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

[Beekissed]

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.

I wasn't thinking in regards to predators...I was thinking in regards to air,light, and space. Imagine you living in a house with a few other people in direct proportion to those hens and these tiny houses. Chickens weren't meant for living in tiny spaces, no matter how cute or predator proof. They need room to live and to live healthy lives.

These coops are death coops because they are too small, too airless, too dark.

 

[DMRippy]

Quote: x2

Here is what we did. This is a picture look UP at the eves. Later we covered them with hardware cloth and some flashing material to keep the rain out more.



Here it is kinda finished. See the overhang? This allows lots of ventilation without a draft. It is higher than their roost so they never get a draft. I also have a window on the other side for a cross breeze.



This is the other side. Each coop has a window on the door.

 

[Kansas Prairie]

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

So glad you noticed the condensation and knew it was a problem.
Chickens are healthier living in a tree than in a coop with not enough ventilation.

I'm reading your post and looking at the pictures, you say one side of this coop has a wall that "is only half enclosed with a sheet of wood." Is that similar to a window?

 

[Back2MyRoots]

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!!!

First and foremost, kudos for rescuing from the shelter! (My hubby and I volunteer with our shelter, so I can't tell you how much I appreciate folks who love "mutts" from shelters!) Second, I agree with whoever said to let her run double duty. Though of course Bee is right---can't fight off the beasties from the sofa.

We accidentally trained our rescue, Isabella / Izzy Bizzy (who our vet swears is red doberman, lab and "some sort of hound") to heard the chickens up. She is a 100% couch potato that goes absolutely EVERYWHERE my husband and I go. She is happiest with her people, but she adores being outside with her chickens. We always say "Let's go get the chickies" when we have to round them up and she has learned to circle them up and bring them to us anytime we say that. She will even weave in and out of the woods to get them up without being asked is she thinks they have ventured too far. Who needs a rooster?!? We has a Bizzy!

 

[bruceh]

First and foremost, kudos for rescuing from the shelter! (My hubby and I volunteer with our shelter, so I can't tell you how much I appreciate folks who love "mutts" from shelters!) Second, I agree with whoever said to let her run double duty. Though of course Bee is right---can't fight off the beasties from the sofa.

We accidentally trained our rescue, Isabella / Izzy Bizzy (who our vet swears is red doberman, lab and "some sort of hound") to heard the chickens up. She is a 100% couch potato that goes absolutely EVERYWHERE my husband and I go. She is happiest with her people, but she adores being outside with her chickens. We always say "Let's go get the chickies" when we have to round them up and she has learned to circle them up and bring them to us anytime we say that. She will even weave in and out of the woods to get them up without being asked is she thinks they have ventured too far. Who needs a rooster?!? We has a Bizzy!

cute pup

 

[Back2MyRoots]

Ok, OTs, got a question.........

Husband and I were watching "Alaska: The Last Frontier" (love the show) Anyway, they killed on of their hens (it was an egg-eater) and as they were cleaning it, I swear it looked like there were three eggs in various stages of formation all laying up on the table covered in chicken in-sides. My question is, do chickens form more than one egg at a time? I know they can only lay one egg at a time, but are there other eggs in the works? Is that as stupid as it sounds inside my head? Just curious.

 

[Back2MyRoots]

cute pup

Thanks---she's rotten! You should have seen what a wormy torn-up little runt she was when we brought her home! She made it through nearly being ripped in half by her mother and parvo! She is a tenacious little fluff.

 

[Beekissed]

Yes, eggs are in a constant state of formation....if you look at the ovary of the chicken, you will see the very tiny and then every size up to the actual size you see in your egg. Too bad they killed the "egg-eater"...sounds like she was a solid layer. That right there was just inexperience and for all the world to see and learn from...sad.

 

[Back2MyRoots]

Yes, eggs are in a constant state of formation....if you look at the ovary of the chicken, you will see the very tiny and then every size up to the actual size you see in your egg. Too bad they killed the "egg-eater"...sounds like she was a solid layer. That right there was just inexperience and for all the world to see and learn from...sad.

Thanks Bee! Husband and I were crazy currious about that (having not killed a layer yet).

Next question then, I have heard that if a hen starts eating her eggs that you should just kill her because she will never stop. We (thankfully) have not had this problem yet, but is there a way to break an egg eater? Someone mentioned mustard on an egg? That really gonna work? I personally love hard-boiled-eggs with mustard!

 

[Beekissed]

Don't believe it. You don't have to make up ways to make them stop...just wait awhile and it goes away like magic. Right about the time egg shells firm up again....