Bad Luck Bantams

[thecatumbrella]

~ COMPARISON SHOTS ~​

My "grasping at straws" options.

A: My Omlet Cube, as is.
B: An Omlet Cube with extended roost bars (I need to credit the BYC source, but I'm struggling to find them)
C: A large Nestera (apologies to the random FB person that I swiped this photo from).

The dimensions of B and C are almost identical, but C has bonus nest boxes off to the side. I can also improve the roosts on C with a nice topper to give them more height.

Million dollar question: Will B or C make a difference over A? Time to overthink this when the answer is likely "no".

 

[thecatumbrella]

Or Clover would bash its brains out or swallow it whole.

Clover was spooked by a leaf that blew into the run today, but you know, maybe her killer instinct's hidden under those feathery pantaloons.

Edit: Photo updated to reflect Clover's potential.

 

[pollipazzi]

i just finished reading this whole thread and would like to follow along (if you don't mind) and see how you get on. i think you're doing great! chickening is hard.

 

[thecatumbrella]

i just finished reading this whole thread and would like to follow along (if you don't mind) and see how you get on. i think you're doing great! chickening is hard.

I appreciate your support! I'm guessing chickening isn't this hard for everyone. Maybe I put my run over an ancient burial ground or something.

 

[RoyalChick]

I appreciate your support! I'm guessing chickening isn't this hard for everyone. Maybe I put my run over an ancient burial ground or something.

It was hard for me at first but it got easier over time.
Hang in there!

 

[pollipazzi]

I appreciate your support! I'm guessing chickening isn't this hard for everyone. Maybe I put my run over an ancient burial ground or something.

oh. it's hard for me too! i didn't ask for chickens. i never even thought about chickens. i didn't have a clue! two bantams just appeared in my garden one day in january, and never left. lol! my life is unrecognisable now.

 

[RoyalChick]

oh. it's hard for me too! i didn't ask for chickens. i never even thought about chickens. i didn't have a clue! two bantams just appeared in my garden one day in january, and never left. lol! my life is unrecognisable now.

I can’t remember which BYC member it is, but someone has a hilarious signature line. Makes me laugh every time I see it:
‘I used to have a life, now I have chickens’

So true!

 

[BDutch]

~ A DOWNWARD SHIFT ~​

We're on Day 5 of 7 in our initial Fuhgeddaboudit week for Dandelion and Hornet. There's been a noticeable shift in the flock over the last several days. I almost want to say they're acting depressed. No one's really interested in leaving the 9-foot wall along Dandelion's side to engage with the rest of the run. I couldn't even lure them with fresh sprouts to forage. Dandelion herself has become skittish, which is very out of character. I don't know if it's due to her separation, or the fact that my husband had to chase her around the pen Sunday night, but she's quite flighty whenever I'm tending to her area. I'm not convinced she even dust bathes. It just feels so sad to be in there, seeing my once vibrant chickens constantly huddled in a pile or (in Dandelion's case) hiding under the coop.

I did find someone that builds chicken coops about an hour north of me. They don't look particularly predator-proof or well ventilated, and the cost would be substantial. Sheds aren't much cheaper, but at least I can walk into it and make the layout my own.

Biggest setback is literal town setbacks. This is what got us into the Omlet Eglu fiasco in the first place. I live on 2 acres, most of which is heavily sloped and forested. We have exactly one open, flat area to place our chicken run, so that's where it is. Unfortunately, "rural lots" like mine are subject to 30-foot setbacks for anything with a roof, meaning any sheds or builds need to be placed almost in the middle of my lawn. Of course, this also gets dangerously close to where the plow guys shoves 4 months worth of snow each winter.

It's just a mess.

Photo attached for anyone curious (it's an older one and the chicken run has been upgraded since). The white raised bed is 4x8, clears the 30 foot setback, and is well away from the plow zone. That's where a coop could go. I'd then need to rip out my beloved blueberries bushes and relocate to make room for a chunnel (chicken tunnel) that bridges the coop and run. It would be a lot of work and a lot of expense, but could be done.

View attachment 4207313

A converted shed is a very good solution if you have the space. But there are more in between possibilities between that and the Omlet. Solutions that aren’t expensive at all too.

If you gave doubt about the Omlet extension or the Nestera look at this idea:
I bought a children’s playhouse (article) and converted it to a coop. If you put a playhouse on a frame to obtain a good hight, with an area underneath for a food station and shade its a nice solution. Converting it was not a difficult project and you can place it at a more convenient spot.

 

[BDutch]

i just finished reading this whole thread and would like to follow along (if you don't mind) and see how you get on. i think you're doing great! chickening is hard.

I had periods that were hard, but most of the time I find keeping (bantam) chickens enjoyable. Sometimes easy peasy as well. Sometimes nerve wrecking, getting flabbergasted or surprised.

I think it’s worthwhile to overcome the difficulties you and Catumbrella are having now. Sure better times will come sooner or later.

 

[pollipazzi]

I had periods that were hard, but most of the time I find keeping (bantam) chickens enjoyable. Sometimes easy peasy as well. Sometimes nerve wrecking, getting flabbergasted or surprised.

I think it’s worthwhile to overcome the difficulties you and Catumbrella are having now. Sure better times will come sooner or later.

there's definitely great days! and it's getting so much easier with all the help you (and the others) gave to me.(THANK YOU!) i think the most important thing i learned is that when most people say it will take two weeks, it means a month. always with more time, the hard things worked out.