Experienced Chicken Coop people, PLEASE look and comment on things I need to add...

[jdavidphero]

I would REALLY APPRECIATE some comments on other things i can do, fix, or redo based on all your experience. I am not in big hury because I have not a chicken yet. The old metal box in under the window has the food and scratch i read I needed to get and you can also see a bag of some wood chicken bedding.

I have a thermometer remote in the house so I can watch the temperature in the insulated house.

I posted some pictures and explanations on my profile so you can see more deals. I hope it is almost time,,,

 

[Tressa27884]

How many chickens are you planning on getting? The pine bedding should be used for the nesting boxes, what are you going to use inside the henhouse floor? I like corn cob bedding as it's easy to sift and clean. Now - could you come build by brooding coop for me?

 

[jdavidphero]

Thanks so much for commenting, I thought there was something wrong with me since noone would comment or read my question?

After looking on the site I think i will get 6 total with one being a rooster.

The floor is just a board that has a ton of paint to seel it and make cleaning simple. I started to remove my kitchen floor but it was very impossible and I did not want to spend any more money on it.

Where do I get that corncob bedding since I do not have any corn yet. I just planted a bunch of corn seeds to germinate but that will be good for next year, I do not really drive much any more so I need to get stuff from some place that will deliver.

Thanks so much for commenting, I really enjoy this site but did not think anyone would help me.

I really enjoy having a project and if you live in tulsa oklahoma we can talk about me working on your house you need. David

 

[Trefoil]

I went to your profile, but didn't see any pictures. I use the pine bedding on the floor of my coop, just rake it around once a week or so. If you have an elevator nearby, they will have chopped corncob.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

It looks fine. I see you've two large vents and nesting boxes low to the ground (lower than roosting poles) and those are the key features. You may find that 12 inches of hardware cloth may not be enough to keep your chickens in. Your welded fencing looks to have big openings and until they are full grown, and sometimes then too, they can squeeze out of opening that big. It also looks like chicken wire over your vent openings not hardware cloth. Racoons and weasels can chew through chicken wire and get to your birds at night. And lastly the lighting is a nice feature, I use a timer on mine for winter months to give them 12 hours- used a metal drywall lamp with 13w energy bulb plugged through a basic timer. Oh and make sure you have a door to close up the girls at night to keep them safe. That's usually the big predator time- dusk till dawn.

Good luck and enjoy.

 

[jdavidphero]

Thanks SO much for those responding and sharing ideas'

Egghead_Jr
I am not sure i understand when you were talking about 12 inches of hardware and escaping? Could you explain again please.

Huge thanks on the chicken wire and racoons!!! Saved me some birds there!!
Love the timer idea.

Trefoil
I think it was pine that I bought, corcobs sounded cool.

Tressa27884

I was thinking 5 hens and 1 rooster? It is just me and I will be sharing extras.

 

[Baymule]

Very nice looking coop. Ditto on the hardware cloth. The chicken wire has holes big enough for a snake to get in and is easily ripped by dogs or raccoons. Also your chickens will panic when a predator strikes and they will crowd in the corners where a raccoon can reach through the chicken wire and snatch one of your birds.

Any reason you want a rooster? You don't have to have one for egg production, only if you want fertile eggs or need him as a protector if you free range. We live in the middle of our small town and have 8 hens in the coop in the back yard. No rooster to crow and wake the neighbors lol.

Will you get chicks or grown chickens? The feed stores around here already have chicks........sweat pops out on forehead, hands tremble, summon up ALL willpower and run out the door........forgot the #$^&^$# FEED!!

 

[perchie.girl]

first of all

from San Diego.

Bedding..... Use what you got. for instance I have available: Rice hulls, Pine shavings, Sand. Bedding can be a number of things besides that..... Pine needles, leaves, shredded newspaper, cob, Wood pellets (pellet stove)

Security..... Chicken wire is only good for keeping chickens in ..... for the coop.... hardware cloth all round. Yours is pretty small so Id go for it. For a run Welded wire is good 2 x 3. But any where a chicken can come in contact with that welded wire should be lined with Hardware cloth. Believe me..... I lost thirty guineas last year right through Dog kennel Chainlink.... My fault.

temperature.... The coop as long as its draft free should retain the chickens own body heat so they will keep themselves warm. Ventilation is important but without creating a draft.

Feed storage.... Should be Dry and Rodent proof. I use Galvanized Trash cans. And I also just scored a non working chest freezer that has a metal liner.

FWIW.... The hardware cloth will help keep mousies out of the coop too.

Good luck.

deb