Coop at the end of our house? Still needing feedback.

[Solsken Farm]

Boy, you all have some really important points. We did not start this weekend, and ended up just putting up a temporary spot in our goat/mini horse barn. It is only temporary, but gives us time to figure out what to do. The winter here is soooooooooooo brutal. I carry warm water for my horses out to the barn twice a day and get their stalls cleaned. But it is so difficult getting through 4 feet of snow.

We could put the chickens in the main barn. but they would not be close to us, or would have northern exposure which isn't great. The house our goat/mini are in used to be the chicken house during the days when this was a real working farm. Our living room would be very close the shed. So now I am honestly rethinking this. (thanks to you all!)

Maybe I will post a picture of our setup and see if you all can help us figure out what to do. You folks are really good thinkers and so many of you have so much more experience.

Thanks so much. I hadn't thought about tracking in chickie poo. And yep, my cocker spaniel sits at the hen house door scratching and whining. The cats could care less, interestingly enough.

 

[patandchickens]

Time to get electric run out to the barn (or to the closest part of paddock) so you can run a heated watertub for the horses

Pat

 

[Davaroo]

Im for the barn, too. There's good reason why chickens were housed on their own back when yours was a working place. Chickens weren't always an after thought, as some people suppose.

Chickens and horses do well together and it wasnt uncommon in the old days to keep them together. It makes management aeasier. All the chickens need is a small area of the barn, as they should be out running around most of the time, anyway. During the winter, the larger air volume of the barn will be better for them when outside isn't an option. Close confinement is to be avoided.

I cant believe your barn is ALL northern exposure so put the chickens on the east or west side, if needed. I'd find a way to abut their quarters to the horses, so they can share the animal warmth. And as Pat says, electric run to the barn is a great improvement.

If your horses do alright in the barn during the winter, I'd venture to say so will your chickens. Do for them what you do for the others.

 

[Solsken Farm]

So, we have electric in the barn. I have an extremely paranoid DH who won't let me use the horse trough with the electric element we have OR the electric water buckets someone gave us. He is worried about fire and hates spending the money for the heat. But maybe I can get him to move on this one.......

The south side of the barn is used by the horses. We have 3 run in stalls. We have another area that has a bit of southern exposure, but it does not have a direct run outisde, so maybe that spot would work. We then have a silo on the southside and another equipement barn.

Someone else posted that chickens and horses should not be housed together due to the dust on another thread. So, I will look into this.

The spot I could put the chickens in the barn that is southerly would land them far away from us, so they would be free ranging in the horse pastures instead of safely in our fenced acre yard.

I think I will try to post a few pictures of our set up tonight or tomorrow. Thanks so much to all of you for your expertise.

 

[Davaroo]

Someone else posted that chickens and horses should not be housed together due to the dust on another thread. So, I will look into this.

I suppose this is right. But like so many other things, it isnt written in stone.​

 

[Solsken Farm]

Quote:
I suppose this is right. But like so many other things, it isnt written in stone.

Good point.

I have put up this picture that I posted on another thread. It is kind of far back, but gives you an idea of our set up looking north. You can see the shed at the end of our house near the barn, you can see the big barn, and even the small goat/mini house. The equipment shed at the back (west) of the property is not an option as that is really far from the house, water, electric.

I am still considering the shed or even the house the goats are in. I want to be able to have the chickens be a part of our daily lives, and if we put them beyond the horses and all their fencing, they will not be. Plus I want to keep them close due to all the predators that roam the outskirts of our farm. We have lost, I suspect, a few cats who dared roam in the fields far from the house. Nothing else has been lost in the 12 years or so we have been here.

Thanks and I will post a closer picture looking west (the east side of the barn) tonight.

Thanks again!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Davaroo]

Beeeyoootiful place. Did you win the lottery, or something?

That building off the house, above the rearmost horses back, would be my choice. If the goats are in there now, they are either gonna share or get out!
I know a guy who houses his goats and chickens together, so it can be done.

