6 week old chicks in coop/run Now with Pics of the COOP

[TipsyDog]

Quote:
Another method of putting your chickens to "bed" is to have a light (I use a very low wattage spiral bulb) on a timer. After that light goes out, have a night light on another timer that stays on for another 15 or 30 minutes and then that will go out.

That way you are basically mimicing dusk. That gives them a little time to get "settled" so they aren't thrown into total darkness at once. They will also learn quickly the new routine.

DISCLAIMER: The above method would probably consitute your chicks as being TOTALLY spoiled

 

[chickadeedeedee]

See thats another thing I was wondering about, when they start laying. Thanks for clearing that up. I am going to start turning off the light about 30mins to an hour after I close the door to the hutch. I know that they will be ok from predators and was really only keeping the light in there because I was scared of them getting cold. It doesn't get cold here at night now so I don't think they need it for warmth and like I said the yard light does put a tad of light in there but just from the cracks at the bottom. They are bigger now so I am sure they don't need a nightlight to get up and go potty. (especially from what I've seen when Ive cleaned out the coop haha, they don't even wake up when they poopers I think)

About the hay or litter in the bottom of the coop/roost or whatever it is called. DH calls it a roost I call it a coop. Should I have it in the bottom even though there is the hardare cloth and a cleaning drawer under the mesh?


LOL thats all I need is 4 spoiled chickens, 2 spoiled dogs, spoiled kids and a dh that spoils me even though I try to spoil him (I think)!!! I think I'll just have one timer, they should already know when dusk is lol.

 

[MareeZoCool]

Keep locking them in nice & secure. They'll love you no matter the time you let them out for their daily run in the sun, it's best no predator gets in there to hurt them!

 

[kimb]

I am TOTALLY going to figure out a way to install the automatic door ... ... trick is - I have 2 doors to open... wonder how I could get them both to open/close on the same opener... ... I will have to go -a - browsing!

 

[TipsyDog]

Chickadeedeedee:

Their house is called a coop. The wood they sleep on is called a roost. Generally you will have a 2 x 4 for a roost inside their coop. That's the bar they jump up on and sleep on. They will poop in their sleep and it will fall from the 2 x 4 onto the floor. That's why alot of people have a "poop board" under the roost that catches most of the poop from the night.

FYI - If you use a 2 x 4 for their roost, it should be the 4" side up that they rest their feet on.

If you are using hardware cloth for the floor of your coop, you don't need any bedding in there. Chickens do like to scratch and the hardware cloth will prevent that, but if you have a run they can be out there scratching around most of the time anyway. My chickens leave their coop in the morning and only go back in to lay in their nest box. The rest of the time they are outside.

I think you're on track with your girls!

 

[chickadeedeedee]

ok so we both were kinda right, I was right with the coop part and he was right (kinda) since there is a roost in the coop lol. (a battle to be left alone lol).

He's going to love ya again for agreeing with him on the bedding part. Yeppers the chickies don't go in the coop at all during the day, they stay in the run/under the coop or free range all day. (when I am out there with them I let them wander about the yard, lost two chicks by coming inside while they were out in the yard, pretty sure a hawk as there are several that fly above. We have large trees in our by but also open sky space)

 

[KKatknap]

Just a side note - it isn't a bad idea to have a nightlight in there at night. Nothing bright - just an actual "night light" like you might use for children. That way, if they are startled by something, they don't freak out in total darkness and risk hurting themselves.

Good luck!

 

[chickadeedeedee]

#1 Coop and run

Chip (in back, my lh roo) and Dot Dot (my LH she)

#2 coop and run

#3 coop and run

here are some pics of my coop, plz note its not completely finished yet but its a good one I think. I just have 4 chicks but the plans are for the coop to be bigger as I think DH is getting into this also (he would never admit it though but he scours books left and right re. raising chickens in the backyard!)

 

[TipsyDog]

Looks good but do you have wire on the run floor? How will you clean up and where will they scratch?

I would also put some vents in the back and/or side of the coop as well.

 

[chickadeedeedee]

I am at home during the day so I let them free range most of the day (I garden and spend most of my time in the back yard) and the coop is movable believe it or not lol.

More vents are coming. Fox built this last Saturday and somewhat finished it Sunday morning before he left for WA (he works out of town/state/country alot) so we do have more vents but we are new so any help is appreciated.

when it rains here the BY floods and I was really worried about something getting under the coop sides thats why there is mesh on the ground also, I move it sideways to clean up under it and then I just clean it with hose water, its on grass now not on dirt. I put leaves in the bottom and change those twice a week by sweeping it out.

Do I need to do something different???