construction of my pen/coop, suggestions welcomed

[gryeyes]

Quote:
I did just that, with 3 nipples on the bottom of the bucket. NO wasted water (so it could go inside a coop, if necessary). I also put some PVC pipe fittings through the lid of the bucket so I could fill it with the hose from outside of the run. The bucket is on top of a concrete block and bungee-corded to the upright T-post behind it. so it won't topple over when/if a chicken launches off it in flight.

This is a lousy shot of the business end of the waterer, but it's dark when I get home from work. Sorry!

Notice how the nipples are just inserted into the bottom of the bucket. I drilled holes just a tad smaller than the screw ends of the nipples, then screwed them in. There are 3 on the bottom of this waterer, spaced across the "front" half of the bucket so 3 chickens can drink at the same time.

 

[PunkinPeep]

Quote:
I did just that, with 3 nipples on the bottom of the bucket. NO wasted water (so it could go inside a coop, if necessary). I also put some PVC pipe fittings through the lid of the bucket so I could fill it with the hose from outside of the run. The bucket is on top of a concrete block and bungee-corded to the upright T-post behind it. so it won't topple over when/if a chicken launches off it in flight.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/41679_5galwaterer.jpg

I would like to see a picture of how you did the part the birds drink from if you have it.

 

[tri-5-ron]

made a little more progress today, and got the primary framing for the coop in place...

it may not look like much progress, but it was more work than it looks like to get these 4 boards located and installed, due to I have basically been doing this project as a "plan/build as I go".
Over 90% of the lumber is used/salvaged boards, and everything is a little warped, or curved, or out of square, etc.,...
add to that, the ground is not perfectly level.
Certainly has made for some interesting issues with getting it all to "fit", or line up as you would expect.

I've been reading up on the past threads reguarding Nesting Boxes, quantity, sizes, location in the coop, height off of the floor, etc.

I have read many different recommendations for all the above details, and I am ready to start framing the rear wall, to build my Nesting boxes,
(and yes it will be the standard type, hanging off the outside of the coop/run, and have a exterior access lid for collecting the eggs).

I also have been looking into various plastic storage bins, shoe boxes, etc, that I would like to use as a nesting box "Liner", that will slide snugly into the divided sections of the nest box. The reason is to be able to remove the "liner" for ease of cleaning.

I am thinking of a "box liner" made from something like these...

My idea is to not use the lid, (of coarse), and to cut the front end down to about 1" or 2" tall, similar to the shape of the black box/tray, that I had posted earlier in this thread. (last post one page 1 of this thread)
I'm thinking that these particular sized boxes, (the clear plastic ones pictured above), for "liners", are too small at, 8"wide x 13" long x 5" deep at the rear. (the height of the "Roof" on the wooden nesting box would be taller of coarse).

I intend on having 8 to 10 (maybe 12, but no more than that), full sized large hens.
I'm looking at Rhode Islands, Australops, Barred Plymouth Rocks, Silver Laced Wyandottes, Araucanas, Buff Orpingtons, Red Cornish Production, and maybe even a couple of Polish types(just because of that goofy "hair-do" they've got LOL !

so this brings me to the questions reguarding the number, size, and location of the nesting boxes, and their "Liner Boxes".

question 1-
Would the bottom of the nesting boxes at 10"to 12" above the coop floor be high enough, or should they be higher than that from the coop floor?

question 2-
How many boxes do I need ? Will 4 be enough?

question 3-
for the types of birds listed above, would 11" wide be too narrow?, does each box NEED to be wider ?
( I'd like to get 4 boxes inbetween the framing posts, and I have only 44" width on each side, to work with. Otherwise, I'll need to build a box on both sides of the center frame post).
So what are the dimensions, for the individual nesting boxes ???, that you feel will be adaquate for these types of hens to feel snug and comfy for happy egg laying ???



btw- as the exterior box(es), and exterior coop walls go up, yes,... I will be cutting the wire away from the outside of the pen, and making it all a custom fit.
The reason that I hung all the wire around the entire pen prior to building the coop, is because as I've metioned before,... This has been a "build as I go", and since I live in a hot climate, I intend on making the upper half coop panels/walls, removable, or at least hinged at the tops, so that I can give the coop some good ventilation during the 100+ degree summer days here. Hence the wire mesh will still be beneath the upper section of the exterior walls. (I hope this makes sence in how I'm trying to explain it).
here's a couple of pics of the outside of the pen, and is also the "Back side" of the unfinished coop...

question 4-
Should I consider a water misting system for the birds on those hot summer days?
maybe some of you are familiar with the "Arizona Mist" systems that many of us use on our porches to keep cool in the summer?

Well I happen to have a large spare mist system, that would be no problem to install into the entire length of my 24' long pen, or I could do a dual 12' long section on just one half of the pen. What do you guys think? would the birds benefit from it ? remember that the rear 12' of the pen will always have shade too.

 

[Happy Chooks]

A lot of people in hot climates have misters for their chickens. Watermelon is also good to give them in the heat. The most important thing is drinking water and shade. Chickens pant when they are hot.

10-12 inches off the floor would be fine. Mine are at floor level but with a board to keep poopy shaving out. 4 boxes would be plenty for 10-12 hens. (you could have 3 and be fine)

From the breeds you listed, I have a BR, RIR and Orpinton. My boxes are 12X12 and they fill it up when they lay in it. So I'm not sure if 11" would be too small or not.

