Arizona Chickens

[springvalley123]

I've been thinking about that. They're just smooth poles that click together, like old vacuum cleaner extensions, if you know what those are.

Sounds like you have most of the "skeleton" of the coop/run. You can make a door at least a couple ways:
1) use 2-3 or 2x2 lumber cut to about 5-6 feet long. Use lumber "straps". Just make sure you find the flexible ones. here's one, not sure if it's the one I used:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Simpson...anized-Heavy-Strap-Tie-HRS8/100374841#overlay.

2) get the missing chain link hardware for a gate from home depot or other, if you can find it small enough to work. Basically gate hinge
3) pound t-posts to use as a frame for a door.

4) call some other company that sells similar kennel kits and see if you can buy the base "stands" that you use to snap together the base. Or maybe find some chain link fencing posts/rails that the connectors fit inside of??

If that is too much, I really like the idea of the hoop coop/run.

 

[cavemanrich]

2) get the missing chain link hardware for a gate from home depot or other, if you can find it small enough to work. Basically gate hinge
3) pound t-posts to use as a frame for a door.

You can get much of missing hardware,,, or improvise,,,, EXCEPT. What I circled in red. (8),,,,,3 way, and (4),,,,,4 way connectors.
These are just nothing that can be purchased in a Hardware store.
I am able to make such, since I have welder, and welding skills. And all other things needed. I have made those, but for smaller diameter tubing, that was a garden sunshade temporary use.
Biggest problem for me... I'm 2000 miles away. so cant help.

I always have ideas, and suggestions. If Emma Donovan Purchased a second Unit. Some of these poles, and netting could be used to extend the size . Would have to get creative, but that would be not impossible.
Another thing that Emma is looking into,, is the village regulations, on size, and placement.

Another thing that was mentioned here recently,, Is this canopy. It could be used with the remaining items from the chicken run (netting) to create decent chicken coop/run. I do have one of these. My suggestion,,,, if going this route,,, the poles need to be well secured from wind moving the whole thing. I solved that by having 5 gallon buckets at each leg, Filled with sand. (available earth is fine as well) and ropes to hold the top rail pole to the buckets secured.

 

[ChicksnMore]

I secured my canopy's by putting in t-posts and using hose clamps. Very very secure.

Here's the newer coop which uses a canopy, hog panels and chicken wire. I used the big t-posts on this one because I had a bunch available to recycle.

Here's the ten year or older coop made from a canopy and pallets. Three pallets between legs. I sunk the smallest size tposts, dropped a pallet over each tpost...inserted canopy legs into the pallets. I covered the outside of the pallets with recycled fence boards but you can also dismantle pallets to get covering boards or use plywood, wire or whatever pleases you. I tend to build with recycled materials and more creativity than skill... I'm sure these could actually be built beautiful. I added a small pallet roosting coop to one end that's shown in one picture...pallets are super easy and cheap to build with. The half walls on this coop are over ten years old and going strong.

I found my birds love the pallet half walls over all wire walls.

All my canopy coops have sheet metal roofing but the first one I built used the tarp cover that came with it for most of a year. It gave me time to decide how I wanted to roof it since I was totally new to building anything and very limited on budget at the time.

Anyway...hope this sparks some ideas for you. I'm sure you'll be able to come up with something to please your aesthetic sense and your roommates budget sense. There's a lot of cheap building options that can be spruced up to beautiful over time. As you can see, mine never got spruced ...but I've seen others do gorgeous things with recycled materials.

Editing to add that generations of goats and a few horses have had access to the outside of that coop...hence a little chewing damage ... because of that I had to repair the outside boards this year. You can see one board still needs pulled and replaced.

 

[BlueBaby]

I secured my canopy's by putting in t-posts and using hose clamps. Very very secure.View attachment 3751808

Here's the newer coop which uses a canopy, hog panels and chicken wire. I used the big t-posts on this one because I had a bunch available to recycle.View attachment 3751809

Here's the ten year or older coop made from a canopy and pallets. Three pallets between legs. I sunk the smallest size tposts, dropped a pallet over each tpost...inserted canopy legs into the pallets. I covered the outside of the pallets with recycled fence boards but you can also dismantle pallets to get covering boards or use plywood, wire or whatever pleases you. I tend to build with recycled materials and more creativity than skill... I'm sure these could actually be built beautiful. I added a small pallet roosting coop to one end that's shown in one picture...pallets are super easy and cheap to build with. The half walls on this coop are over ten years old and going strong.

