For the MINIMALISTS - those who think less is more in chicken keeping - Please help

[AnnPann]

Did you glue the pieces together? A lot of people do demonstrate how to build the PVC feeder, glue the parts. Did you try the horizonal or vertical feeder? I could see how the horizontal ones would accumulate moisture since they're open. Not sure how the vertical ones would though.

I did the vertical one. I did not glue it because wanted to be able to take it apart to adjust it and to clean it really well. I honestly have no idea what went wrong, as I tried multiple "tops" (screw in top first, then a cap that fit over the PVC). I even tried putting a plastic bag over the top to keep it from leaking. After all that (and cleaning out the nasty mess each time + wasted feed), I realized it was just not working out for me and gave up trying to solve it. Maybe it would work better if it was placed inside a coop/shed, vs in the run like I had it.

I'm really surprised this doesn't attract rodents. So you just leave the bowl of food out all the time? How often do you find you have to refill the bowl? I'm trying to make my system as automated as possible, if I can.

With 14 hens, I have 2 bowls (12C size) that I fill up 2/3 of the way every other day or so. It's not automated, but I check on them every day anyway (usually 2-3 times a day), so it's not a lot of work to pour in more feed when I'm out there. I transfer feed into gallon-size jugs that I keep in the coop instead of all 50lbs of feed.

Thank you SO much for letting me know that this coop plan doesn't have room for a critter to get in. I was wondering about that. Do you think it's because it's pretty much fully enclosed in hardware cloth?

Yes, as long as you do the hardware skirt - either as he has in the plan or dig it down into a trench.

I'd love to hear how you figured it out??

Saw some odd looking holes in the ground by the cinder block base, that looked like could be rodent tunnels. And feed was disappearing faster than it should. So bought a couple of traps and confirmed! I had a family of 4 in there living the good life. They must have made a nest before I closed it up with the HWC.

 

[AnnPann]

I didn't think we were going to the tray but it sounds tempting. Do you find that using the board saved you time and effort in the long run or is it about the same?

I read that using PDZ with deep bedding can kill the beneficial good bacteria. Anyone want to share their thoughts?

We're almost finished our henhouse, thank goodness. We're at the ladder part. Did you do the 2x4 ladder that the designer recommended? We were going to do something a little wider but we've got the lumber for 2x4 and we've hit our budget so I'm hoping this will be sufficient, at least for a while.

I can't imagine cleaning poop out of pine shavings regularly. Sometimes I'll scoop a big pile of it from a hen that refuses to sleep where her poop will hit the tray, but I don't like hunting through the pine shavings. With the board it's just so much easier/faster. But I don't do the deep bedding method in the henhouse. I have a lot of pine shavings in there because it's leftover from winterizing, but it's def not composting since it's fairly clean and very dry. So can't speak to PDZ affecting that. I do dump PDZ into my compost and doesn't seem to have any negative effects on my compost pile.

On ladder - we used a 2x6 instead of 2x4. I have one older hen who has balance issues, so we had to go wider for her, but the rest of them would do fine with the 2x4 like in the plan. The others jump at least halfway up the ladder anyway.

 

[GetFitWithKrista]

Hi friends. I'm happy to tell you that the chicken coop is finished. We're working on the rain barrel, feeder, and dust bath area now.

I found a great feed supplier and plan to pick it up in a week or two. Do you have any suggestions on how to store the unused feed? I suppose it would be good to keep it near the henhouse but that would require it to be outside. Maybe not such a good idea?

My first thought is to have a funnel and scoop available to get it from it's container into the pvc. Is this a good system for refilling?

 

[GetFitWithKrista]

A few questions about the inner workings:

1. It feels tight trying to navigate inside. I realize this coop isn't for me but do they need both roosts? I think if I took one out, it would be easier to get around. But if they need both, I'll leave it. There are also 2 roosts inside the coop. Photos later...

2. We plan to put the pex waterer behind the ladder area against the hardware cloth. There really isn't any other spot for it. The rain barrel is on the other side of that wall.

3. I have no idea where to put the vertical PVC feeder. Do you see a good spot?

4. Potential dust bath area as noted. It would be on part of the space under the coop. We have leftover pavers to block off an area. We were going to use loose dirt, peat moss and diatomaceous earth.

What do you think, WCC?

 

[AnnPann]

1. It feels tight trying to navigate inside. I realize this coop isn't for me but do they need both roosts? I think if I took one out, it would be easier to get around. But if they need both, I'll leave it. There are also 2 roosts inside the coop. Photos later...

I did not put either run roost bar for that reason - not enough room for me to move around in there. I figure it was part of his design so that he could maximize the amount of roost space (to increase # of chickens the plan can technically support). I put a couple of perches in the corners so they were out of my way. If I remember right you said you only have 5 or 6 chickens? So you can get away with not having this giant limbo bar in your way every day.

