INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[ChickCrazed]

Yikes! I'd have to research for a year to learn what turkey's need in a coop. Although, if time were not an issue that would be fun.
Hope your new trees are small and thus require small holes. If they deliver them soon, the ground will still be soft and easier to dig in! That's a plus. (I'm trying to help with positivity and motivation--is it working?)

LOL they aren't HUGE trees, but i still SHOULD be digging a two foot deep hole for each and mixing peat/manure to mix into each hole. Usually by the end I am just cramming them in a miniscule hole and moving on because I am so tired!

I may start digging the holes next weekend (SO HARD TO PLAN WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW WHEN THEY WILL ARRIVE!!!). For anyone interested, I went with a hybrid willow tree package (I think they are Salix Willows) from four seasons nursery. They can grow up to 14 feet in the first year and grow really closely packed together so they seem to provide an awesome screen (they do lose their leaves in the winter but branches are so tight they still screen). I wanted FAST growth and got 40 trees for around $50. I will probably mulch them this fall in case we get another winter like last winter! Kicking myself over not mulching my poplars! So much time and money wasted!!!

 

[ChickCrazed]

It's 24 square feet and I plan to only have them in the coop at night. I would figure I can top out at 12. I have another coop from Andrew, too, and I can get another 6-8 in there. It looks pretty simple to build which is a plus and I don't mind doing some extra work to clean.

They typically recommend 4 square feet per bird for large fowl (I'm not sure if yours are LF or bantams), especially in the winter when they don't spend much time outside. Some people get by with less, but I have heard you can run into issues with feather picking/bullying. I have 6 square feet per bird right now and my 3 younger Marans were out in the rain all yesterday because they weren't comfortable being in such close quarters with the meanies yesterday. They were so wet I felt awful!

 

[atrueb00]

I got to meet Racinchickins yesterday and see his wonderful setup! I am also officially in love with his Cream Legbars and his adorably friendly royal palm turkey hen

. If the turkey hen would be ok in my chicken coop with my chickens I would seriously bring her home!

I brought home four pullets, two barred rocks and two easter eggers. I LOVE them already!!! They are so tame even though they are seriously skeptical about their quarantine digs in my garage! They were already drinking out of the nipple waterer last night.

I built a permanent run for my Bielfelders and Isbars on Saturday so they got to experience some real freedom for the first time! I had previously had a medium sized dog kennel up against the pop door so they could start venturing out of the coop without getting eaten by my big kids, but it was so nice to give them some real outdoor space! They had figured out the tree stump jungle gym by late yesterday. 6 of the 10 were packed on top, with a couple others trying to find room to jump up. Finally one of the Isbars that was on the ground flew up and dropped down in the middle of the pile on top of the stumps, so they all shrieked and abandoned ship leaping off in all directions. Such a hoot to see them start to learn what the world is all about!

Here is the new divider. It is six feet tall (if they are able to fly that high I will put chicken wire at the top) and the new run section is 6 feet wide by 12 feet long. There is a four foot door that swings to allow me to get through. It also has chicken wire along the bottom so no one can stick their head through. I wanted something open enough to let light through so I went with a lattice panel and built a frame for it. I will paint it at some point! I'm pretty sick of major projects for a while and have a boatload of planting coming at me at some point!



A few of the babies outside!!! Also, the Bielies seem to have figured out the nipple waterers WITHOUT my help....how sad is it that these 7 week old babies are smarter than my whole laying flock...

Tree stump jungle gym?? Are there other coop play items I've never heard about cause this one sounds awesome?! I can see how much chickens would like playing in and around the wood.

 

[pginsber]

What do you guys think of this? I can see a lot of areas where I can cut costs. The roof for one!
http://www.fresh-eggs-daily.com/2012/02/building-chicken-coop.html?m=1

That's a cool looking coop.
The measurement guidelines she provides are on the short end of what I've read. 24 sq feet of coop space for 12 LF could be tight quarters in the cold days of winter or soggy days of spring. It would be okay for bantams for sure.
Where would you trim costs from?

 

[lilmizscareall]

What do you guys think of this? I can see a lot of areas where I can cut costs. The roof for one!
http://www.fresh-eggs-daily.com/2012/02/building-chicken-coop.html?m=1

I LOVE Fresh Eggs Daily! I follow her on Instagram. I believe she is now using that coop for her ducks.
Good luck with the designing!

 

[atrueb00]

If anyone on here knows of any bees available please let me know. My two hives did not make it through the winter and I know of a lot of the local hives around me didnt make it. I cant find any bees for sale. They were last year but that was last year, after this winter its a new ballgame. I am desperate for two packages or even just one.

I am so sorry for your loss. This winter hit us so hard and a lot of people are saying their bees didn't make it. We lost 2 hives ourselves but my cousin by Terre Haute didn't lose any. Not sure who would be close to you to get nucs from, but have you tried any of the big beekeeping suppliers like Mann Lake? They are advertising bees and can ship. We've ordered queens by mail before and they got to our house just fine.

 

[LonelyPageTurne]

That's a cool looking coop.
The measurement guidelines she provides are on the short end of what I've read. 24 sq feet of coop space for 12 LF could be tight quarters in the cold days of winter or soggy days of spring. It would be okay for bantams for sure.
Where would you trim costs from?

I like it I think it's very cute. I could put a planter around it and it would be adorable. I know it's on the small side but I could make a slant roof instead of an a frame and save some money there. Those cedar shingles are pricier than some other roofing options. I could use particle board for the parts of the coop that wouldn't be seen, like the roof and floor, I have some laminate flooring already I can put down so that will trim some money off. Over all I don't think I can make it 50$ but I bet I could build it for $350.

 

[atrueb00]

I got an email from rural king that you could order bees off their website if I remember correctly.

If RK is in the beekeeping business now, then they truly will be my one stop shop.

 

[ChickCrazed]

Tree stump jungle gym?? Are there other coop play items I've never heard about cause this one sounds awesome?! I can see how much chickens would like playing in and around the wood.

The piece of wood you see on the left side of my pics is an outdoor roost. They LOVE both. They play king of the hill on the stumps and sit on the roost to watch traffic. I feel like a chickens life is so boring and I only let them free range in the evenings, so I wanted to give them a playground! I'd love to hear other peoples ideas also! I wonder if they would use a tunnel?

 

[LonelyPageTurne]

Oh I forgot. Anyway I was thinking too that I could extend the roof out for when it's Rainey or snowy so they could go outside and not be miserable.