First coop - thoughts

[Matt-B]

Hi all, this is my second post, we're three days into chicken farming.

We inherited 5 5-month olds (2 roosters, 3 pullets) on Monday around 7 PM - and I need a coop to keep them in that night. This is what I came up with by 11 - bed time for me. Please take a look and offer any suggestions. I'm not planning to keep the birds in the winter, just want to get a few eggs before we put them in the freezer. We plan to free range all day (starting tomorrow) with a little feed in the evenings to entice them back to the coop for lights out.

Basic details about the coop:
• the roof hinges up in four sections on each side for easy cleaning, egg finding, feeding/watering, bird catching, etc.
• The roof locks in place with the 2x4 for windy weather
• a sliding door to let the birds in and out
• the roost is away from the 2x4 welded wire on the ends so the coons can't reach the roosing area.
• it's on an old wood trailer that can be pulled around to new areas of the yard or woods if needed (or into the garden after harvest).
• 1 nest box (not pictured) 10" x 18" about 18" off the floor.
• the coop is 5' x 7' so 35 sq. feet of space for four birds.
• total cost for the coop was $0. I do want to buy some hinges to replace the nails on the roof peak.

One rooster went into the freezer last night - so we're down to 4 birds. I'm hoping the remaining rooster will help protect the others from hawks, etc. during the day when they are out.

Here are pictures.

Is there anything I'm missing?

 

[Matt-B]

By the way, I wasn't planning on having chickens at all until about 6:30 Monday. My plan was to put them all in the freezer Monday night, but my lovely wife thought it would be nice to get some eggs before butcher day. Then we had to buy feed, now we need to get eggs for a few months to offset the feed bill. I'm not sure how long this is going to last. They honey moon will probabbly be over when they destroy my daughters prize winning 4-H fair flower garden.

 

[itsachicken]

That's brilliant! It's a lot more impressive than the "FEMA" housing my chicks had to endure. It basically consisted of a pet carrier, some sticks and chicken wire.

 

[krcote]

Hahahahah! If you think you and your family aren't going to get addicted to chickens your are crazy! No chickens by winter? Try 20 more by winter

With a new coop and run and eggs and and and......

 

[itsachicken]

Quote:
and chickens make good 4H projects, too!

 

[MrChicken207]

Nice, quick, free, reused set-up. Could be the start of something good. Plus if the supermarket is out of eggs, you still get a dozen of 2 each week.

 

[Kansaseq]

It looks great, especially for such a quick construction. You may want to replace the fencing with hardware cloth,though. I had some pullets in a dog crate, and a coon pulled one of the girls right through the wire. It was not pretty

I am now wondering how I can get my hands on a wooden trailer! I really like the mobility of yours. Good luck!

 

[Braclin]

Looks like a good set up to me!

 

[scooter147]

Don't see nest boxes.
You may want to keep them penned in the coop a couple days so they lay in there.
The flower garden going to be a problem if you don't fence it off. Chickens are immediately attracted to mulch, piles of dirt, leaves etc. They instinctively know that such places hide delicious/nutritious bugs.

 

[Matt-B]

Quote:
The next box was made the next day - no picture of it yet.

They have been in the coup for three days now (with a short play time last night just before lights out) Tonight will be the test - I'm letting them out from 5-dusk.

The flower garden is close (about 50') to the coop, but they also have endless leaves, dirt, gravel, mulch, garden, woods, creek, + about 100 feet of mulched berry bushes and other flower beds to attack. I'm hoping they don't focus their efforts on the one that's closest (which also has the most chemicals applied to it to keep bugs away!)

Thanks for the feedback so far - keep it coming!