Arizona Chickens

[Allthefloofs]

Welcome to our AZ. thread. Good luck with getting your roo re-homed. I just had a rooster over-load and rehome 2, and the rest had to go to freezer camp. Now I am down to the 2 boy's that I want to keep that will go into my project for 2021.

Thank you for the welcome! I'm glad that you were able to rehome a couple. I have my fingers crossed that between FB and here I can find him a good home.

 

[BlueBaby]

Thank you for the welcome! I'm glad that you were able to rehome a couple. I have my fingers crossed that between FB and here I can find him a good home.

That's the problem when you hatch like I do. There's always more boy's than there are people who can take them for the flock's. Many end up in freezer camp (at least the bigger breed's do).

 

[EmmaDonovan]

I have heard of people that were on a budget before getting some of those free wooden pallet's and breaking them down to build a coop with.

I have been going back and forth on that. My landlord (we are going in on the chickens together) is against it. She said it takes too much time and effort to dismantle and plane the wood (we don't have a planer but we might be able to borrow one from her brother). I don't know if she'll hold to that view if lumber costs keep increasing.

I've read articles and studies about pallets harboring contaminates and toxins. I think I'd be more comfortable using them for something like a flower garden than around food or animals.

What do you all think?

 

[AngBantamLuv]

I have been going back and forth on that. My landlord (we are going in on the chickens together) is against it. She said it takes too much time and effort to dismantle and plane the wood (we don't have a planer but we might be able to borrow one from her brother). I don't know if she'll hold to that view if lumber costs keep increasing.

I've read articles and studies about pallets harboring contaminates and toxins. I think I'd be more comfortable using them for something like a flower garden than around food or animals.

What do you all think?

I like the idea of old solid wood wall tv units being reconfigured as nest boxes and roosts.. that can save you a lot of cutting.. just repurpose.

 

[Geckolady]

You got a great deal! How many hens will it comfortably house? The company's web site says 10 but that seems like too many.

Well, I think it would fit 10 canaries quite nicely. Ten chicken hens, not so much. The bottom measures just over 5 ft x 5 ft, and the top, including the two nest boxes, is just over 3 ft x 5 ft. It has two thick removable perches inside, and even though it's nicer than the ones at the feed store, I really think the new ones are seriously overpriced. It's made out of cedar wood. It was on Facebook Marketplace. I saw it when he had it at $500, but as soon as he lowered the price I PMed him and bought it.

Experts, please contradict me if I'm wrong, but my best guess is 3 average sized hens and a rooster would be the max in it??

I am a little concerned that something might get into it from underneath. I'm thinking of using either hardware cloth (bought some 1/4 inch for the chicken coop project) or some sort of base that keeps predators out.

 

[Geckolady]

I have been going back and forth on that. My landlord (we are going in on the chickens together) is against it. She said it takes too much time and effort to dismantle and plane the wood (we don't have a planer but we might be able to borrow one from her brother). I don't know if she'll hold to that view if lumber costs keep increasing.

I've read articles and studies about pallets harboring contaminates and toxins. I think I'd be more comfortable using them for something like a flower garden than around food or animals.

What do you all think?

A while back I watched a Youtube video about a father and son who built themselves a nice little cabin in the woods out of free pallets. They put some serious work into it, but it turned out quite nice. And free is a great price.

 

[igorsMistress]

I have been going back and forth on that. My landlord (we are going in on the chickens together) is against it. She said it takes too much time and effort to dismantle and plane the wood (we don't have a planer but we might be able to borrow one from her brother). I don't know if she'll hold to that view if lumber costs keep increasing.

I've read articles and studies about pallets harboring contaminates and toxins. I think I'd be more comfortable using them for something like a flower garden than around food or animals.

What do you all think?

I understand your concern with the pallets. You don’t know if they were around poison or where they’ve been. There are other materials you can use though which could limit your lumber costs. Are you building only a coop or a run also?

 

[igorsMistress]

Well, I think it would fit 10 canaries quite nicely. Ten chicken hens, not so much. The bottom measures just over 5 ft x 5 ft, and the top, including the two nest boxes, is just over 3 ft x 5 ft. It has two thick removable perches inside, and even though it's nicer than the ones at the feed store, I really think the new ones are seriously overpriced. It's made out of cedar wood. It was on Facebook Marketplace. I saw it when he had it at $500, but as soon as he lowered the price I PMed him and bought it.

Experts, please contradict me if I'm wrong, but my best guess is 3 average sized hens and a rooster would be the max in it??

I am a little concerned that something might get into it from underneath. I'm thinking of using either hardware cloth (bought some 1/4 inch for the chicken coop project) or some sort of base that keeps predators out.

Let the length of roost be your guide. You need about a foot per adult bird for standard size chickens to roost. More in summer for sure.

 

[Geckolady]

Let the length of roost be your guide. You need about a foot per adult bird for standard size chickens to roost. More in summer for sure.

It has two perches that are 33 inches long. So does that mean a maximum of 6 chickens? That seems just a little crowded to me, but maybe chickens are big on community, I don't know. If they'd be comfortable with 6 in there, the more the merrier as far as I'm concerned. Then there are two nest boxes.

 

[AngBantamLuv]

It has two perches that are 33 inches long. So does that mean a maximum of 6 chickens? That seems just a little crowded to me, but maybe chickens are big on community, I don't know. If they'd be comfortable with 6 in there, the more the merrier as far as I'm concerned. Then there are two nest boxes.

They will all try to sit on the same nest box at the same time so that won't matter.
I have a tiny coop, and these birds still pile up in one little corner.. so the thing is practically empty!! It looks funny, like people piled into a vw bug or a phone booth! I need to take a pic