Hey there from Minnesota!

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MnMudSlinger

MnMudSlinger

Hatching
6 Years
Dec 19, 2013
5
0
7
Minnesota
I built my coop this summer and used BYC whenever I had questions. I officially joined BYC just a few days ago thinking it would be good to connect with other back yard chicken enthusiasts.

My coop is probably overbuilt because I wanted it to be able to be repurposed in case we ever decide to get out of the chicken business or if we were to move. It would make a great shed or dog kennel someday. It is heavily insulated on all sides including the floor and roof, well ventilated and wired. I got much of the material for free or low cost off Craig's List, It did however, take me much longer to build than I had planned for. It was late summer before we got our hens... eight golden sex links that were just starting to lay. They have been fantastic egg layers ever since. Since then, we have added seven Rhode Island Reds, one Buff Orpington, one Black Australorp and one Barred Rock to our flock. I have run into a few problems and was able to easily overcome them thanks in part to BYC! We are currently getting 16-17 eggs daily from our 18 hens. I have two lights in the coop providing 14 hours of light daily. I have a heated water container but no space heater. This winter the coop has remained about 30 degrees warmer than the outside air temp and has not dropped lower than 20 degrees even when temps outside have dropped to 20 below.

I raised chickens once before, about 35 years ago in Florida. There is much I have forgotten, plus now I have Minnesota climate issues to deal with. So any helpful advice would be much appreciated!

Since this is a new member Intro, I thought I would include five facts about me...


1) I am a potter (wheel thrown, functional), hence the name "MnMudSlinger".

2) I teach art to "At Risk Students", K-12

3) I am Minnesota Born & Raised.

4) I am a Veteran of the Navy & Army

5) I love the outdoors!

Have a great day everybody!
 
Hi there,
frow.gif
and welcome to BYC!

Wow, you are an accomplished person in life! Great to have you aboard and enjoy BYC!
 
I AM PLANNING ON BUILDING A COOP. FIRST I HAVE TO SEE IF I CAN HAVE CHICKENS HERE AT MY RURAL AREA HOME. I LOVE CHICKENS, HAVE SEEN SO MANY BEAUTIFUL BIRDS AND WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THEM IN MY FAMILY. I AM A WIDOW ALONE WITH A DOG AND TWO CATS. THE CATS PRETTY MUCH STAY ON THE PORCH, BUT MY MALE CAT KISSY FACE DOES HUNT A LOT AND EATS THE WHOLE THING RIGHT DOWN.
SO I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE CHICKENS. PROBABLY A FEW TO START OUT WITH BUT AM INTERESTED IN A PIC OF YOUR COOP YOU BUILT. CAN YOU SEND ME A PIC? I AM VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS, I AM HOPING BY THE TIME IT WARMS UP I CAN HAVE EVERYTHING READY. I AM IN NORTHERN DOOR COUNTY ON THE PENINSULA OF WISCONSIN NORTH OF STURGEON BAY. G NITE HOPE YOU CAN HELP ME.

LUVU
 
Luvu, I used the internet quite often. Cities choose their own regulations about chickens. Hopefully your city or township has a website that lists ordinances like ours did. Our city mostly had restrictions on the number of chickens I could have and where I could place the coop.

Check Craigslist often. You can type in what you are looking for. You might get lucky and find an already assembled coop. Or you can search for sheds, lumber, building materials or whatever specific thing you are looking for. Of course, you will probably need a truck to haul material, or know someone who can haul it for you. You will also need to consider if you have the tools, knowledge and capability for such a building project. Maybe you have someone in mind to help you with the building. As far as the design goes, consider your climate and the maximum number of chickens you ever plan to have at one time. I remember checking recommendations from BYC members when planning my coop. One common recommendation was to build it larger than you think you need it. Also, building a walk-in coop makes cleaning much easier. I have back and joint problems and didn't want to have to lean over or into something to clean it.

Have you checked the "Coop" section of BYC yet? If not, check it out because that can be very helpful!

I already have a few pics of my coop here. I think you can get to that by clicking on my username and then scrolling down to my photo albums.

And yes... this is the time to start planning your coop! Have fun!

Ken
 

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