Colorado

[pichuris]

I have a question about my Speckled Sussex - the Sussex Sisters - I have 5, got them when they were around 6 weeks old, now they are 14 weeks, and two of them do not appear to be growing tails, in fact they look like what I think rumpless must mean. I am assuming this means they are almost certainly not pure, and that they may have Araucana mixed in - hatchery chicks, don't know which, there was a gal raising day-olds she bought from a hatchery and selling them as started, which suited me well. I stink at taking pictures but will try to get some to post later today, just wondered what other breed might be mixed in, if there are other rumpless breeds. Also, I wonder if I might have a chance at getting green or blue eggs? I know nothing about chicken genetics as far as dominant and recessive traits and the like.

I had the same thing with my barred rock hen "pretty butt". She was tail-less until she was 22 weeks. Now she really is "Pretty Butt".

Ya'll have me getting excited about canning. This year we didn't grow much in means of canning. Just because this year my sister and I were a lot busier. Hopefully next year.

dennarahl - How exciting!

 

[wsmith]

it will be 12' X 6'. Basically a deck floor with a roof. I will also build a work bench that will be about 30" wide and 12' long.

This coming week I will be removing nails and sorting re-purposed lumber to build the rest of the floor for the work shelter. I hope I have enough!

 

[Pozees]

This coming week I will be removing nails and sorting re-purposed lumber to build the rest of the floor for the work shelter. I hope I have enough!

This sounds like an interesting project - presumably it is mainly for summer use, so I'm wondering how you will stop yourself from enclosing it so you can use it all year? LOL I just know how these things go at my house, and usually we manage to let them get way out of hand For example: DH who thinks I am crazy to have chickens, is going to help me insulate my new coop before we move the girls in, and wants me to figure out a plan to build a larger version of a small coop and run we have the Sussex Sisters in right now - which would essentially necessitate more chickens ... right? Right? I'm going with yes ...

 

[wsmith]

This sounds like an interesting project - presumably it is mainly for summer use, so I'm wondering how you will stop yourself from enclosing it so you can use it all year? LOL I just know how these things go at my house, and usually we manage to let them get way out of hand For example: DH who thinks I am crazy to have chickens, is going to help me insulate my new coop before we move the girls in, and wants me to figure out a plan to build a larger version of a small coop and run we have the Sussex Sisters in right now - which would essentially necessitate more chickens ... right? Right? I'm going with yes ...

LOL. I might use it in the winter, not planning on enclosing it though, but then again, that's what a coat is for.......

We aren't even insulataing the coop. I figure they should do just fine. They are wearing down coats.

. Mostly it will be for evaluating, weighing, etc and for processing. If the need arises, we will use it during the winter.

 

[Pozees]

LOL. I might use it in the winter, not planning on enclosing it though, but then again, that's what a coat is for.......

We aren't even insulataing the coop. I figure they should do just fine. They are wearing down coats.

. Mostly it will be for evaluating, weighing, etc and for processing. If the need arises, we will use it during the winter.

Honestly I wasn't planning to insulate, but when it arrived we noticed spaces between all the boards, and Mr. "You're crazy!" said, "They'll get too cold, the wind blows here you know, and snow could blow right in there!" I decided to go ahead and insulate, today bought firring strips and a couple of those rolls of silver around air bubble insulation, and then we'll cover that with 1/4" plywood. Roof is metal with spaces at the long sides, which I'll cover with hardware cloth. Then will have to install a perch, which was not included, but it's a pretty heavy duty coop and should serve us well with plenty of space - I only have 7 hens and the coop is 8' long and an inch shy of 4' wide. I think the primary benefit of insulating will turn out to be summer heat protection.

I think your roof will be of huge benefit. I wonder if you'll wind up deciding to screen it in next year if flies get to be a problem. As long as you have framing it probably wouldn't be too difficult.