The end of the barn nearest the house would also do.
But Id say the small white building.

How many chickens you wanna keep?

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
You are likelier to have a fire from inherent faults in the wiring (which have nothing to do with whether you've got an electric water tub plugged in) than from an electric water tub. You want the blue ones with the electric element embedded in the plastic. Also see below, you do not necessarily need the tub IN the barn.

As far as wasting money, we run two of the blue tubs (muck-bucket sized) for our 3 horses. It is outdoors, and in an area that is a 'wind tunnel' in winter. Winter temps get down to -30C and daytime temps sometimes are not above -20 C (which is like -5 F). It uses essentially no measurable electricity! (The barn is on its own electric meter, and between the lights in the barn AND the heated water tub, it ticks over a new digit on the meter about once or twice per year

) (Mind, I put the heated tubs on about 4" of styrofoam to insulate them from the ground).

And you're in no more severe climate than I am

Someone else posted that chickens and horses should not be housed together due to the dust on another thread.

Dust is only an issue if they spend significant time together indoors. Horses, frankly, should not be spending significant time indoors anyhow. Unless they are very very old or have some major and unusual health problem, or are totally clipped because they're (like) show-jumpers kept in active training throughout the winter.

Let them live outside 24/7 (yes, even in winter - they will use the run-in when needed, but even that counts as outdoors) and they will be MUCH healthier overall, and you will not have to worry about any dust issues, from chickens or any other source of dust. Ventilation is the cure for air-quality issues for horses just as much as for chickens, and the great outdoors is the ultimate ventilator

Also this means your heated water tub can be outside the barn, where on the remote offchance that a fire should start (and I have to say, I have not yet heard of one of the blue heated buckets [with the heating element sealed into the bottom] starting a fire), it will be OUTSIDE the barn and thus much safer.

JMO,

Pat​

 

[Solsken Farm]

Thanks Elderoo. Nope no lottery. Bought the place back in my late 20s with some money I saved. Rented it out until DH and I could fix it up. We moved in about 12 years ago and it needs some work. This picture is like the old aging beauty queens who do those pictures that hide their wrinkles.

We have alot of acreage and I am trying to figure out a crop that would allow me to be home instead of working. (I know eggs won't do it, but maybe wheat or hay) But I am not a farmer! Nor was my family growing up.

Yes, the litle house you are referring to is the original coop and where the goats are. Maybe we can figure out a way to use that....I will post an upclose one of the area later.

Well, We have 17 chicks. I want to have a small egg business. Not like a huge one, but a way to make some fo the farm tax deductible and qualify for some cheaper taxes.
I am really enjoying them, as are my three kids. So not sure what a reasonable number is.

Pat, thanks so much for your info. We do let our horses live outside too. I have tried to raasie them with as natural an existence as possible. No shoes, no additives, no being locked up in a stall. They have run in stalls that are in a pen, and have 10 acres of pasture, which is more than they need. My poor DH is not an animal person and I have brought in kids and animals galore! He was a no pet or kid bachelor when I met him. Now we have adopted 3 kids, horses, goats, cats, dogs, and chickens. We rewired the barn about 8 years ago, so it is brand new. I know you are right. I am working on him.....

These blue tubs are not something I have seen in our area. I will search them down and try them. We have insulated buckets that work great. We bring out some hot water to keep them from freezing, but a heated tank would be sooooooo much easier.

This info is great.

 

[patandchickens]

the blue tubs are a muckbucket-sized version of the blue heated buckets, made by the same company. If your local feedstore or TSC doesn't carry them, they might could order them for you, or you could look online. They are wonderful things. In canada they're like $70 a pop (I run 2 for our 3 horses), probably cheaper in the States though.

Good for you for having your horses live out. Just need to convince your husband that the person with animal experience should have the veto vote on animal-care issues - that's what it took to straighten things out here <vbg>

Good luck and have fun,

Pat