Big metal shed to chicken coop...?

[neo71665]

I use 2x4s layed so the chicken has the wide part of the lumber to stand on. Tree limbs will work but will rot over time.

 

[3KillerBs]

I use natural branches/tree trunks that are no thinner than my wrist and not thicker than my husband's wrist. 2-3" diameter, I suppose?

I'd have to buy 2x4's but young pines and scrub oaks are weeds that would have to be cleared anyway.

I don't worry about rot if the inside of the coop is kept dry.

 

[Folly's place]

We also use saplings or tree limbs, bark on, not dimensional lumber. Chickens were designed to roost in trees, after all.
Some of our birds roos eight feet up on the rafters, which are 4" fence posts in the original structure.
I think location matters most, because of social order issues, for birds that can fly, the higher the better.
Mary

 

[Pippin quail]

My husband started framing a door for the run. We're trying to utilize as many free materials as possible so he's using a crooked tree for the doorway. Had a heck of a time getting that figured out. And the run will be the beautiful treed area... We will be attempting to use that old wooden fence/structure for one side of our supports and the trees for "posts" on the other side. We'll try and dig the hardware cloth down, but I'm foreseeing running into lots of roots. Which presumably so will any animals trying to dig into their run, so hopefully it works out. I wonder if putting rocks along the outside of the hardware cloth will work with just an apron of hardware cloth or something.
Not sure what we'll do for a cover... Hoping to have the start of the run have a metal roof and then maybe just just some kind of heavy netting in and around the trees to keep hawks or other flying predators out. Ideally I'll be able to free range them some of the time as well, but need to train my dog first so it won't be all the time for sure (she's 4 months old and has been catching and eating blackbirds, so I'm hoping that doesn't translate into her wanting to eat chickens!) I'm quite happy with everything so far! Even though the run is looking more and more "redneck". But hey, if it works it doesn't have to be pretty. Or so my husband keeps saying.

 

[Pippin quail]

This is a long post, sorry in advance!

New floor boards put in (decided to just replace those instead of ripping them all out, more predator proof this way)
Patio door installed in my greenhouse/she-shed/future brooder half. My husband and I managed to carry them from our garage and install them without any other help. I feel powerful now, like we can build anything! It took several attempts and my husband having to chisel out the floor a bit to get them to fit. But we did it!
Run is complete with gate!
And the outside of the coop has a coat of primer and ready for painting and ventilation tomorrow.

Unfortunately had a huge storm blow in today after the heat of the past week. I was trying to secure a tarp over the chicken tractor in my garden and the wind was just whipping it everywhere and terrifying my chicks. My husband ended up grabbing a box for chickens and we had to make two trips across our large yard (we have 6 acres so I'd guess we had to run across at least an acre or two of it). I was drenched by time we made it to the coop and lost both sandals in the mad dash. Meanwhile ALL my laundry blew off the clothesline and tree branches, leaves and our rain barrel were flying around the yard, eventually a couple small trees fell! But at least the chickens made it to their new safe and secure coop! After about 10-15 minutes the storm was gone and it was hot again.

I have never seen the chickens so happy as they were when I let them into their new run where they have so much more space and long grass to forage in. Not sure what I'm going to do with them tomorrow when we hopefully put the ventilation in and paint the coop again. I do not want to pack them back to the garden....

Oh and since the coop is almost done and it's pretty big and we don't know how many hens we actually have, my husband said I should hatch a dozen more chicks!! Got 6 americauna and 6 Plymouth barred rock eggs in the incubator. Unfortunately during our storm ordeal my 2 year old somehow got into the incubating room and rearranged all my eggs and put most of them pointy side up. Anyone know how bad that is? Is it just bad if they stay in that position? I seriously hope she was gentle but I didn't witness anything, just heard my other kids yelling at her to get out and when I went to check the eggs they were all moved. I may or may not have yelled the f word a couple times in there.

Well that's the end of my crazy day!! Hopefully my eggs will be ok, they just went into the Bator yesterday.

 

[NatJ]

Wow, you've been busy!
Nice update!

Unfortunately during our storm ordeal my 2 year old somehow got into the incubating room and rearranged all my eggs and put most of them pointy side up. Anyone know how bad that is? Is it just bad if they stay in that position? I seriously hope she was gentle but I didn't witness anything, just heard my other kids yelling at her to get out and when I went to check the eggs they were all moved.

