Colorado

[uzisuzuki]

Here is our chicken run marathon that took place last week.

Saturday - decide to adopt 9 sweet hens

Sunday - design run

Monday locate lumber needed from fence we tore down last fall, order hardware cloth from Amazon

Tuesday - measure 15 times cut once and use the Kreg jig to put all pilot hole for run construction. Put the 3 walls together in preparation for full assembly.


Wednesday- Daughter's Fiance leveled coop area with skid loader. I constructed the frame by myself (planned that way) in 40 minutes


Thursday - Received hardware cloth in afternoon, put up 3 side, and top sections in about 2 hours, temporarily stapled them in place.



Thursday Night - Pick up Chickens and move coop to property.





Friday - Finished up hardware cloth, install gate and attach to coop



Next project - add more ventilation (windows). Previously the chickens free ranged out the large coop door which was open all day. The previous owner started with 24 chickens she was down to 9 as "they would just disappear." We have resident hawks and owls not to mention the possibility for fox and coyotes. Because they are housed at my Daughters home with my grandson's 3 and 7 who are already completely attached, we can't just let our girls disappear. So, we will add windows. Has anyone fashioned a screen door for the large door to allow ventilation and light through the big door? If so, I would love to hear how you did it and pictures too please.

So our chicken journey begins. We love them!!!

You guys got that together fast! And welcome to BYC! I'm new to chickens myself and this site has been very helpful (the articles and people on the boards are very good about answering questions).

 

[COChix]

Mud! I feel like that's going to be my biggest nemesis with my birds. Especially since I'm apparently not smart enough to get a tarp over the top of my pen without it halfway falling down from the wind, and then collecting eleventy billion gallons of melted snow that can only be dumped off into the pen.

I had a rough night after work last night.

I'm glad you don't feel so bad today, @COchick
 and I hope the rest of your recovery is speedy!

Uzi, why a bad night? Was it related to your injuries? Thanks for the warm wishes. As far as mud goes, our birds do get muddy due to free ranging, they want out as soon as it is nice to go free range. I used to worry about mud and the fact the girls have saddle sores, so they look a bit rough. Then I have to remind myself to let them be chickens and let nature take it's course. So if muddy oh well at least that is natural.

Here is our chicken run...

Tuesday - measure 15 times cut once....
Next project - add more ventilation (windows). Previously the chickens free ranged out the large coop door which was open all day. The previous owner started with 24 chickens she was down to 9 as "they would just disappear." We have resident hawks and owls not to mention the possibility for fox and coyotes. Because they are housed at my Daughters home with my grandson's 3 and 7 who are already completely attached, we can't just let our girls disappear. So, we will add windows. Has anyone fashioned a screen door for the large door to allow ventilation and light through the big door? If so, I would love to hear how you did it and pictures too please.

So our chicken journey begins. We love them!!!

First of all welcome to our BYC Colorado family. How cool is that, that you rescued your flock, love it! What breeds and do you know their ages? Love the chicken marathon and looks good, congrats.

As far as feeders, I just got done making these feeders, they are said to be no waste and are easily made out of buckets. The 15 gallon should hold around 75# of feed and the 5 gallon should hold around 25# of feed.

 

[Mtn Margie]

So our chicken journey begins. We love them!!!

Wow!!! Really nice job on that chicken habitat!

COChix- wishing you a speedy recovery. Remember to give yourself time to recover, it will take less time if you give it time!!!

Uzi- hope you get some rest tonight as well.

I just shoveled off my back deck so this girl will probably sleep like a baby tonight.

 

[uzisuzuki]

Uzi, why a bad night? Was it related to your injuries? Thanks for the warm wishes. As far as mud goes, our birds do get muddy due to free ranging, they want out as soon as it is nice to go free range. I used to worry about mud and the fact the girls have saddle sores, so they look a bit rough. Then I have to remind myself to let them be chickens and let nature take it's course. So if muddy oh well at least that is natural.

First of all welcome to our BYC Colorado family. How cool is that, that you rescued your flock, love it! What breeds and do you know their ages? Love the chicken marathon and looks good, congrats.

As far as feeders, I just got done making these feeders, they are said to be no waste and are easily made out of buckets. The 15 gallon should hold around 75# of feed and the 5 gallon should hold around 25# of feed.

Yeah, I had to try and fix the tarp covering on my pen and turn/add new straw because of the melted snow last night so I could move my birds back out of the barn and it's not been a great time lately with the ankles and my brain. I was in so much pain from struggling with that dumb tarp that I was sweating my hair colour off! When you're sweating blue and green, it's probably time to just stop. I'm *trying* to get to the "it's just mud, they'll be fine" stage, but my OCD is having a hard time not washing the dirt/mud off of Odysseus's white feathers every day. So far, so good. My eye just twitches every time I look at him...

