Building Our New Coop

[Grandmas Coop]

 

[Grandmas Coop]

 

[Ted Brown]

Interesting that you were unable to make DLM work, seemed like a ideal situation for it.

Any thoughts or comments?

 

[Grandmas Coop]

In a wet climate there is a great chance for bugs- I like the dry sand that I can clean / scoop up poop from under the night time roost every morning. this helps keep the flies down. The sand cleans up very easily with a kitty litter scoop. In 7 years we have never had an issue with mites or lice. The hens have nice dry place all winter and spring. It works great for me.

 

[Grandmas Coop]

OK, I am going to go with milk crates & I will make a slanted sheet metal top so they wont roost on top.

 

[Aunt Tat]

When we discovered our neighbor's hen was leaving eggs for us, they were in a nest next to our kennel (no dogs)

She had matted down some grass and there were about 6 eggs in it.

Fast forward to a week or so ago and someone posted an article in BYC about how hens sitting on a flat surface while trying to incubate eggs proved to be a difficult task due to the flat surface of most people-provided nests, I decided to put a couple/few totes in our run for them.

I'll cut out a doorway for them and place them on the ground (might run some ground anchors around the outside to stabilize them) and let them hollow out the ground to suit them. These would be for use in the summer or nice weather. We have an OverEZ coop, so I'll let THEM choose. I'll also probably put a bit of a shed-style roof over the boxes and make sure the face away from incoming storms.

 

[Grandmas Coop]

When we discovered our neighbor's hen was leaving eggs for us, they were in a nest next to our kennel (no dogs)

She had matted down some grass and there were about 6 eggs in it.

Fast forward to a week or so ago and someone posted an article in BYC about how hens sitting on a flat surface while trying to incubate eggs proved to be a difficult task due to the flat surface of most people-provided nests, I decided to put a couple/few totes in our run for them.

I'll cut out a doorway for them and place them on the ground (might run some ground anchors around the outside to stabilize them) and let them hollow out the ground to suit them. These would be for use in the summer or nice weather. We have an OverEZ coop, so I'll let THEM choose. I'll also probably put a bit of a shed-style roof over the boxes and make sure the face away from incoming storms.

Sounds like a wonderful idea!

 

[Aunt Tat]

Sounds like a wonderful idea!

PS. We won't be having roosters, BUT if we have a broody hen and there are fertilized eggs available, we might get some for her to hatch and raise. But THAT'S a WHOLE 'nother thing!! LOL

 

[Grandmas Coop]

Saturday we added our yearly 9 bags of sand to the coop floor.
For the coop this week:
Build the new nesting box set up using these file/milk crates Hung on the 2X4's / studs of the wall

 

[Grandmas Coop]

We refreshed the sand in the coop.
10/ 60lb bags of all purpose from home-depot. New nesting boxes are all done! This gives me more room on the right for the brooder box for the13 brown and red leghorns, an addition to our rooster & 5 white leghorns.