 

[Backyard_Chicken_rancher]

It's looking good so far to me. I can only say this much as I have built my coop out of reused items as well and we don't wanna talk about out of square or unlevel ground lol I got some 2x4's that is 3 foot tall and some that are 2 foot tall because it was easier to shortin them then to level the ground it's self and as for building /plan as you go,I did the same thing and even though it is not pretty it is roomy as for the way you think it's looks or if it is right or not, All I can say is this is something that you need to look at every day as well as clean so any ideas that you have are right the girls will adjust trust me it is easier for them to adjust then it is for you to build and rebuild just because......
Go with what you want and how you want it to look..

Good luck to you and your girls

 

[Sissy]

Great job..
Now thats what I would call a palace for Alice.
( My blu orp hen),and her 6 mates have 2 nest boxes
between them, I used old plastic
milk crates with wood shavings.
that they jump into. I also was able to get some
old plastic trays and lids I use for poop
boards, easy to clean up.

 

[tri-5-ron]

Thanks everybody for all the replies and patience with my newbie questions.

Today I will be taking the 8 clear plastic boxes back to the store, and opting for 3 of the larger, (more expensive), black ones.
I'm thinking that I will frame in the nesting box, with the lower 2x4 turned on end, about 8" above floor level. This will also provide for good solid mounting points for some strong shelf brackets between the 2x4 floor frame, and the lower 2x4 nesting box frame.
Then with the front lip of the liner box at 4", the entry will be about 12" off of the coop floor. Yea! no "Coop Poop" getting kicked into the nesting boxes !

Next I will get to work on the coops Roost arraingements, and that wil allow me to determine my "Poop Deck" positions, made from the same hard plastic panels, that I'm using for the walls and floor liners.
I realize that I have probably been putting WAaay too much "think time" into this interiors arraingement, with the removable plastic liners idea,...

But I feel that my objective for Rapid - Easy - "Coop Goop/Poop" removal, will pay-off later on.

Now for my next inquisition...
Since I will now be going "HighTech" with a misting system for the summer heat,...
and I am the kind of guy who simply can not seem to leave "Well Enough" alone on ANYTHING that I do...
I'll need to start figuring out how to make my own Temp-Sensor-Thermo-Switch-Automatic-Do-Hicky to operate the misting system at 90+ degrees or so.

So this got me to thinking about my next newbie question....

How many of you have a...
Solar Powered - Battery Backup - Automatic Coop Door, with Positive Retinal Chicken Identification Sensors ?,
as well as ,
Solar Powered - Internal LED Lighting for the Pen Area, and...
Exterior Mounted - Motion Sensing - Predator Recognition - Solar Powered - Flood Lights, with a Pnuematic - Perimeter -Pest Blaster - Air System, and a
Electrified - Underground - Predator Preventing - Barrier Fencing ???

(oh,... I'm confident I can also work in some lasers, plasma generators, photo sensors, bryillium crystals, and proton accelerators if I really put my mind to it)

btw - Should the Nesting Boxes have Smooth Jazz, Hard Rock, or Soft Classical, piped into them?
or does it vary from breed to breed ???

How about some aroma therapy pumps?
what are the more effective scents that you use?
Does yoga or chanting play a role anywhere along the daily routines ?

Or do you think that I might be taking this just a little too far ???

Happy Birding...

 

[Harleena]

Oh my gosh, that is TOO FUNNY!

I vote for smooth jazz - ha!

Now I forgot what I was going to write!

Oh yeah... I saw a coop design that had carpet in the bottom of the nest box! Yes, carpeting! They don't really poop in there, they just lay the egg and leave it. So you may not even need the liner box. Our Leghorn lays in a cat box-house (when the cat isn't in there) on a quilted floor. Sometimes I forget to look in there and the cat has to sleep with the egg. That house is about 12" square and the leghorn loves it.

We've also been thinking about the misters here. Last year, our Barred Rock nearly died from the heat. She collapsed at the rear patio door so we brought her in the house on a cold floor with ice gel packs on her legs and under her wings to revive her, dribbling water into her beak. Took about 2 hours, but we saved her. (The things we do for our girls!)

We're going to add outer solar lights to our coop. My dilemma is getting the roost higher than the nest box tops. Can't do it in the space I have, so I'm going to put slant roofs on top of the nest boxes to deter them from roosting there. And from reading all of these great suggestions, we've decided to set the coop on a buried brick perimeter to deter diggers.

I like your water bucket. Are you going to plumb it to be automatically filled? We went to the feed store today for those pecker nipples. (I felt pretty odd asking for those.) We didn't find them. They had an automatic waterer that has a float, a top, and two 4" holes in the front. It was $32. Wow.

 

[PunkinPeep]

LOL

I vote classic rock.

 

[gryeyes]

Quote:
I ordered mine from FarmTek. The shipping was pretty high for the very small package they came in, but I needed them and have since ordered four more, even knowing the shipping cost was more than the cost of the four items. I also ordered them online, both times, so I wouldn't HAVE to say what they were......

http://www.farmtek.com/farm/supplie...ering_systems-ft1_hoses_nipples;pgwc1030.html


And I vote for Wyndham Hills type smooth, acoustic music. Good laying music.