Do I need a proper coop or can chickens be free in yard?

[lauralou]

Ah, a cubby house is a kid's playhouse! Cool! I bet it would work just fine. Lots of people use those.

And the chickens do learn to go in on their own at night. You just have to shut the door for them.

Interesting that you don't have as many predators in Australia as we have here in the states. Lucky you!

 

[citrusdreams]

Quote:
How many is a couple and what is this cubby house? Can you make the cubby house predator proof? Is it big enough for them to stay in from dust till dawn?

They do have those Eggloos. They're big enough for a couple chickens, with a pen attached. http://www.keeping-chickens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/eglu-egglooegloo.gif

Can your or your husband, or your family as a family project, make something like the above? Or convert your cubby house into it?

Even if you give your chickens the whole yard during the day, they will need good protection when it's dark because they will attract all kinds of predators including dogs. And I don't know a place that doesn't have at least raccoons, possums and skunks.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

When you first get your chickens make sure you leave them locked in the cubby house for about a week and 1/2 so they know that's where their home is. When you let them out to free range after that they will go in on their own every night.

 

[lowillobe]

What we did was let our chickens free range during the day. (I think that free range is best and it is less smelly) Then they would at night go to an oversized dog kennel (the kind with chain link; got for $50)and we would lock them up, so owls wouldn't get them. Inside the kennel is a rabbit hutch (got out of trash) for a nesting box.

It worked out really well b/c they would put themselves in bed at night. The first few nights we had to show them where it was.

However, we got a new puppy who likes to "play" with the chickens. Now we are making a chicken yard so they can still free range but with the the puppy nightmare.

Hope it helped.

 

[kezabel]

Quote:
How many is a couple and what is this cubby house? Can you make the cubby house predator proof? Is it big enough for them to stay in from dust till dawn?

They do have those Eggloos. They're big enough for a couple chickens, with a pen attached. http://www.keeping-chickens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/eglu-egglooegloo.gif

Can your or your husband, or your family as a family project, make something like the above? Or convert your cubby house into it?

Even if you give your chickens the whole yard during the day, they will need good protection when it's dark because they will attract all kinds of predators including dogs. And I don't know a place that doesn't have at least raccoons, possums and skunks.

A couple means two a few means 3 lol And a cubby house is a play house, I still think its funny that some of our aussie words stump everyone.

 

[kezabel]

And I don't know a place that doesn't have at least raccoons, possums and skunks.

Yep no skunks, raccoons or Opssums down here. We have possums but they are fruit eating ones, We leave apples and bananas out for our friendly possum in the chicken yard, he comes down every night for a feast.

 

[max101]

I am also from Oz and after reading about all the predators america has I thought it would be safe here but I thought wrong. WE HAVE THE WORST PREDATOR DOGS. I lost 2 of my chooks last week to a mutt down the road. That is when I wish I was in America I could shoot it. But here in oz no guns allowed. Be real careful of them. They jump and dig. Never trust them.

 

[lauralou]

What? No guns? That really surprises me for some reason.

Why, here in the States, even baby chicks carry machine guns!

 

[tvolsfan4life]

We have a coop that has about a 10 ft run on it, and it is in our fenced in backyard. The fenced part is about 30x30ft. We let them out in the morning to roam the yard and do a little free ranging and it has worked out very well. The only caution I will give you is that you will be cleaning chicken poo off your carport, window sills, and anything else they can poo on. They love to jump up in the window sills and see what we are doing inside.

I keep the chicken coop and run cleaned out weekly, but the smell around the yard can get a little bad on hot summer days.

We are moving the coop and run out of the fenced yard and further back on our property this week. We have another covered 12x12 structure we are going to attach it to and they will have that area. No more free ranging. :-(

We have a little over 2 acres, and another acre and a half next door that they could run on, but we have to many predators around here. Foxes, opossums, dogs, and cats. So I would rather deprive them of a little freedom than find them missing their heads one morning.

 

[ducks4you]

Quote:
Ha, HA--you just don't SEE them. Your favorite dog or neighbors dog makes a great predator. Remember, EVERYTHING except beef and fish tastes like chicken FOR A REASON---everybody LOVES CHICKEN!

I agree about the cubby-house making a good coop for about 2-3 birds.

BTW,