Lets chat about 'garden coops'

[whitejerabias]

Rather, coordinated coop runs and garden beds. I saw a great coop design posted by one of you. It is a coop surrounded by 8 rotating runs. And I can't find the blasted thread again. Any help would be appreciated. I'd love to see your rotating garden beds and chicken runs. I love some good garden porn almost as much as the chicken pics. Also links to plans, pics, designs! Thanks you.

I checked out Chicken Coops by Judy Pangman and Chicken Raising for Dummies. Can you believe it, no Chicken Coops for Dummies in all of the Western MA library system. I have decided on a duplex coop with four rotating gardens/runs.

How long do the runs need to sit after the chickens have had their way with them before they can be replanted or is a yearly rotation?

What is a good ground covering I can use once I am done with the garden that would give extra goodness to the chickens?

Would a duplex coop be okay for a laying flock and a bachelor pad?

Would the shared wall be too close to keep the cocks chilled out? I could fix up the runs so they wouldn't SEE each other but I imagine with the proximity they'd still be able to hear each other.

 

[urban escapee]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=591524

I think this is the one you are looking for/

 

[PortageGirl]

Is this what you're talking about? nothing rotating about it, but the "chicken moat" surrounding the garden prevents a lot of things from getting into the garden, and you can let them into the garden at specific times to clean out bugs and things after everything is harvested, or before you plant etc etc.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Sustainable-Farming/1988-05-01/Garden-Pest-Control.aspx

 

[capayvalleychick]

I am trying to think of a similar plan for my garden. A coop with rotational runs. Problem is- that fencing gets expensive! That chicken moat design is awesome, but incredibly labor intensive and would just cost too much with the size of my garden area. Here is another design:

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles/silveira44a.html

I have a friend who did this, with 2 run areas. I'm going to try a simplified version of this also.

I'm looking forward to seeing other designs that people have done. There was one beautiful design, here on BYC, that I saw and haven't been able to find again.

Kim

 

[canesisters]

Go on the sister site "Easy Gardener" and check under gardening with animals. There is an awesome setup with a coop in the middle and several 'pie slice' gardens around it.
I would SO do this if I had the space!!!

 

[whitejerabias]

I found it on TheEasyGardener! Thank you canesister. http://www.theeasygarden.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=31215

I've decided that is a little too advanced for me, but one with two runs would be perfect.

I have decided only to get four or five chickens this spring, I'll make a small tractor for them and my 2012 project will be my big coop/garden system. Then next spring I will expand the flock in the big setup, pick a rooster and keep the tractor for time outs and families. Or sterilize it and turn it into a quail house.

 

[Ole rooster]

I'm not sure what your asking but the garden and run thing sorta does what a buddy of mine did. He made him a tractor coop for 3 hens that would fit between the rows of his garden. The side of the run fit about 2 inches from the base of the plants. It's 6 feet long, 3 feet high and as I said made to fit between the rows. It has a small coop, feed and water and nest nest box. He puts the hens in the run and moves it every day down the row the length of the run. every 2 days he rotates hens. Still gets his eggs and keep the weeds cleaned up. By the time he gets to the end of the last row it's time to roll it back to the start and work the garden again. Works for him.

If that's what you're talking about.

 

[galanie]

I think Kassaundra has exactly the setup you're thinking about, but hers is I think 6 gardens radiating out from the coop. Here's a picture off her page to give you the idea:

She posted more pictures and explanations of it all in a thread and for the life of me, I can't find that one. Maybe you could PM her?

LOL And then I followed the link above and guess who I saw? hehe Ok then never mind

 

[whitejerabias]

Yup, that is the one. I'll have to pm her and see if she can bump up her thread. Wondering how long the garden bed has to sit after the chickens before planting.

 

[bantam farm]

i like the swiveling latch to lock it up. using a stick looked very natural