I live in Jacksonville NC

[AmieH]

Here is the front view. I have the chicken wire stapled into the long beams at the bottom which should make it difficult to lift. I am also going to secure those beams to the posts for further security.


Here is the inside view. I will be adding a hinged door here that will connect to my coop so that I can enter this area for easy cleaning. It is about 4 1/2 feet wide... five feet tall and roughly 10 feet long.

The top view. Whew was this a pain in the butt! I needed to cut the wire around the main stems so that they can continue to grow while not leaving any gaps for any crafty critters. You will notice that it is slightly slack. I did this so that when the vines grow in, they will have a little wiggle room. I got a bunch of cuts over this that looks like I picked a fight with a very angry cat. All in all the project was very cost effective.
I am going to put in some perches, and a PVC watering and feeding system. I will have two branches come from my watering system, one leading to the run and one winding into the ventilation of the coop itself so that on our oppressive nights, they can still get a drink. My PVC feeder will have two caps on it that I can easily screw on and off each morning and night to dissuade any freeloaders from eating.

 

[AmieH]

The vines wont come in until about April, so until then I will add shade and protection from the rain with tarps. I am also beginning a heat treated vertical pallet garden with leafy greens that I will attach to the far end for some snacks as they please. Pallets are free and I have a boat load of kale, spinach, micro-greens and lettuces. I also have a variety of fruit trees, vines, bushes and other such wonders in my yard along with my usual garden so I figure that I will have some very happy chicks. Hopefully this all comes together this weekend. I am stir crazy!

 

[Chick05]

I live in Jax as well (actually Richlands, 15 mins away) I am trying to find silkie eggs to hatch for Easter. I am having a hard time finding some locally. I was trying to avoid having the eggs shipped. Any suggestions from u Jax folk please let me know!

 

[Chick05]

Same here! I have cabin fever and ready to bring my home to life with some baby chicks (if I ever find the eggs I am looking for) & starting my first veggie garden this year! So excited! I hope yours turns out great for u!

 

[AmieH]

Try Fancy Feather Farms for the silkies or any other bird. I can't be sure she has them, but she does carry quite a few fancy breeds as well as the usual.

edited by staff to remove personal information

 

[AmieH]

Same here! I have cabin fever and ready to bring my home to life with some baby chicks (if I ever find the eggs I am looking for) & starting my first veggie garden this year! So excited! I hope yours turns out great for u!

I do an extensive garden each year as well. This year I am trying to utilize my privacy fences and grow my vines (cucumber, pumpkin, squash, strawberries,etc) vertically. I can extensively in the summer and last year I had a small 12 x 12 garden and was still able to get enough veggies to can and stock up for the entire winter. I truly enjoy trying to do as much on my own as possible. I started my veggies about 5 weeks ago inside, but they are looking rather sad at this point. I am hoping they perk up in 3 weeks before I till up and put them in the ground. I am anxiously waiting on the 28th so I can put them to ground. I grabbed about 10 shipping pallets and turned them into raised beds for my tomatoes and other veggies. I painted them so that they are not an eyesore.

My coop turned into quite a project. I gave a design over that was an average starter coop with 2 nesting boxes. Two Marines and my Navy husband later... I have a chicken shed. The sucker is 6 feet tall at the highest point and over 5 feet wide. This thing is going to be beautiful! I was sad that it wasn't done this weekend, but now that I am getting something 5 times bigger, I am just happy as a clam. These guys did beautiful work. I am even getting linoleum floors and a tiled roof! Pictures to come next weekend... I hope.

 

[themoores]

Oh my goodness that looks like it is going to be beautiful. We are working on getting our silkies to hatch some babies. We are just not sure if the rooster is spraying well enough or not, and I am not too sure just yet how to confirm it lol. We are also brand new at hatching eggs so it could be something we are doing wrong. But if he is fertile I would be more then happy to sell a few eggs, we also have some Polish chickens who are fertile and laying pretty frequently.

 

[AmieH]

Silkies are rare out here. Once your roo gets his romance on, you could have quite a little market. I saw some on lejeuneyardsales not long ago and as fast as they were up, they were gone. It seems like all things chickens go fast there.

 

[themoores]

Well I have two in the incubator right now so I am hoping that it will turn out well. I did not know many people were interested in Silkies so we have been focused on the Buff Laced Polish eggs quite a bit more. I may need to consider making more room for my Silkie eggs. Good to know. I hope we can have a successful hatch this time.

 

[themoores]

Chick05 I would be more then happy to give you a few of our silkie eggs as it warms up. I would just ask that if they do hatch you let me know. I have a feeling I am doing something wrong, not my poor silkies.