Cold Winters and Hot Summers

[MinniesMomma]

WHERE DID YOU GET THE POLISH?!?!

Ideal Poultry carries them! I have got all of my birds from Ideal Poultry and they are wonderful healthy birds.

 

[MinniesMomma]

So even if it gets to 20 below zero they wont need heaters? I am just worried because I live up in Idaho and we have some very harsh winters

From what I have learned from others, the danger in using heaters is that if they go out the chickens are not acclimated to the cold.

 

[Blooie]

Boy, do I understand wanting a decent sized coop, limited budget, and "oops, I should have done the coop before I got the chicks-itis!" Been there!

I think you may find a solution in cattle panels. Yep, cattle panels. I made my run from them with a regular shed coop, but if you put up the cattle panels you can enclose one end of it to house the chickens. If you decide the run isn't big enough later on, it's super easy to expand. I used no wood framing in mine whatsoever, and it's been all I can ask for - sturdy, easy to walk in, inexpensive, and so easy to put up that hubby and I, both in our 60s at the time and each with some disabilities, did it by ourselves in a weekend. You can click on My Coop under my stunning avatar to see how we built ours, and there are many threads on here if you do a search for "cattle panels". @lazy gardener started an excellent thread. Here's the link:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/cattle-panel.1140564/#post-17718482

 

[asokatonu]

Look on Craigslist for a dog run...I got a 10x10 new one delivered for under $200. And don't be afraid to get creative for the coop. Summer is coming so you have some time to think about it. And I'd get those birds outside now. You aren't doing any favors keeping them inside so long. The last chicks I had I brooded under a carport (with the heat lamp, at least for a while) at 5 days old.

If you get the coop with the canopy like your link you might start to look for a shipping crate for a Piano, Motorcycle, etc...

I want them out side but we have been haveing some crazy rain storms and also I have no were to put them. I know I need to get moving and I am trying.

Sorry with my answer it did not sound the way I had hoped I was in a hurry and frankly I was stressing myself out. I am extremely thankful for your suggestions. I was so stressed about getting a coop that I my response was sharp and unkind and I am very sorry. I think I am just going to stop second guessing myself and get a coop then ill move on from there. Thank you so much guys for supporting me and putting up with my crazy emotions! If I ever get unreasonable like that again please tell me to take a break .

 

[asokatonu]

I think I am going to go with this
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...n-walk-in-coop-up-to-18-chickens?cm_vc=-10005
No second guessing this time. Thank you for all the support guys!

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

I think I am going to go with this
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...n-walk-in-coop-up-to-18-chickens?cm_vc=-10005
No second guessing this time. Thank you for all the support guys!

Woo-hoo! Make sure to post up pics of your new coop for us....

 

[JDN]

Sorry with my answer it did not sound the way I had hoped I was in a hurry and frankly I was stressing myself out. I am extremely thankful for your suggestions. I was so stressed about getting a coop that I my response was sharp and unkind and I am very sorry. I think I am just going to stop second guessing myself and get a coop then ill move on from there. Thank you so much guys for supporting me and putting up with my crazy emotions! If I ever get unreasonable like that again please tell me to take a break .

Don’t be sorry you weren’t sharp. I might look on Craigslist too for coops...the one you posted is probably fine if you put it under the canopy but otherwise I’d be leery.

 

[h2oratt]

Sorry I am just obsessed with them and I want one so bad but they are rare here for me

Where in calif do you live. There are tons of polish around.

 

[Flickster5]

About the tractor supply chicken coop...

Just don't expect it to actually be good for 18 chickens...I have that identical one and while I knew it wasn't really big enough for that many, my first brood of 8 chicks (now about 10 weeks old so some growth left yet) would probably not be happy with me if I didn't give them supervised free range time every day.

Another note is it has two perches, but they are at the same level as the nest boxes...so naturally the chickens ignore the perches and stay in the nest boxes. I've sort of forced the perches up higher and plan to sand them down or something so I can fit them higher more properly eventually, but I'm honestly planning on just building another coop. The instructions for that coop weren't bad but a bit annoying (not all that handy myself and was working mostly alone so the few hours it quoted was actually more than half a day)...but I'm already seeing some integrity issues with the building materials of it. Other minor issues...unless you're ready to drill in extra holes or cut out spaces (not a big deal but I don't even own the tools to do so!), be aware there isn't a readily available way to hang feeders/waterer or to set up any kind of heating device in the coop portion, if you had intended to do that.

I'm thinking it will make a great coop to keep new chickens I want to integrate or any I have to separate for some reason, but I'm not happy with it for a primary coop.

That said, I know very well how it feels to look at dozens of options and finally throw your hands up and just pick something It has kept the eight I have in it relatively happy and safe for the last 4-5 weeks so it isn't a bad option lol I just wish I had known about the issues mentioned above BEFORE I ordered it, would have considered it a bit more closely

 

[asokatonu]

Thank you for the info I think I can work through all of the minor problems and I am fully aware that it can not hold 18 chickens I only have 5 and chances are the most ill ever get would be 8. Honestly I would rather deal with the slight problems that this one has then to try and build on my self. Thank you for letting me know about the water and feeder and I think I am going to try with no heating unit a lot of people where saying that they really don't need it. I am pretty sure that i have got this under control now.Thank you for sticking with me and thank you for all the help.