3. I have no idea where to put the vertical PVC feeder. Do you see a good spot?

Depends on how tall it is, but I'd put it in the center of the run, attached to the front of the henhouse, because this is the place where it will get hit with the least amount of blowing rain. I keep my feed bowls in that spot in mine and they have not gotten hit with rain yet, even in strong winds. Not sure if that will make it hard to open the henhouse doors though - depends on the height of your feeder. Otherwise you could attach it to any of the studs. Pick one that is easiest for you to get to though so it's not a pain to refill! Like right inside the door would be handy.

Coop looks fantastic - great job! Rain barrel is on my list to add this summer too. I love the lights!

 

[AnnPann]

Hi friends. I'm happy to tell you that the chicken coop is finished. We're working on the rain barrel, feeder, and dust bath area now.

I found a great feed supplier and plan to pick it up in a week or two. Do you have any suggestions on how to store the unused feed? I suppose it would be good to keep it near the henhouse but that would require it to be outside. Maybe not such a good idea?

My first thought is to have a funnel and scoop available to get it from it's container into the pvc. Is this a good system for refilling?

I've always hesitated to store much feed at my coop, in case something happens to it. A spill or rain gets in or rodents or whatever. Also means I don't have to haul a 50lb bag of feed too far! So I only keep a couple of re-purposed gallon jugs out there at a time, and keep the rest in the garage in a metal trash can. The jugs have a tight lid so the chickens can get into it/spill it and are small enough to fit under the poop tray (or in an unused nesting box).

 

[GetFitWithKrista]

I did not put either run roost bar for that reason - not enough room for me to move around in there. I figure it was part of his design so that he could maximize the amount of roost space (to increase # of chickens the plan can technically support). I put a couple of perches in the corners so they were out of my way. If I remember right you said you only have 5 or 6 chickens? So you can get away with not having this giant limbo bar in your way every day.

Haha, giant limbo bar. That is what it feels like. I think we'll take one down to start. Then maybe reconfigure later, if needed. Thanks for the reassurance.

Depends on how tall it is, but I'd put it in the center of the run, attached to the front of the henhouse, because this is the place where it will get hit with the least amount of blowing rain. I keep my feed bowls in that spot in mine and they have not gotten hit with rain yet, even in strong winds. Not sure if that will make it hard to open the henhouse doors though - depends on the height of your feeder. Otherwise you could attach it to any of the studs. Pick one that is easiest for you to get to though so it's not a pain to refill! Like right inside the door would be handy.
View attachment 3482345

Coop looks fantastic - great job! Rain barrel is on my list to add this summer too. I love the lights!

My initial thought was to make it about 3 or 4 feet high but it's not set in stone. My husband suggested this locale, as well. I thought it might restrict access to the coop but I'm not sure. The other option is to have the fillable part outside but the feeding part is inside. I'm afraid of water getting into it though. Maybe if we remove a roost, we'll have more room to experiment.

If you want to wait a month or so to start your rain barrel, I can let you know how we do so you don't have to make our mistakes I'm sure this will take some readjusting as we go. I did do a lot of research to try to minimize the growing pains. We shall see.

Thanks for your suggestions - always very insightful!

 

[GetFitWithKrista]

I've always hesitated to store much feed at my coop, in case something happens to it. A spill or rain gets in or rodents or whatever. Also means I don't have to haul a 50lb bag of feed too far! So I only keep a couple of re-purposed gallon jugs out there at a time, and keep the rest in the garage in a metal trash can. The jugs have a tight lid so the chickens can get into it/spill it and are small enough to fit under the poop tray (or in an unused nesting box).

Yes, I remember you mentioning the jugs. I think we could store it in our basement or shed, and then transfer it to something, like a jug, when it's ready to be filled. I've read that people use trashcans with tight fitting lids, plastic storage bins, etc. These would be good for long term storage.

We're probably getting crumble feed. Do you know how it holds up in heat and cold if it's stored in a shed versus a basement?

 

[AnnPann]

Yes, I remember you mentioning the jugs. I think we could store it in our basement or shed, and then transfer it to something, like a jug, when it's ready to be filled. I've read that people use trashcans with tight fitting lids, plastic storage bins, etc. These would be good for long term storage.

We're probably getting crumble feed. Do you know how it holds up in heat and cold if it's stored in a shed versus a basement?

I feed pellets, and try to only have 4-6 weeks max of feed on hand in my garage. Probably depends on how long and how much you plan to store. Others who keep more on hand should weigh in on what temp is best as I don’t have much experience there. I would assume a more constant temp is better.

 

[GetFitWithKrista]

Hi friends. I'm preparing for the chickens to arrive soon. I'm thinking about the things I need to provide on a regular basis. I'm trying to keep in simple.

- Feed
- Water
- Egg shells
- Dust bath area: we plan to use loose dirt, peat moss & diatomaceous earth. Is this okay?

- What are your thoughts on grit? Do I need something special? Do I need to provide it daily? Can I use eggshells?

- What else am I missing?

Question about diatomaceous earth:
- It's in their feed already.
- I read that I shouldn't use it with deep bedding because it could kill the good bacteria but I can use it on the roosts and in the nest boxes. Is this true?
- Should I plan to put some in the run or is that not necessary?

Thanks always for your great insight!