How to's and DIY

[Bigfatchicken]

What are some of your own inventions or modification you have made to make raising chickens easier (example feeders, waters ect..) what advice would you give someone starting out, just to make everything run and go smooth?

 

[LeaRae]

Don't hinge your service door on the top... I did a miscut that made me have to do it that way, and it's the first thing being changed when the snow melts...

For routine things like filling the waterer, I just crawl in through the pop-door... it's easier than opening the service door! GRAWR!

 

[Tala]

If you build a small tractor - do put a people door on the top of it. PITA to crawl in there to refill the feeder.



But as LeaRae said, hinging the door on the top has downsides. I have a doghouse converted chicken house and half the roof hinges upward -- it's a pain to change the shavings!

 

[gsim]

kWelcome to BYC!

I did feed trough wall mounted on shelf so as to be 8" above floor at it's top. It is made of pvc house guttering. I did guillotine-style pop doors , cables and pulleys overhead for operating. No water in coop once they are allowed out of it. (some do confinement to imprint on chooks that coop is their home) That way in AM when you open it they all come out for a drink which means you can then close it again and do feeding, cleanup chores without chooks being underfoot. Works for me.

Lots of ventilation up high. If you have a roof with soffit or overhang even unfinished, make it where it is a continuous vent. Do gable vents if you have gables. I did a turbine vent in top center of my 8 x 16 coop. Do windows on two or three walls that open for extra ventilation in summertime.

Run power and water line to site. Install linoleum over floor if a wooden floor, then do deep litter method. Do poop planks covered with linoleum, and clean daily. Litter will last up to a year that way. Unless a tiny flock, make coop and run big enough to walk into upright. Put roosts higher than nests, and opposite each other if possible. If a small coop, do bumpouts for nest boxes and consider roof overhang for protection of access door and area from rain/leaks. Provides more roominess and that means less fighting among flock members.Think of ALL possibilities for predators of all kinds and do not under estimate them. Chose site that does not flood, ever. If a small coop think of a drawer to pull out for cleaning area under roosts daily because that is where the poop buildup is.

Look at lots and lots of designs and do ask questions on this forum. If in urban area, test the waters with neighbors who might be affected. Check zoning too. Think twice about roosters because they are noisy.

 

[PhilErvin]

I purchased two Plasson Waterers on ebay. They are a bell shaped waterer that hangs by a hook. The girls will always have fresh water and that's one less thing you will have to worry about. Read about them. You can find discussion on them at this site, just type in the search area. The cool thing about these is that they are only about $15.00 used.