I found my birds love the pallet half walls over all wire walls. View attachment 3751816View attachment 3751817View attachment 3751818

All my canopy coops have sheet metal roofing but the first one I built used the tarp cover that came with it for most of a year. It gave me time to decide how I wanted to roof it since I was totally new to building anything and very limited on budget at the time.

Anyway...hope this sparks some ideas for you. I'm sure you'll be able to come up with something to please your aesthetic sense and your roommates budget sense. There's a lot of cheap building options that can be spruced up to beautiful over time. As you can see, mine never got spruced ...but I've seen others do gorgeous things with recycled materials.

Editing to add that generations of goats and a few horses have had access to the outside of that coop...hence a little chewing damage ... because of that I had to repair the outside boards this year. You can see one board still needs pulled and replaced.

Not everything has to be built beautiful, as long as it work's and serves the purpose.

 

[EmmaDonovan]

Y'all are so helpful. I couldn't get out to the planning office on Monday so I'm going to try tomorrow. Then we'll know exactly what parameters we're dealing with in terms of coop size and height. All I could find online was code that says we're allowed to have 24 chickens. Six! We're going to start with six! Okay maybe twelve. Chicken math...

We're fortunate that we have large lot with plenty of room to build. We're also at the end of the street so we only have a neighbor on one side. He's a very nice older gentleman who loves our dogs (and they love him) so I don't think he's going to have any problems with chickens. Of course we'll be offering him fresh eggs (eventually).

Does anyone have an opinion on those brooder heating plates with feathers around the outside? I'm aware they aren't really necessary but it seems like they would make the chicks feel a little more "homey" and secure?

 

[ChicksnMore]

Y'all are so helpful. I couldn't get out to the planning office on Monday so I'm going to try tomorrow. Then we'll know exactly what parameters we're dealing with in terms of coop size and height. All I could find online was code that says we're allowed to have 24 chickens. Six! We're going to start with six! Okay maybe twelve. Chicken math...

We're fortunate that we have large lot and with lots of room to build. We're also at the end of the street so we only have a neighbor on one side. He's a very nice older gentleman who loves our dogs (and they love him) so I don't think he's going to have any problems with chickens. Of course we'll be offering him fresh eggs (eventually).

Does anyone have an opinion on those brooder heating plates with feathers around the outside? I'm aware they aren't really necessary but it seems like they would make the chicks feel a little more "homey" and secure?

I haven't seen what you're talking about but it sounds like something a chick would like.

 

[EmmaDonovan]

One of these:

Is that kind of nice for the chicks, or just silly?

 

[ChicksnMore]

One of these:

View attachment 3753566

Is that kind of nice for the chicks, or just silly?

It looks like something chicks would like a lot. I think I'd check under it regular just in case a chick gets sick and doesn't come out enough for you to notice though. What level of tame are you hoping for with your chickens?

 

[EmmaDonovan]

Oh, that's a good point, you can't see under the plate as well with the feathers there. I'll make sure to check on them regularly. We'll also have a camera on the brooder, it will stream to my home office where I work most of the day.

I prefer hens that are comfortable being picked up, held, and handled. I know from experience that it's much less stressful for them if they're sick or injured and they're accustomed to being handled. Otherwise it's just additional stress when they're already not feeling well.

 

[cavemanrich]

One of these:

View attachment 3753566

Is that kind of nice for the chicks, or just silly?

Let me throw this idea by you. It is also much less ca$h. You make it yourself, and the heating pad is around $16. The one you want is without the automatic timeout.
Here is a link to Blooie's thread writeup. Learn all you need to know there.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...d-in-the-brooder-picture-heavy-update.956958/

I evaluated in my thinking,,, and the one you are considering with the feathers, I would pass on. I think the feathers make for a dark interior, and if a chick is overheated towards the rear, would have to push her way towards the narrow entrance. JMO

Here is the heating pad that would work for the home made brooder.
Ad is from Walmart