Are pallet coops safe?

[jenniemig]

can you haul average sized pallets in a car? it's the only vehicle we have access to

most of my pallets are 48"×36"

 

[FDaniels]

I completely forgot about water freezing. Of course we're fixing to have the warm & hot alabama weather so I won't have to worry about that shortly but just in case what are some ways to keep it from freezing since we can't have electricity in the coop?

 

[ClovisMan]

I completely forgot about water freezing. Of course we're fixing to have the warm & hot alabama weather so I won't have to worry about that shortly but just in case what are some ways to keep it from freezing since we can't have electricity in the coop?

Who says you cant have power in the coop? Add a couple of golf cart batteries and a 700w inverter and should be good to go for a couple of light bulbs and a heating element.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Geoking-100...065?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item58a36623b1

 

[FDaniels]

I'll look into the hoop style. Is it easier than building rectangle/square? How could I separate the younger ones from the older ones in the same run/coop that I could easily take down once they've all accepted each other?

 

[WYNot]

With the few chickens I have it is just easier to swap waterers a couple times a day. We have two hanging waterers. I take one out first thing in the morning filled with water that is ever so slightly warm. Think baby bottle tested on the back of the hand warm. In the afternoon I'll take another one out and swap them if the first one is frozen already. If the first one isn't frozen, I'll take one out in the evening (couple hours before dusk) and swap them. That way they get a good drink before bed time. When I go out in the evening (dark) to close up the coop, I'll bring the waterer in. Just make too much of a mess leaving it hanging in the coop overnight.

So far it is working and they always have fresh water. If it is really cold I hang the waterer in the coop to keep it unfrozen longer. On warmer days, I'll hang it outside so there is less water getting slopped into the bedding of the coop.

As I said, it works for me because I only have a few chickens and I'm here to do the work. If I was raising lots of birds I would definitely find another method to ensure they have fresh water. Right now the expense just isn't worth it.

I completely forgot about water freezing. Of course we're fixing to have the warm & hot alabama weather so I won't have to worry about that shortly but just in case what are some ways to keep it from freezing since we can't have electricity in the coop?

 

[FDaniels]

Thanks for the link but there's no way we could afford those right now. The reason we can't have electricity in there is because we're building the coop/run in front of the house & the only outside outlet we have is on the back of the house where there is no room for what we have to build. Is there an affordable way to run some sort of electricity from that outlet all the way to the front where the coop will be?

 

[FDaniels]

That's like us with the handful we're going to have. Is straw bedding ok for both the coop & the run? And I've been reading about scratch & grip & table scraps. What all do I need to give them aside from their feed to keep them healthy? We usually don't have much table scraps except for green bell pepper pits & some orange peels but that's about it. Oh and banana peels & once walmart starts stocking watermelon again we'll have what's left over of those. Do we need to keep certain fruits/veggies on hand to give them & how often?

 

[WYNot]

We found it easier to just have a second, small coop/run. It keeps them separate but able to see each other. After a week or two they should be fine to put together in the main coop. Below is our smaller coop/run. We use it to put chickens in when they outgrow the brooder but are still too young to go in with the main flock. It allows them to get acclimated to each other without being able to pick on each other. It can also be used as a quarantine for any birds that get sick or injured and need to be separated from the main flock.

As for which is easier to build hoop house or standard lumber framed coop? Just depends on what you want, what you have access to, what you want to spend, and your own preferences. We just happened to go with the small coop because we got a good deal on it and we built the main coop as a summer project with the kids.

I'll look into the hoop style. Is it easier than building rectangle/square? How could I separate the younger ones from the older ones in the same run/coop that I could easily take down once they've all accepted each other? 

 

[FDaniels]

That gives me a good idea for the smaller one. Thanks! I just read about dust baths. How do I set this up for them?

 

[WYNot]

Straw is fine. Any bedding just needs to be kept dry and fresh. Wood chips is supposed to be better than straw but depends on what you have available.

For feeding, the layer crumbles or pellets are sufficient. We use layer pellets from the local TSC and Rural King. I like the pellets better than the crumbles because they don't waste nearly as much picking through it. We keep a hanging feeder the layer pellets available at all times. They eat a good bit of it during the winter but during the spring, summer, and fall they only eat from it in the mornings while they are waiting to be let out of the coop. Once out they much prefer bugs and weeds.

As for table scraps and other treats they will and can eat nearly anything that isn't spoiled or moldy. There are some lists on here that list some of the things to NOT feed such as potato peels and avacados. Also we don't feed them really strong scraps, onions, peppers, etc as we don't want the flavors carrying over to the eggs. Whether it will or not I don't know, just going from what we've read. Ours get a wide variety of greens and vegetable scraps. Grapes are like crack to them. They've even gotten canned corn as a special treat when we find it on a REALLY good sale or if we have a can on the shelf that is getting old. Just today I hung a head of lettuce for them. I bought it on sale. They are VERY spoiled. As mentioned, the basic feed is sufficient but as with all things variety is good. I know they are livestock and not pets or people but would YOU want to eat the same thing day in and day out?

I keep two small rabbit feeders in the run at all times also. One is filled with grit and one is filled with crushed oyster shells. The grit is really not needed as the chickens free range nearly every day. Same with the oyster shells, they should be getting sufficient calcium for egg production from the layer feed but both are there as a choice. If they need it they will eat it.

Lots of creative feeders are here using PVC, 5g buckets, etc.

Edit to add...
Forgot to talk about the dust bath. Our chickens free range so they tend to make their own wherever they find a spot they like. That being said, I do have one built into the run. It is under the coop. About 3'x4'. I just filled it with a mixture of course sand, wood ashes, and a bit of DE. Again, I didn't have to, it was just about providing options. It all really depends on your setup. Ours have several acres to roam so they have lots of choices.