. i don't trust it completely, so i always check them at night before bed, but at least the door is closed on time & less chance for predators to slide in.
*another thing i love is i have a human door into the coop that makes it easier for the times i do need to go in.
*i wish i had a better heat removal system for summer. i have fans, but they still suffer alot. i have to get more shade on the roof to cut some of that heat down.

 

[Kikiriki]

PDZ is made of zeolite, which also makes a great odor absorber in the house. I have an airfilter that uses it for odor control. It only lasts a couple of months though...

 

[wendoes]

Thanks a million bayoudragon! That looks like a seriously good idea.

 

[Shewholovesducks]

wish they had a taking notes gif!

 

[Black Cochin Bantams]

I used 6' tall vinyl coated poultry netting-chicken wire and do not regret it. all my regular chicken wire gets rusty after 3-5 years. This stuff is made by a company that makes wire for lobster traps. Better wire and the coating is durable with no sharp edges to catch cloths or feathers. !/2 " hardware cloth over the windows to keep out racoons. I had not trouble for 7 years then twice in 1 year I lost birds to raccoons. They are persistent predators. Enjoy!

 

[Mikedero]

I wish I knew that I should build a larger coop when I was starting out.....

Granted my coop is 4X8 and at the time I was only planning on having 6 chickens I knew that the coops was way big enough for 6. But now that I am building a second coop this time 8X10 and plan on using both coops.

Right now in the 4X8 I have 9 chickens and they fit just fine with a run that is 10X25. but my 8X10 will house 15 more with a run that will be 20X20 plus the 8X10 under the coop. after a few months I might connect the 2 runs so they both have more space and can decide which coop the want.

I also wish I knew how wanting 6 chickens has turned into 24 layers, 4 rabbits, 36 Quail and I am going to do 50 meat birds this spring.... If I only knew

 

[aart]

.......But now that I am building a second coop this time 8X10 and plan on using both coops......

Pssst...go 8x12, more room and less scrap wood with 4 foot increments ;-)