Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[Mountain Momma]

I think Bee is very practicle and has common sense, I can't see her enjoying such a frivolous coop!
She could do great things with the money! Just think how far she could stretch that money!

Yeah, The williams Sonoma one is way more practical and its only 699 too.
Although Harbor Freight has a 6x8 green house with free delivery for 279 that would make a good coop with some modifications.
Still liking my free one that use to be a kennel. Just went to the site and they have more options now than before. Cheapest starts at 399.00 and they also have a predator kit!

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  Chicken Coop Predator Kit
  Exclusive $79.95

 

[Beekissed]

I wouldn't give a dime for nary a one of those coops. They sure would look nice holding flowers or something but..chickens? Pretty little death coops.

 

[Mountain Momma]

I have ruined a perfectly good dog. As DH travels a lot, I thought I wanted a "companion" dog. It didn't take me long to see that she wasn't nearly as happy as the "yard" dogs we had on the farm. So, I started letting her stay in the yard while I'm at work and she is MUCH happier. As it turns out, this lab something mix I got from the shelter seems to be turning into a pretty good mutt. She's only 7 months old now, and hasn't had the proper LSG training, so it's not like she' super dog. But, when she hears the chooks give that "something's not right" call, she comes running, hackles up and ready to fight. I don't know what she'd do if there were an actual predator, but it would be nice to see.

Anyway, I say I have ruined her because since she's always slept inside, she doesn't want to sleep outside.......any OT suggestions???

(Sorry to put a dog question here, I have just come to trust the OTs so much!!!

I say let her sleep inside. She wants to do double duty and keep you company too. What a cutie. Can we see a picture? I wish my dogs weren't chickens. They run from any kind of trouble. They are brilliant at being silent and invisible and I have to wake them up if a bear is trying to get in the garage! And they get to sleep inside. Pathetic huh?
L

 

[Beekissed]

Every dog wants to be inside when the family is home...that's natural. But she sounds like a real winner and I'd use that doggy goodness for predator control at night~when most predators are doing their thing. A dog inside is pretty much worthless for what is going on outside.

Remember when your kids didn't want to sleep in their own beds and wanted to sleep in with you? Are they still sleeping with you when they are teenagers? If so, you have bigger problems than this dog....if not, how did you break that habit?

Yep...fix a really nice, comfy and cozy dog house for the pooch and make it a rule that she is always out each night. Let her come in of the evening and enjoy the family, suck up all the lovey moochies and such and then outside to work.

It gives them a purpose and makes for a happier dog in the long run. Labs love to work and most of the work of guarding chickens is at night. All the predators my dog has killed has been at night....coons, possums, etc. Can't protect the chickens from the couch.

 

[Gargoyle]

You know me well.....

Think of how much food, clothing and shelter that would buy some people out there. What a horrible tragedy that we live in a world that even has a chicken house that is supposedly being sold for $100K and we have hungry children and people who are cold on the streets. Who in the world could ever justify such a thing? Makes me wanna cry....

otoh, I look at that and think, hmm, an excavator will earn $5,000, a carpenter will earn $12,000, a nursery will earn $8,000, a painter will earn $1800.... that 100k goes into peoples pockets and feeds their families. Yes, the designer and some others will make wild profits, but they'll probably use it to send their kids to school.

 

[Gargoyle]

I wouldn't give a dime for nary a one of those coops. They sure would look nice holding flowers or something but..chickens? Pretty little death coops.

They do sell a "chicken coop predator kit" which consists of a single 25' x 2' roll of hardware cloth, some nails and washers, for $79.00.
Williams Sonoma is making a serious markup- I could buy that retail, double the price and still undercut them.

 

[DMRippy]

Quote: I bet if you ask those contractors..... they are not making that kinda of money, Neiman Marcus is. Businesses like that don't SHARE the love that much.

 

[Mskayladog]

noticed a lot of condensation on the coops ceiling this morning it was dripping. Its a metal sheet roof no insulation. the roost is about 2-3 ft below the top side of the coop. Should I add some ventilation above the roost in the wall close to the roof? The air would flow over them but not across them. Its the west wall so the cold air would be blowing towards the wall with the cut outs in it.

this is while we converting the leanto that wall there is only half enclosed with a sheet of wood i thought with that wall be open we would have enough ventilation.


The wall with the fence and gate is where we would have to put the cuts. The front top has a 1in opening all along it.

Now this is before the coop was finished and fenced in. hoping you all will have some advice. Maybe I have nothing to be concerned about. if we do add the cuts should we lower the roost?
Oh man if we have to lower the roost I am going to have a unhappy hubby lol.
thanks

 

[Beekissed]

otoh, I look at that and think, hmm, an excavator will earn $5,000, a carpenter will earn $12,000, a nursery will earn $8,000, a painter will earn $1800.... that 100k goes into peoples pockets and feeds their families. Yes, the designer and some others will make wild profits, but they'll probably use it to send their kids to school.

Or..they could use the same money to pay the same people to build something that humans could actually live in or a food bank to feed the hungry or to on clothing to keep people warm, which would funnel those monies to families that make the clothing.

What it all comes down to is that it's a house for CHICKENS. Chickens can live comfortably in a house made of pallets but would we rather they not have to so that people can live in cardboard boxes instead?

I'm sure that a designer and contractor has plenty of money to clothe their kids, but some do not....but hey, chicken's gotta live somewhere, I guess. Who cares about the poor folk?

 

[Beekissed]

noticed a lot of condensation on the coops ceiling this morning it was dripping. Its a metal sheet roof no insulation. the roost is about 2-3 ft below the top side of the coop. Should I add some ventilation above the roost in the wall close to the roof? The air would flow over them but not across them. Its the west wall so the cold air would be blowing towards the wall with the cut outs in it.

this is while we converting the leanto that wall there is only half enclosed with a sheet of wood i thought with that wall be open we would have enough ventilation.


The wall with the fence and gate is where we would have to put the cuts. The front top has a 1in opening all along it.

Now this is before the coop was finished and fenced in. hoping you all will have some advice. Maybe I have nothing to be concerned about. if we do add the cuts should we lower the roost?
Oh man if we have to lower the roost I am going to have a unhappy hubby lol.
thanks

No need to lower the roosts but definitely add ventilation under those eaves. Most folks that used tin roofs for chicken houses back in the day left gaps or cracks between the rafters, which left plenty of ventilation under those roofs. Will be real handy in the summer months as well.

That building? Needs some major big windows cut out of the side of it, wire placed over the holes and you can staple plastic over that for winter. Those birds need more light and air...windows give you options and you will thank me this next spring and summer if you put in some big windows for big cross breezes.