Any one want to join me in waiting for eggs, posting and comparing notes?

[Fletch83]

Melabella, I am very sorry to hear about your sweet hen. It sounds like she had a very happy life with you, however.

One of my EE hens was yelling her head off this morning, she was being louder than I have ever heard her be. I wonder if she is practicing for when it is time for her to do her egg song??

 

[Melabella]

Melabella, I am very sorry to hear about your sweet hen. It sounds like she had a very happy life with you, however.

One of my EE hens was yelling her head off this morning, she was being louder than I have ever heard her be. I wonder if she is practicing for when it is time for her to do her egg song??

thank you Fletch83,

I am sure she is practicing! Wishing the time for eggs comes sooner than later for you!

 

[jklyles1]

Well...here is the new coop!!! Our original was built for 6 hens and somehow I ended up with 21!

hehehe!

All of the supplies were free..reused lumber and fencing..the only thing we bought was the metal sheets for the roof. (most expensive part of course!) I have been dumpster diving and garbage pile diving for 3 months to get all of this stuff. LOL! One man's trash is another man's treasure!







This is a 20 foot roost with a poop board underneath. I used Sweet PDZ for easy scooping. The floor is sand right now..not sure if I will change it or not. Im pretty proud of our work and the whole thing cost about $250. Its 10x20

 

[Angelicisi]

Great job! That is very inspiring...I have a lot of excess building material just wasting away.

Well...here is the new coop!!! Our original was built for 6 hens and somehow I ended up with 21! hehehe! All of the supplies were free..reused lumber and fencing..the only thing we bought was the metal sheets for the roof. (most expensive part of course!) I have been dumpster diving and garbage pile diving for 3 months to get all of this stuff. LOL! One man's trash is another man's treasure! This is a 20 foot roost with a poop board underneath. I used Sweet PDZ for easy scooping. The floor is sand right now..not sure if I will change it or not. Im pretty proud of our work and the whole thing cost about $250. Its 10x20

 

[Melabella]

Well...here is the new coop!!! Our original was built for 6 hens and somehow I ended up with 21!

hehehe!

All of the supplies were free..reused lumber and fencing..the only thing we bought was the metal sheets for the roof. (most expensive part of course!) I have been dumpster diving and garbage pile diving for 3 months to get all of this stuff. LOL! One man's trash is another man's treasure!







This is a 20 foot roost with a poop board underneath. I used Sweet PDZ for easy scooping. The floor is sand right now..not sure if I will change it or not. Im pretty proud of our work and the whole thing cost about $250. Its 10x20

Talk about coop ENVY! Looks like it might get a fair amount of shade too. I am realizing that with summer coming, I need to get some shades or something for the days where they are in the run can't free range, the coop/run gets full blown sun in the afternoon. They will roast! SOOO lovin the poop board with the PDZ for easy scooping. ANy pics of nest boxes?

MB

 

[jklyles1]

Thanks MCM and MB!!!!

MB- We havent built the nest boxes yet. The 5 girls who are laying still use the original coop nest boxes for now. We will put 5-6 underneath the poop board. I want to put a pallet down and build the boxes on top so they are off the ground. I dont want to have to crawl under there to get the eggs!!! Chickens are funny..we have 4 nice size laying boxes and yet the girls will basically stand in line to lay in 1 box. They make so much noise..sometimes one will get in with another. Crazy!!! There is plenty of room!

 

[Spikes Chooks]

Thanks MCM and MB!!!!

MB- We havent built the nest boxes yet. The 5 girls who are laying still use the original coop nest boxes for now. We will put 5-6 underneath the poop board. I want to put a pallet down and build the boxes on top so they are off the ground. I dont want to have to crawl under there to get the eggs!!! Chickens are funny..we have 4 nice size laying boxes and yet the girls will basically stand in line to lay in 1 box. They make so much noise..sometimes one will get in with another. Crazy!!! There is plenty of room!

Fabulous coop, it looks great and you've also got lots of practical ideas in there.

Who knows what it is about the magical nesting box they all want

I wondered if it happens when the Top Chook, or high in the pecking order anyway, starts laying first. And all the others think that makes it ...... better somehow. My one chicken who doesn't get embroiled in any pecking order fuss, just goes about her business, and she never bothers which nesting box she uses. Go figure!

 

[christybmom9802]

hello, I would love to join! My first 13 chickens were 20 weeks last weekend. I have a whole lot of squatting and talking. I'm nervous they won't lay in the nesting boxes because I let them free range during the day. They love to kick around the leaf piles along the wood-line. I have hay and fake wood eggs in the nests. I walk the property looking for eggs and see none yet so I am anxiously waiting!

 

[Melabella]

hello, I would love to join! My first 13 chickens were 20 weeks last weekend. I have a whole lot of squatting and talking. I'm nervous they won't lay in the nesting boxes because I let them free range during the day. They love to kick around the leaf piles along the wood-line. I have hay and fake wood eggs in the nests. I walk the property looking for eggs and see none yet so I am anxiously waiting!

Christy!! So happy to have you. Don't worry, I used to think the same thing, I thought they never would lay where they were supposed to, but I really think if you keep them inside in the morning, and they see the fake eggs, somehow, they get the idea.! When the eggs do start to come, maybe keep them in at first in the morning to early afternoon, just to reinforce using the boxes I do find at first, sometimes they don't even realize an egg is coming, and you do find them in odd places, or they just plop out where they were standing. They can be quite small at first. Also, don't worry either if the first few weeks, as they all start to lay you find them on the floor of the coop, and just outside the box, it does take a while for them to get it down. It is the nicest feeling when you see one of the girls leave the flock that is picking away on the border of the property in the leaves, and make her way quickly over to the coop, climb up the plank to the coop, and come out 20 minutes later with a little spring in her step, only for you to find that warm egg waiting for you!

Welcome!
MB

Please keep us posted, and we love to hear about your flock. What breeds do you have?

 

[CatSol]

Well...here is the new coop!!! Our original was built for 6 hens and somehow I ended up with 21!

hehehe!

All of the supplies were free..reused lumber and fencing..the only thing we bought was the metal sheets for the roof. (most expensive part of course!) I have been dumpster diving and garbage pile diving for 3 months to get all of this stuff. LOL! One man's trash is another man's treasure!







This is a 20 foot roost with a poop board underneath. I used Sweet PDZ for easy scooping. The floor is sand right now..not sure if I will change it or not. Im pretty proud of our work and the whole thing cost about $250. Its 10x20

LOVE this! wow it looks great. My friend did a lot of scavenging and we had fun doing that. Also, Lowe's and Home Depot have cull areas for their cut wood/warped/left overs . Home Depot has a bin and Lowe's bundles theirs. We have gotten some great prices that way.
I am very jealous. Your coop looks great. Love the idea of recycle and re-use. Very earth friendly.