Arizona Chickens

[Salty Skroob]

Bobby, you’ll like this door then.

 

[Bobby Basham]

Bobby, you’ll like this door then.

That's great, and I like the design. I've been looking at a lot of doors, and one of my last projects is to design a sturdy, screened door for my run.

It's not fully screened-in yet, but I'm concerned about that 48x60 wide opening for entry. Oh, that's my chicken observation deck on the side. The total structure is four 8x8 ft squares, minus the 4x8 ft section for the observation deck. No coop yet (constantly being modified) but at least the run is in place. I also have a 12x20 ft tarp to cover most of the run, excluding the 4x8 deck and a 4x8 part of the run directly behind it.

 

[Salty Skroob]

Double door? If not, get a gate kit that has a tension wire to keep it from sagging.

Also, are you using sand in the bottom? I’ve been thinking of the same thing.

 

[Bobby Basham]

Double door? If not, get a gate kit that has a tension wire to keep it from sagging.

Also, are you using sand in the bottom? I’ve been thinking of the same thing.

This run has been standing for a least two years. Somehow lost interest and the weeds are waist high. Yes, I did put sand in there, maybe an inch or two. I want chickens, I don't want chickens, I want chickens, blah, blah blah. I finally got chickens and now have to get busy.

I have thought about some double French doors for entry, but I still have some time since they are five weeks old and are getting booted out to the garage in the next couple of days.

The plan is to go in there with my rototiller and turn everything under and build from there.

 

[Salty Skroob]

Excellent. Mine are about 5 weeks as well. They will be getting put in the bunker this weekend unless everything goes haywire. I’m taking off Friday and hoping to get it all done by Saturday afternoon. Secretly hoping that I can get it finished Friday.

 

[meetthebubus]

A
Anyone notice chicken eye color change during molt?

 

[BlueBaby]

Ok, I'm done doing the musical chair thing on chickens that I did with 2 other parties. All 3 of us now have what we want to have for getting ready for our spring breeding and hatching. I even wanted a black Naked Neck, and I have one now by hatching out from the last batch of chicks that I did. I will have a few of my NN/Australorp crosses coming up in the different colors come spring.

 

[Bobby Basham]

Excellent. Mine are about 5 weeks as well. They will be getting put in the bunker this weekend unless everything goes haywire. I’m taking off Friday and hoping to get it all done by Saturday afternoon. Secretly hoping that I can get it finished Friday.

I'm gonna design a wide screen door, since my wheelbarrow is HUGE (over compensated again) and may need to get in there for a once-a-year cleaning and dump the compost into future raised beds around the whole thing.

Everything is quarter-inch hardware cloth, so no unwanted birds or critters should be able to get in. Maybe some small lizards, but they'll be a quick meal for some hungry, inquisitive chickens.

Oh, for strong joints, I use a Kreg tool. That thing is wonderful for joining two pieces of wood together. It's the perfect thing to use if you don't want rickety, swaying cabinets, but stand solid. It was well worth the money.

 

[Salty Skroob]

We think alike. My door is gonna be wide for a wheelbarrow as well. I also use a kreg jig to drill out pockets for the screws.

I’ll let you know how my door turns out.

 

[SonoranChick]

A
Anyone notice chicken eye color change during molt?

I have not noticed, but mine haven't gone through a good molt yet. They did a juvenile molt when their down came out and was replaced with feathers (is that even considered a molt?) but I'll be sure to check for it when they do have their first real molt.