Arizona Chickens

[MagicChicken]

Quote:
Sorry, I didn't realize you wanted such a low coop. My hoop coop is slightly over 6' tall at the apex. I can walk into it without stooping over. I used three 50" x 16' cattle panels, and the coop is approximately 12 1/2' long by 8' wide. The cattle panels are fastened to a base of 2"x6" framing, so I got a little extra height out of it from the frame. If you only want a 3' high coop I wouldn't use the cattle panels.

I am wondering why you want such a low coop? There isn't much room for elevating roosts, or other coop amenities. And getting into the thing to clean it would be a pain. On the other hand, I guess that's what kids are for. With kids to squirm into those tight spaces the physical access isn't as much of a concern. I don't have kids so I get to do all the physical stuff myself. No stooping for me. All my coops are walk-in.

If you do want to use cattle panels, the 16' length gets arched and you string together as many panels as you want for the length of the coop. A coop with an 8' x 8' base would take 2 panels, side by side.

 

[a little chiken]

No more white AMs, they're long gone. My Blue Wheaten AM roo is 9 years old , the 3 girls I have left are wheatens - 1 is almost 9 yrs, 1 is 8 yrs and the other is not quite 6 yrs. I'm at the point where I'm just enjoying them. I used to breed and focus on improving the breeds I had, I still keep the breeds, and even colors, separate and the EEs, like their great great grandmothers, still fly over the fencing to every pasture except the English Cuckoo Orpington's. Maybe the coloration puts them off? Or they really look like fluffy, feathery basketballs?

I do like the AMs myself, just something about them. My favorite was a white AM hen, she used to fly over the fences and be out the backdoor begging for attention and treats. I was heartbroken when I lost her but she did live a long life. I did lose quite a few to predators but that was when I was in Northern AZ and had way more predators than down here. I don't have electrical ribbon at the top of the fence nor electrical wire at the bottom, which I had up there. Also, had the LGDs running the outer perimeter fencing (20 acres), different llamas in the inner perimeter and the very center of those fields had the fencing and coops for the chickens. Orpingtons in the female llama area, AMs in the gelding pasture, bachelor pen was in the intact male field (I always kept backup roosters in case I were to lose any).

I like your farm name! I'll be waiting for updates on your hatch!

we just got our first 2 alpacas. not llamas but close. we have a male and a female and my son is in love...lol they live with the goats. yes all my AM are separated by color variety and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the look of the white AM. I am so excited to get some. The next fav is my Buffs. just like a BO with muffs and beard lol. My son was hoping they would lay golden eggs. I will keep everyone up to date on my hatch but these eggs are 11 days old so we shall see.

 

[MrsFitzDarcy]

Sorry, I didn't realize you wanted such a low coop. My hoop coop is slightly over 6' tall at the apex. I can walk into it without stooping over. I used three 50" x 16' cattle panels, and the coop is approximately 12 1/2' long by 8' wide. The cattle panels are fastened to a base of 2"x6" framing, so I got a little extra height out of it from the frame. If you only want a 3' high coop I wouldn't use the cattle panels.

I am wondering why you want such a low coop? There isn't much room for elevating roosts, or other coop amenities. And getting into the thing to clean it would be a pain. On the other hand, I guess that's what kids are for. With kids to squirm into those tight spaces the physical access isn't as much of a concern. I don't have kids so I get to do all the physical stuff myself. No stooping for me. All my coops are walk-in.

If you do want to use cattle panels, the 16' length gets arched and you string together as many panels as you want for the length of the coop. A coop with an 8' x 8' base would take 2 panels, side by side.

This is a twin bed, so approx. 6'3"x38". It's just going to be a little tractor for the chicks once they are out of the brooder. I have other coop plans for an additional adult hens.

 

[MrsFitzDarcy]

I'm confused!! Our SLW (Dearie from Bonnie aka @LadyKotaDoria ) went through a soft moult and ended up a different color!! When we first got her last April - she was all black & white. Now, all her new feathers are cream colored with brown lace.

