It should not be that difficult…

[Coops Dad]

We have over 50 hens and four roosters (my wife has a chick addiction) divided into a main flock, my small flock of Ayam Cemanis, a bachelor pen of surplus roosters destined for dinners, a chicken tractor of young pullets growing out, a brooder of f-1 olive eggers (Ameracauna x Cuckoo Marans) and a dozen poults. We agreed that there would be no more chicks hatched or bought until at least April. We get between 18-25 eggs a day in the winter and up to 36-38 in the spring and summer.

We use a lot- she's Puerto Rican and makes an excellent flan, among other egg heavy recipes- and we give away a lot to church and neighbors. We also sell several dozen a week to offset feed costs. We keep an honor box at the end of the driveway, asking $3/dozen if they leave an empty carton or $3.50 without. We've never had anyone take eggs without leaving money; occasionally someone leaves money and cookies or banana bread (I think we know who it is).

 

[Coops Dad]

We're lucky to live on acreage and have no restrictions, plus our soil drains well. The pasture grass has mixed vetch, oats and barley sown in, and I plant rows of sunflowers in the spring; all this draws grasshoppers and other insects, so the chickens can forage to their hearts content on both insects and grains/seeds.

Our coops are set up inside a 1200 square foot tractor shed, meaning the coops stay dry even in heavy rain and the chickens have a dry place to hang out.

We are blessed.

 

[Alohacayo]

I love finding my peeps

It definitely runs in families and after my 3rd son who tested ADHD inattentive I started to wonder more. He is extremely smart but his executive function is less than 5%. Fine motor skills suck, slow processing disorder, tons of sensory issues, zero emotion regulation and no impulse control all combine to create extreme anxiety and voila, that's me. Bingo! We know we are frustrating the shit out of everyone around us but we don't know how the flip to fix it

Sorry OP, I hijacked your thread. Just a different perspective. My animals are cared for in such a way that when I watch others I think "Really? It's not that hard!". But come to my house, look around and I can guarantee you'll leave scratching your head thinking "gosh, it's really not that hard!"

All is cool!

My sincere hope is that while “it’s not that hard”, anyone looking to care for other creatures takes it extremely seriously.

That means making sure THEY have what they need before anything else.

Blessings, all! Forward into the new year! Hoping everyone stays safe and has a great new year.

 

[Alohacayo]

raccoons, hawks, owls, eagles, snakes, bobcats, coyote, possum, skunks, stoats, bears, mountain lions...

I’ve got all of that except bears & probably weasels. Plus the 110° weather. I’m in SoCal, 1200’ elevation. 13” rain/year.

I’ve got to disagree a bit about the hoop coops. They’re similar to the greenhouse I raised psittacines for 30 years in the Midwest.

Add rats to the predator load which attracts plenty of snakes—I’m in prime rattler country.

I’m curious, what is built heavier than a fortified hoop coop/run? Considering that vehicles and human homes are not bear proof, what is the recommendation to bear proof a chicken coop?

Side note: I’m ALL IN on electric fences, hardware cloth/welded wire, proper earth anchors, etc. I’m also a huge fan of cameras. I didn’t know I had several opossum visiting my yard (you’d think the 3 dogs would’ve alerted me…) until I put a camera out there. Back in the day, I was not shy about dispatching any active predator. I don’t have that need now, but I would not hesitate if required.

But back on target of not being hard…

In many climates a hoop coop can absolutely be above adequate to accomplish several goals.

The cost per sqft 360° covered is pretty incredible. Fortify with hardware cloth 3-6’ up, also fairly inexpensive. Lends itself to non-professional builders. Readily available supplies. Can be as open or as closed as needed.

If I was still in the Midwest, I’d absolutely recommend a greenhouse type building for chickens. I had several of the 10x12’s for the parrots, and those were also “jungle” birds in a climate that did not suit them. But a properly outfitted green house worked incredibly well. Clean, dry, light, protected.

I like them. Hoop coops + hardware cloth + deep litter + cameras covers all the bases superbly for my situation in the desert of SoCal. But, it’s not that far off from what I raised a few hundred parrots in the Midwest. More wind protection, but that’s about it.

Happy new year!