 

[dennarahl]

I am curious which kit you are using. We looked at several, but the reviews on most of them referred to warped lumber and it scared me some - so I asked someone at Lowe's what happened if that was the case, and he assured me if I bought a kit and got warped lumber I could bring it back and exchange for not-warped lumber. Would really like to get something up in the next year that is large enough to serve as 1/3 coop, 1/3 grow room for starting vegetable seedlings, and 1/3 storage - so I have lofty goals and now I just have to start saving the $$$ and meanwhile research extensively how much I can actually accomplish my goal using less expensive materials, such as shipping crates and pallets. I read somewhere that he wood in pallets is treated, but everyone I've asked says that is not the case, anyone know?

We aren't done yet due to the compressor dying this morning, a nail getting jammed in the gun and me being gone yarn crawling. We did experience a couple of warped boards in the floor framing. We were able to work around most of them and make them do what we wanted in a decently level and right angle-y way. If you're willing and able to do all the cutting yourself, then I would really consider it. We are both, but the expense isn't bad compared to how we'd do it ourselves and it will definitely be quicker without all the cutting. This is the one we got: http://www.homedepot.com/Storage-Or...splay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&storeId=10051

ETA: Because the packaging is 8 feet long and the coop is 10 ft, they have you do some interesting things with the floor and puzzle peicing it together. In retrospect, we should have said screw that and just buy enough lengths of 10ft long lumber to do the floor ourselves. It may have meant cutting, but it would have been easier. I'll keep updating as we go, and I'll tell about any issues with the kit.

Be careful about something big enough to do all of that, it may get you into dealing with permits and all that fun stuff. Our plan is to build this one, and then use the instructions to construct more of them when we're ready to do it from scratch.

From everything we've done with pallets, I'd say some are treated and some aren't. Searching online gives the same info, and I don't know how to tell the difference.

 

[dennarahl]

MMMMMMMM..... NOM NOM. Homemade bread.... You're making me want to go make some RIGHT NAO! However, this is totally me right now:

 

[Pozees]

We aren't done yet due to the compressor dying this morning, a nail getting jammed in the gun and me being gone yarn crawling. We did experience a couple of warped boards in the floor framing. We were able to work around most of them and make them do what we wanted in a decently level and right angle-y way. If you're willing and able to do all the cutting yourself, then I would really consider it. We are both, but the expense isn't bad compared to how we'd do it ourselves and it will definitely be quicker without all the cutting. This is the one we got: http://www.homedepot.com/Storage-Or...splay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&storeId=10051

ETA: Because the packaging is 8 feet long and the coop is 10 ft, they have you do some interesting things with the floor and puzzle peicing it together. In retrospect, we should have said screw that and just buy enough lengths of 10ft long lumber to do the floor ourselves. It may have meant cutting, but it would have been easier. I'll keep updating as we go, and I'll tell about any issues with the kit.

Be careful about something big enough to do all of that, it may get you into dealing with permits and all that fun stuff. Our plan is to build this one, and then use the instructions to construct more of them when we're ready to do it from scratch.

From everything we've done with pallets, I'd say some are treated and some aren't. Searching online gives the same info, and I don't know how to tell the difference.

That's a nice size - and you're right, permit issues can arise; I think we can go to 120 sf, although will have to double check before I build anything. Bummer about the compressor and nail gun - DH just discovered his needs a new fitting when he took it apart to tighten it and it essentially fell apart in his hands, but he was just airing up a tire, not constructing a building, and had enough to get the tire done.

 

[wsmith]

That's a nice size - and you're right, permit issues can arise; I think we can go to 120 sf, although will have to double check before I build anything. Bummer about the compressor and nail gun - DH just discovered his needs a new fitting when he took it apart to tighten it and it essentially fell apart in his hands, but he was just airing up a tire, not constructing a building, and had enough to get the tire done.

10' X 12' (120sq feet) is usually the "no permit needed" maximum size. In El Paso County it is. That is why my hen house finished dimestions are 10' X 12'. Remember, its not the INSIDE dimensions, but the OUTSIDE dimensions that count. None of my chicken project buildings exceed that limit.

 

[wsmith]

Sharon and Mayah:

Any indication from your Dom pullets that they will be laying soon? I have a couple of the hatchery Doms that have nice red combs and wattles, and are "thickening". I'm thinking within a few weeks!