I just got this girl off Craigslist today. Her picture online was more b&w, but she is cream and brown:

 

[aviddamy]

A hoop house is definitely a cool idea. If I need a new coop in the future or ever end up with a different property where I can use something like that. I'd definitely look into it. $20 is pretty decent. =D 2 days til the chicks ship. *happy dance*

 

[houdiniduck]

I used 4' x 16' cattle panels for my hoop coop. Then covered them in hardware cloth. Tractor Supply has cattle panels for $20, which is much less than I paid for mine. There's a new Tractor Supply in Marana, on the west side of I-10 between Cortaro Rd and Ina.

@MagicChicken can you show me a picture of your hoop coop? I would like to see these panels, I am having a hard time visualizing!

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Quote:
I would be a bit reluctant to use PVC. It's not stable in the sun and will become brittle over time, especially in our environment. I get what you're looking for in a transitional place though. Do keep in mind that such a tractor will be terribly vulnerable to predators compared with a fixed coop unless you take extra precautions. Having said all that, I made a similar structure to use as a day brooder for my first chicks. Since then it's been mostly used as a place to be out of the sun or rain while they're free-ranging. I used 6" X 6" concrete re-mesh as the structural material to make the hoop shape and I covered that with hardware cloth. The re-mesh can be bought as panels (4' X 7') or as longer 4' wide rolls. I think the panels are about $8 at HD. I used two panels to cover the 4' X 8' wood frame I made, which resulted in a hoop 32" high.

 

[702marine]

How much were those steel panels you have on top, and where did you get them from?

I would be a bit reluctant to use PVC. It's not stable in the sun and will become brittle over time, especially in our environment. I get what you're looking for in a transitional place though. Do keep in mind that such a tractor will be terribly vulnerable to predators compared with a fixed coop unless you take extra precautions. Having said all that, I made a similar structure to use as a day brooder for my first chicks. Since then it's been mostly used as a place to be out of the sun or rain while they're free-ranging. I used 6" X 6" concrete re-mesh as the structural material to make the hoop shape and I covered that with hardware cloth. The re-mesh can be bought as panels (4' X 7') or as longer 4' wide rolls. I think the panels are about $8 at HD. I used two panels to cover the 4' X 8' wood frame I made, which resulted in a hoop 32" high. [COLOR=B42000] [/COLOR]

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

How much were those steel panels you have on top, and where did you get them from?

I picked them up from Home Depot, but I don't remember what I paid for them. I just checked their web site and they're not giving the price because they are out of stock (your HD may have them in stock). I see that the 12' versions are $23.62, so the 8' ones will be somewhat proportionally cheaper.

 

[ChuskaMtns]

we just got our first 2 alpacas. not llamas but close. we have a male and a female and my son is in love...lol they live with the goats. yes all my AM are separated by color variety and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the look of the white AM. I am so excited to get some. The next fav is my Buffs. just like a BO with muffs and beard lol. My son was hoping they would lay golden eggs. I will keep everyone up to date on my hatch but these eggs are 11 days old so we shall see.

I wonder why white and buff AMs are so hard to get now? They used to be the "common" color. I'm finding the same thing with the black orps which are pretty much the foundation of much other colors. One of the things I'm concerned with breeders so interested in breeding the new color they forget about the colors already existing and those colors end up becoming rare.
I also have alpacas, 2 huacayas and 1 suri. I do rescue and get more calls to take in alpacas than llamas. Alpacas are more difficult to place too since they aren't multipurpose like llamas, a llama can be trained to be pack, pull a cart and some are excellent guardians. I have one llama gelding that stomps rats and mice but does go after strange dogs and coyotes - best guardian to have! I've been spinning up a ton of alpaca and llama yarn these days blended with silk. I got real close to getting silkies this past weekend just so I could incorporate their feathers into alpaca fiber for yarn but then figured I can ask if anyone here would sell me some. There's that chicken math at work again and I'm pretty good at justifying why I need more chickens plus they don't eat as much as dogs, alpacas, llamas or horses!