We moved the chicks out to their coop on Saturday. They were 5 1/2 weeks old. In Central Texas, so temps are already mild at night and hot during the day.
Our coop has been put together with freebies and scraps. Not much to look at, but I think it will function fine. We extended the front and back out several feet to provide additional shade and rain protection.
About 25 years ago it was a portable outhouse. Some of the metal had rusted - some we could take off and flip over and the rust was covered by the overlap. Other areas we used scrap from an old barn we had torn down. I wish I had gotten a chance to paint the inside for looks, but we upped the chicks move in date, so I ran out of time.
Here's the view from the run a few weeks back. Ramp has been painted but we still haven't attached it yet.
Here is a view of their run. The fence on the right is what we just installed - we partitioned off part of one of the goat pens. Outside fence is 4x4 fencing, electric fence on the bottom, and then we added some chicken wire on the inside. This was an old feeder that was no longer being used, so we brought it over to provide some shade and protection and also a good place to anchor another shade tarp. Working on plans to cover with some deer netting as just a bit of an extra barrier against hawks. May try to build some more shade/protection areas.
When we moved them into the coop, I brought out the exercise pen I had used as a brooder and attached it to the front of the coop. It's staked down everywhere but the one panel I swing as a gate. Not secure at all to leave them in unattended, but it buys me extra time if they come out when I open the door and is helping us work out boundaries with the dogs. I spent a good deal of time sitting in the chair with the door open just watching them. We aren't giving them access to the run yet, but I am letting them get used to the outdoors a bit.
Inside we put in three roosting bars made out of 2x4s and then I have a larger board running across. It may be a 1x8.
Our pop door. I think the material is called mylar. Freebie from a manufacturing plant. It's on a cable that goes up to a pulley and then runs outside with a hook for the open position and one for the closed position, so that we do not have to enter the coop to open/close the door.
Since we were going to basically confine them to the coop only this first week, I wanted some extra air flow down lower and also to give them a chance to see out, so we used plywood and hardware cloth and made a temporary door that we wedged into the opening.
Three of the chickens quickly figured out the roosting boards. We ended up raising the top one up one more spot so that they could choose to get the cross breeze if they wanted it. Pretty sure all three of these are roosters. They looked pretty pitiful the first few hours - panting, wings down or out, etc - I think the Texas heat/humidity combined with a totally new home stressed them out some. Thankfully they bounced back quickly.
When I take them out to their run in the grass they just freeze, but they now are pretty good about coming out the main door and exploring their little fenced in front yard while I sit with them.
Pretty sure this red coming through makes this EE a rooster.
And here was my favorite bird (by looks), But, on two different occasions I've heard it make noises like it's trying to learn to crow, I think it's comb looks like it has three raised rows, and the dang thing bit me the other day and hung on, so I'm pretty sure this EE is a rooster as well.
I know I really have to wait a bit longer to confirm things, but pretty sure 3 of my 6 EE bantams are roos. These three are the ones I hope are pullets. This was their first time on grass and they were not amused. I have 5 buff oprington bantams. Pretty certain 1 is a girl and 2 are boys. I think the other two are going to be hens, but need more time. Of my dominique bantams, think it is 1 and 1. And then I have 4 silkies. No guessing on them yet.
Our coop has been put together with freebies and scraps. Not much to look at, but I think it will function fine. We extended the front and back out several feet to provide additional shade and rain protection.
About 25 years ago it was a portable outhouse. Some of the metal had rusted - some we could take off and flip over and the rust was covered by the overlap. Other areas we used scrap from an old barn we had torn down. I wish I had gotten a chance to paint the inside for looks, but we upped the chicks move in date, so I ran out of time.
Here's the view from the run a few weeks back. Ramp has been painted but we still haven't attached it yet.
Here is a view of their run. The fence on the right is what we just installed - we partitioned off part of one of the goat pens. Outside fence is 4x4 fencing, electric fence on the bottom, and then we added some chicken wire on the inside. This was an old feeder that was no longer being used, so we brought it over to provide some shade and protection and also a good place to anchor another shade tarp. Working on plans to cover with some deer netting as just a bit of an extra barrier against hawks. May try to build some more shade/protection areas.
When we moved them into the coop, I brought out the exercise pen I had used as a brooder and attached it to the front of the coop. It's staked down everywhere but the one panel I swing as a gate. Not secure at all to leave them in unattended, but it buys me extra time if they come out when I open the door and is helping us work out boundaries with the dogs. I spent a good deal of time sitting in the chair with the door open just watching them. We aren't giving them access to the run yet, but I am letting them get used to the outdoors a bit.
Inside we put in three roosting bars made out of 2x4s and then I have a larger board running across. It may be a 1x8.
Our pop door. I think the material is called mylar. Freebie from a manufacturing plant. It's on a cable that goes up to a pulley and then runs outside with a hook for the open position and one for the closed position, so that we do not have to enter the coop to open/close the door.
Since we were going to basically confine them to the coop only this first week, I wanted some extra air flow down lower and also to give them a chance to see out, so we used plywood and hardware cloth and made a temporary door that we wedged into the opening.
Three of the chickens quickly figured out the roosting boards. We ended up raising the top one up one more spot so that they could choose to get the cross breeze if they wanted it. Pretty sure all three of these are roosters. They looked pretty pitiful the first few hours - panting, wings down or out, etc - I think the Texas heat/humidity combined with a totally new home stressed them out some. Thankfully they bounced back quickly.
When I take them out to their run in the grass they just freeze, but they now are pretty good about coming out the main door and exploring their little fenced in front yard while I sit with them.
Pretty sure this red coming through makes this EE a rooster.
And here was my favorite bird (by looks), But, on two different occasions I've heard it make noises like it's trying to learn to crow, I think it's comb looks like it has three raised rows, and the dang thing bit me the other day and hung on, so I'm pretty sure this EE is a rooster as well.
I know I really have to wait a bit longer to confirm things, but pretty sure 3 of my 6 EE bantams are roos. These three are the ones I hope are pullets. This was their first time on grass and they were not amused. I have 5 buff oprington bantams. Pretty certain 1 is a girl and 2 are boys. I think the other two are going to be hens, but need more time. Of my dominique bantams, think it is 1 and 1. And then I have 4 silkies. No guessing on them yet.
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