If you gently put them back the correct way, they are probably fine.
I think the important time is at the end of incubation, when the chick is too big to move much but needs to be properly positioned in the egg to hatch. So as long as the chick is still small, it probably doesn't matter at all.

Since you don't mention cracked eggs, I think there's a good chance the child was careful enough.

You can candle them in a week or so to see how they're doing: live ones will have continued to develop properly, but any that died will have stopped growing at that point, and after a week the difference should be fairly obvious.

 

[Pippin quail]

Wow, you've been busy!
Nice update!




If you gently put them back the correct way, they are probably fine.
I think the important time is at the end of incubation, when the chick is too big to move much but needs to be properly positioned in the egg to hatch. So as long as the chick is still small, it probably doesn't matter at all.

Since you don't mention cracked eggs, I think there's a good chance the child was careful enough.

You can candle them in a week or so to see how they're doing: live ones will have continued to develop properly, but any that died will have stopped growing at that point, and after a week the difference should be fairly obvious.

Thanks, that's reassuring. I think she was very gentle, she's used to handling the chicks and she's constantly pretending rocks are her eggs or chicks and is very gentle. I just freaked out because they were moved and turned over and was worried she maybe shook them. But I'm hoping it's all good

 

[Pippin quail]

Update!!

Hubby went with my request for an aqua blue (I was not there to pick out paint) and it's beautiful. I would call it a "Tiffany Blue" in person, pictures make it look a little darker than it is. But I'm now calling my coop "Tiffany & Co." and will for sure be naming one of my next hatch Tiffany. Then I'll be getting my breakfast at Tiffany's. Ok, maybe it's not original, but the coop color fits and I like it.

Even the floor on my shed side got a coat of the blue!

The chicken side, nesting boxes not completely finished and roosting bars yet to be put in. But my hubby put up the plywood to prevent drafts and promote airflow from the venting. We will see how it works out... I'm still a little worried that this will be terrible for winter and I'll have to somehow insulate. But I guess time will tell.

hubby put up a couple shelves in there for my chicken treats, maybe some plants. Maybe my kittens... What do people think of letting my kittens sleep on the one side at night? They would be separated from the chickens, I'm just not sure if they'd still keep the chickens up or they'd get used to each other eventually. I figure they'd take care of mice that may somehow get in and then my husband can have his garage back. I don't want to leave them out at night or they may get eaten by coyotes, but they're not indoor kitties... So I'm thinking this may be a good solution.

Last picture of the evening. This is the view from the window on the end. I love that I can check on them without having to open the door and go in!

My husband built the roosting bars out of some fallen trees from a storm last week. He did all the blue painting, roosting bars and shelves today! Such a trooper! All we have left is a backing with hinges for the nest boxes, possibly add a few, depending how many pullets I end up with in my next hatch.

I currently have 19 eggs incubating, most should be hatching next Thursday and then 8 were put in a couple days later. My current flock is looking like 11 cockerels and 4 pullets!!! (Hopefully wrong on some of those, but really bad luck on the ratio for sure!)
Anyway, thanks for getting this far, maybe I'll do a whole big post once this is 100% complete and show the whole thing start to finish.

 

[3KillerBs]

Beautiful!

 

[NatJ]

Looks really pretty!

But I'm a little concerned about that plywood that's making a sort of inner-roof: I expect the chickens will try to fly up to sit on the edge of it, and walk around on top of it. So then they will be pooping on top of it, and you'll have no way to clean up there. They probably won't get stuck up there, but any chicken that has a problem might hide up there where you cannot easily see or reach them. Also, hens might try to lay eggs up there.

(It might be fine. I'm just saying what I'm thinking, so you can keep an eye out and see whether it happens.)

What do people think of letting my kittens sleep on the one side at night? They would be separated from the chickens, I'm just not sure if they'd still keep the chickens up or they'd get used to each other eventually. I figure they'd take care of mice that may somehow get in and then my husband can have his garage back. I don't want to leave them out at night or they may get eaten by coyotes, but they're not indoor kitties... So I'm thinking this may be a good solution.

I'm sure the chickens and cats could get used to each other, especially if they are in separate sections.

If you are going to shut the cats in at night, do make sure they have a litterbox, water dish, and food. (It's probably obvious, but I'm saying it because if you're used to outdoor cats, you may not be in the habit of considering litterbox/bathroom needs.)