Colorado

[ONSTAD1]

Coloradogal,

Great info. I'll pass on the posts as I'm attaching fence to existing 10x10"s, but if there is enough wire to make it worth wile to drive from CS to Falcon I'm more than happy to take that off you hands : )

I'm going to go with 4 hens. I don't think I'll get my run done for a month and a half or so. I really dont want to get chicks until I'm don done. don't want to have to hurry at the end and doy hasty shotty work. Seems if I get chicks then they will be feathering out and going inot coop right when it is starting to get cold. Not sure if that is a great plan or not... don't want those litter suckers freeziing to death.

Plexi is a great idea... I've been searching Resore and Craigslist for small windows to no avail. Just have to figure out a way to make it look pretty.

Mo

 

[ONSTAD1]

and that's what happens when I forget to "spell check" ; )

 

[gardendufus]

Mo, Here goes a newby offering advice, so take it for what you think it's worth. I got my first chicks on 3/2/12, so there was still a bit of cold weather to go thru. From day 1, I brooded my chicks right inside my new coop.

My coop is appx 8 X 10, so I DID section off a small part for about 3 weeks to keep them contained in a smaller area. I strung a heavy duty extension cord from an outside outlet into the coop so that I could set up a heat lamp. It all worked out perfectly, no mess in the house and the chicks knew their coop and I have never had trouble with them knowing where to go to bed and all that other stuff you read in the "Raising Baby Chicks" threads.

With a coop that is only 4 X 4, you shouldn't have to do any subdividing at all. Just figure out a way to hook up a heat lamp out there (they make extension cords that are as long as 100' and maybe even longer), and brood your babies out in the coop. I almost guarantee that you will glad in the end that you did it that way.

I don't have a pic, but when I got my youngest chics, I had to build a little brooder to separate them from the older (and now mean) chicks. I did that by doing something I saw someone else post a pic of. I bought some of the cheap old style curtain rods (white metal, bent at the ends....hope you know what I mean). I used duct tape to tape them together into a cube shape, then used zip ties to attach chicken wire to the frame made by the curtain rods. Presto changeo, a VERY cheap brooder that I then put into the coop. It was very lightweight, had no floor in it, just used the coop floor. As the chicks got older, I would insert wood blocks under one edge, which allowed the young ones to go out into the coop, but prevented the older ones from getting into my makeshift brooder, giving the babies somewhere to run when the teenagers decided to get mean.

All this to go back to my recommendation. Use your coop as a brooder.

 

[wattsjadajoe]

My chicks have grown up with the ducks. It was the ducks that taught the pullets how to eat and drink. And the flock follows the ducks all over the yard. When the ducks get into their water tub and splash and play; the pullets are usually right there next to the tub, getting wet with the ducks.

Your duck thinks he's a chicken...my chickens think that they ae ducks.

Isn't this fun?

LOL!!!!!

I love it!

Joe

 

[wattsjadajoe]

wsmith.......around here it is Sweeny Feed...and that is where I get most all my feed. I do go to BigR to change up on the feed.....I like to keep the hens guessing...lol

And to all the ones with the storm.....All I go was wind again!!!!

The only moisture I seem to get .... comes out of a hose!


Another note.....The last coop/run is complete!!!

The chicks will come out of the bathroom brooder this weekend...and into the new coop!!

I will also be moving some 16/wo chicks in with the adults....so in short...I will be messing the chie/zen up on all my coops!!!
This will be interesting......

I will try to get some pics up soon..


Joe

 

[ONSTAD1]

Hello everybody,

Were putting together a Colorado Springs (and outlying areas) "chicken group." Inspired by the chicken coop tour we are going to meet every month or so at someones coop to check it out, share stories and ideas and just "talk chicken." Also thinking we could do some "barn raisings" to help people build or improve their coops. Currently we have six members (plus spouses, partners and kids). If you are interested PM me and I'll get you linked in.

Thanks,

Mo

(thinking first gettogether will most likely be the weekend of June 23-24)

 

[wsmith]

Mo,
Saturday June 23rd works best for me.

Joe,
I will check out Sweeny's, Its a 20 mile drive, but the savings over Big R might be worth it.

The chicks are loving their new digs. Now to get the large hen house done by October.......

We spent Saturday morning putting the chain link skirting around the chicken yard. I had lots of help, so it only took a couple of hours. The leftover fencing we attached to the lower outside of the wood fencing. I have enough to pretty much do this around the whole thing I think. The chicks found a couple of holes in the chicken wire fencing between the two pens. Gotta love recycled/repurposed materials. Got those fixed.

The turkey poults were the most adventurous of them all, exploring the new pens before any of the chicks.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

My house smells like a fire pit...The fire is now in excess of 20,000 acres and growing out of control.

Beautiful blood red sunrise this morning.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Hello everybody,

Were putting together a Colorado Springs (and outlying areas) "chicken group." Inspired by the chicken coop tour we are going to meet every month or so at someones coop to check it out, share stories and ideas and just "talk chicken." Also thinking we could do some "barn raisings" to help people build or improve their coops. Currently we have six members (plus spouses, partners and kids). If you are interested PM me and I'll get you linked in.

Thanks,

Mo

(thinking first gettogether will most likely be the weekend of June 23-24)

Very Cool. I hope that the group takes off smoothly.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

..........

We spent Saturday morning putting the chain link skirting around the chicken yard. I had lots of help, so it only took a couple of hours. The leftover fencing we attached to the lower outside of the wood fencing. I have enough to pretty much do this around the whole thing I think. The chicks found a couple of holes in the chicken wire fencing between the two pens. Gotta love recycled/repurposed materials. Got those fixed.

The turkey poults were the most adventurous of them all, exploring the new pens before any of the chicks.

This project that you have been posting photos on...is just amazing. Thank you for sharing your work with us. I have enjoyed watching it develop.