Do coops really look like this

[MamaChic21]

who is Bil and when can you rescue the chickens ?

 

[Patricia Jane]

Just my opinion and I am by far no expert BUT the nest looks like it has a broken egg on the ledge and what looks to me like mold on the ones in the nest? Could be wrong. I'm hoping. I live in Califorinia in the area it doesn't snow (and I'm glad I do) so I have no experience on what coops look like in winter. I hope he is just teasing you too. I am glad to see though that you are concerned about their welfare.

 

[elmo]

Quote:
No, your side yard won't end up looking like the picture...unless you have really bad drainage there to begin with. Chickens confined to a run will turn grass into dirt, but you don't have to leave it that way. You can put sand in the run. It's neat, tidy and easy to keep clean with a kitty litter or reptile litter scoop. Over stocking a given area will also make the run get yucky fast. Just don't overcrowd your chickens, do a reasonable amount of manure management, and you'll be fine.

We live in a city and keep 9 bantams in our small backyard (1/3 acre for house and yard). The chicken run is right next to our pool and patio. It looks nice and there's no odor whatsoever. The chickens are actually easier to clean up after than our elderly Boston Terrier who is always leaving poo bombs around the yard that I keep stepping in.

 

[elizabethbinary]

It's normal if you're a little piggy about it, I suppose. Maybe if you've just had a really bad muddly flood... cept it looks a bit like there's fuzz growing on some of the eggs. Bleh!

My henhouse is MUCH neater. You might want to invest in a pressure washer - makes the job a snap.

 

[Momagain1]

BIL = Brother In Law

rescue chickens?? ackk...thats scarey! I dont even have a pen yet! LOL I will in a couple weeks..but my 25 are going to be here next week !!! (ETA: next wk; rather than tomorrow)

What he says happened is; he had his chickens...then his FIL (Father in law) dumped their chickens off to him w/o asking..so he got irritated
and decided he's done with them. Also, I think his coop is WAY too small for that number of birds....from what I've read here:

(I think he has 18ish birds)...

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Yes it's too small and dirty and muddy. However it probably will be muddy this time of year unless he lets them out so they aren't on the same patch of dirt the whole time.


Clean out the coop with a pressure washer, get new bedding, and let the chickens out to free range and it will be fine.

 

[HHandbasket]

Quote:
BIL stands for brother-in-law.

 

[Captain Carrot]

My shed has it's moments....it's the ducks they're so messy. I clean it when it needs it. It's far from spotless at the moment.

Maybe you could convince you're B.I.L to re-home some of the birds, cause 18 is way too much.

 

[patandchickens]

What is the problem you are seeing? Dirt? Mud? Yes, chickens tend to create dirty surfaces, and as they are in no way harmed by some degree of it and you'd have to keep after it daily if you want your coop to look like Martha Stewart's living room, yeah, most peoples' coops are "outdoor livestock" looking rather than "operating room" looking. Although, the nestbox in the third photo could definitely use cleaning out.

As far as mud, note that he has ducks so it's worse than it'd necessarily have to be with chickens; but even with just chickens you are NOT going to be able to keep grass in your run unless it is huge or rotated regularly (and even in those cases, it tends to go to bare earth -> mud right around the popdoor) so either you have to put some other footing in there or live with dirt/mud. Some of the things people put into the run to deal with mud can actually make a worse problem in the long run; see my 'muddy run' page (link in .sig below) for further discussion of subject.

They're chickens. They're outdoor creatures. They walk around barefoot in the dirt all day, including stomping happily thru their own poo if it happens to be in the way. They drink from dirty puddles. They poo on everything. They are dusty. Just because you yourself would prefer not to eat off a particular surface does not necessarily mean it is unhygeinic for outdoor animals to eat off or walk around on. (Of course there is a line between normal 'outdoor dirty/messy' and actual unhygeinic filth, you would avoid the latter, but your b-i-l's setup is not even remotely approaching it)

If you want all surfaces to be spotless bright shiny white, or golf-course grassy, chickens may be stressful

OTOH if you are ok with them being normal critters rather than magazine photo spreads, it may be just a matter of adjusting your eye and getting used to it

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[ranchhand]

I don't see any mold, brokens eggs, etc. I do see some ducks hunkering down in puddles, probably pretending they are in a pond. I DO see some cleaning/maintenance that has been let go a bit, might be because of the crappy weather. And yes, too many birds in a small space.

OP, if you think you're going to have a tidy little henhouse all the time, you certainly can. The problem is that YOU will be hot and sweaty or freezing cold, up to your elbows in mud sometimes, not to mention chicken poop. It's the reason chickens and ducks are often considered livestock, not house pets. BUT- the reward of fresh, healthy eggs, chickens clucking and purring at you makes it all worthwhile.

Off to clean my coops now!

ETA, you haven't lived until you've dealt with broody poop!