I'm gonna have to try to make those feeders. I've noticed that the store bought hanging one I have, there is a LOT of waste.

 

[COChix]

Yeah, I had to try and fix the tarp covering on my pen and turn/add new straw because of the melted snow last night so I could move my birds back out of the barn and it's not been a great time lately with the ankles and my brain. I was in so much pain from struggling with that dumb tarp that I was sweating my hair colour off! When you're sweating blue and green, it's probably time to just stop. I'm *trying* to get to the "it's just mud, they'll be fine" stage, but my OCD is having a hard time not washing the dirt/mud off of Odysseus's white feathers every day. So far, so good. My eye just twitches every time I look at him...

I'm gonna have to try to make those feeders. I've noticed that the store bought hanging one I have, there is a LOT of waste.

Trust me, I know about the desire to give baths to the girls, we have five Delaware and an all white EE. It will get better with time. Lol on sweating hair color, take it easy remember?!

 

[KLBCOS]

Those look awesome. Do you have instruction on how to construct them? I would use a 5 gallon bucket. I would love to try these.

 

[KLBCOS]

Those look awesome. Do you have instruction on how to construct them? I would use a 5 gallon bucket. I would love to try these.

 

[COChix]

Those look awesome. Do you have instruction on how to construct them? I would use a 5 gallon bucket. I would love to try these.

Yep from this thread...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/newestpost/834227

I would suggest reading the whole thread as people have come up with various different vessels to feed from.

 

[KLBCOS]

Yeah, I had to try and fix the tarp covering on my pen and turn/add new straw because of the melted snow last night so I could move my birds back out of the barn and it's not been a great time lately with the ankles and my brain. I was in so much pain from struggling with that dumb tarp that I was sweating my hair colour off! When you're sweating blue and green, it's probably time to just stop. I'm *trying* to get to the "it's just mud, they'll be fine" stage, but my OCD is having a hard time not washing the dirt/mud off of Odysseus's white feathers every day. So far, so good. My eye just twitches every time I look at him...

I'm gonna have to try to make those feeders. I've noticed that the store bought hanging one I have, there is a LOT of waste.

I am not sure what breeds we have or the ages. I have text the gal we got them from to try to find out. I do know we have 2 Easter Eggers - we get green eggs. We have two that are large black and white with nice red combs (almost look like roosters). We have an all white one that is medium sized. We have one that is large and brown with variagated brown shades. I think we have one gold orphington but she's small. So, I am not sure. There are also 2 black bantams. The gold one may be a type of bantam. Maybe you can help me with the breeds. They have been raised with a lot of care and are very friendly and don't mind being held. They also love the boys 3 and 7.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Wishing you a speedy recovery!!! Nice you were able to spend some time with your chickens. Yep, muddy here too, but it beats a two foot snow drift any day!

X2 getting better takes time.

Here is our chicken run marathon that took place last week.

Saturday - decide to adopt 9 sweet hens

Sunday - design run

Monday locate lumber needed from fence we tore down last fall, order hardware cloth from Amazon

Tuesday - measure 15 times cut once and use the Kreg jig to put all pilot hole for run construction. Put the 3 walls together in preparation for full assembly.


Wednesday- Daughter's Fiance leveled coop area with skid loader. I constructed the frame by myself (planned that way) in 40 minutes


Thursday - Received hardware cloth in afternoon, put up 3 side, and top sections in about 2 hours, temporarily stapled them in place.



Thursday Night - Pick up Chickens and move coop to property.





Friday - Finished up hardware cloth, install gate and attach to coop



Next project - add more ventilation (windows). Previously the chickens free ranged out the large coop door which was open all day. The previous owner started with 24 chickens she was down to 9 as "they would just disappear." We have resident hawks and owls not to mention the possibility for fox and coyotes. Because they are housed at my Daughters home with my grandson's 3 and 7 who are already completely attached, we can't just let our girls disappear. So, we will add windows. Has anyone fashioned a screen door for the large door to allow ventilation and light through the big door? If so, I would love to hear how you did it and pictures too please.

So our chicken journey begins. We love them!!!

Looks good.

For a door with screen we made a frame out of 2x4's and added the hardware cloth then sandwiched the cloth using 1x2's so it would not be able to be pushed out. I will look for a pic of it.

You can see the screen door in this pic.
I tore this coop down to build my new larger coop. I reused the screen door on my new run.