"Louisiana "La-yers" Peeps"

[Ron Skekel]

I have a question. I am currently in the process of building my coop. 8ft x 3 1/2ft x 4ft high. The roof is covered and currently the back and two side are completly enclosed. i was going to do the front in poultry wire, so the air could circulate in there. Like i said before, i am COMPLETELY NEW to chickens lol. my only problem, even tough it is wy early to worry about this, is the winter. With the front open to the elements, would the chickens get too cold in there, or am i worrying a little too much???

i would use hardware cloth our predators can Easley get threw chicken wire. Pam

 

[Jipus5]

I have a question. I am currently in the process of building my coop. 8ft x 3 1/2ft x 4ft high. The roof is covered and currently the back and two side are completly enclosed. i was going to do the front in poultry wire, so the air could circulate in there. Like i said before, i am COMPLETELY NEW to chickens lol. my only problem, even tough it is wy early to worry about this, is the winter. With the front open to the elements, would the chickens get too cold in there, or am i worrying a little too much???

I definitely second that, chicken wire is a keep in only product. WILL NEVER EVER keep predators out. Hardware cloth costs a little more, BUT it lasts a long time, and does an amazing job!
I have some that is 16 years old, no rust yet!!!!!!!!
My chicken coop is made from the back end of 3 18 wheeler trailers, and the 4th (front) is 2 sheets of plywood with one made into a door. Since hubby is the a Director of Maintenance at a truck company they were free from wrecked trucks.... BUT mine free range all day every day.
THAT being said, I MADE cages of a sort. From metal dog kennels with hardware cloth extensions.... I have had foxes rip my chicken wire to shreds, but my hardware cloth contraptions... NADA where damage is concerned...
Now in the summers, water water water, as well as using my hubbies empty gatorade containers sliced in half, filled with water, frozen, and placed in water bowls worked great! ACV in everything always....
I have a mechanics clip on light, like guys would use clipped somewhere on a car, with a heat bulb on it and I put that in there when it is freezing cold... but people up north, with sleet and snow for months at a time, use a heat bulb n that is all! So I KNOW mine dont actually need it. BUT, I have too many roosters.... they get raised in my dog kennel-hardware cloth enclosure since last October when they hatched. I cull before humping instinct kicks in so they are not tough..... Bought a tarp from Dollar General, they are still here and thriving....Well 2 are, too pretty to cull yet, but the rest tasted great! And lived safe and secure.

 

[topdog24]

You're gonna LOVE chickens!
They fair better in the winters than brutal summers. Give the coop plenty of ventilation (heat rises so it be hotter in top area where roosts are if there's no way for air to escape (warmer in winter too tho.)
I have open air coops. Open on 3 sides, sometimes 4. I use tarps in the winter to block wind (drafts are more dangerous than cold alone) I staple shower curtains to 3 sides in winter to help prevent drafts and keep them toasty. Worked really well through this last winter and this last one was a doozy!!

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I'd recommend hardware cloth and not chicken wire for safety from predators. I personally use a plastic coated one inch square garden wire I had excess of, stronger than chicken wire but not as strong as hardware cloth to keep predators out. But we are constantly armed and on guard against predators. Would be less if hardware cloth was used lol. I also use chicken wire on temporary fences and to keep chickens OUT,

not in. By wrapping fruit trees, berry bushes etc. So use hardware cloth where you can if predators are bad.

Worry mire about heat. Put out pans of cold water with bricks in them for the chooks to have somethin cool to sit on. Freeze 2 liter bottles and milk jugs of water and place in coop, where they rest, in the shade so they can lean or stand near the coolness. Shade...shade and ice. We always just keep making ice, even if we have tons

and we always need mire come August.

I have a question. I am currently in the process of building my coop. 8ft x 3 1/2ft x 4ft high. The roof is covered and currently the back and two side are completly enclosed. i was going to do the front in poultry wire, so the air could circulate in there. Like i said before, i am COMPLETELY NEW to chickens lol. my only problem, even tough it is wy early to worry about this, is the winter. With the front open to the elements, would the chickens get too cold in there, or am i worrying a little too much???

you definately need at least 12 inchs of vetilation along the bottom of the back wall and put half inch hardware clothe on it, that way cool air can enter the back and flow out through the front, notice the back and ends of my house then check out the next photo of the front,at the top there is ample ventilation to allow heat to escape, i went as far as putting half inch expanded metal on the back because it is close to the ground and i want it predator proof, it stays cool enogh that all my chickens go in it through the hot part of the day

 

[Jipus5]

Anyone else's egg production decreased? I have 5 laying hens and MAY get one egg. There were a couple days I didn't get any!

I have found that something wrong IN their hen boxes have deterred them from laying. Once, just a small beetle had made a home there, and nothing. No eggs for a week! NO ONE laid an egg! Then I find they found/made a secret spot. As soon as I cleaned out their nesting box and got rid of the bug, all back to normal.
THEN another time, mice had gotten in. Them just wandering around, NOT IN my hen boxes, but in ground of the coop and they were all finding other places to lay. Course mine r out n about so cooped hens have few other options... so check for maybe something bothering them in their spot.
Also some recommend one hen box per 3 hens...
Not enough boxes, change in diet, molting, weird/abrupt weather changes, and bugs/ants/mice/wasps/bees/invaders in the nesting area or even coop is all I got on that.....
Best of luck!

 

[Angelicisi]

Earliest one can sex a standard bronze turkey anyone?

 

[PandBPullets]

Wow!! Thank all of you for the suggestions for both the coop and also for keeping the birds cool during the hot weather.
Tomorrow I will post some pics of the coop in progress, and also of our BLRW chick.

What if I first lay down poultry mesh, then place a layer of 2x4" fencing material over it. It is 14g. The poultry wire would keep in the chickens, and the metal fencing would keep out the predators, correct?

Thanks so much, Bryan and Pam

 

[topdog24]

Wow!! Thank all of you for the suggestions for both the coop and also for keeping the birds cool during the hot weather.
Tomorrow I will post some pics of the coop in progress, and also of our BLRW chick.

What if I first lay down poultry mesh, then place a layer of 2x4" fencing material over it. It is 14g. The poultry wire would keep in the chickens, and the metal fencing would keep out the predators, correct?

Thanks so much, Bryan and Pam

Y'all are near Lake Charles, are you in town or out in the sticks, this will determine what predators you will need to protect against, are you near water, are there a lot of coons, minks, in your area? it is vital to know your enemy before deciding on your defense's, the 2 x 4 " will work for animals like dogs, fox, and coyotes if it is welded wire, a mink can go where a snake can go, a coon will work on the un welded wire until it gets through it. such as the first discription, those little wire wraps will move and the opening will become larger,

 

[Melnic]

Good morning, TGIF everyone! My husband and I are on our way to go pick up my new coop

. My current coop was not big enough nor did it have adequate ventilation. The girls were revolting and refusing to go in the coop (strong willed ...I guess they take after their mom, or so says my husband

) I'm not allowed (dreaded HOA) to have a permanent coop so mine have to be tractor style. I found one that I think will meet all our needs and had it built. I will post pics hopefully by tomorrow. So excited...you think I need a life? LOL

 

[kuntrygirl]

Can someone please find a pic that says, "I came home from work yesterday and found 38 newly hatched muscovy ducklings. I have caught them, put them in 3 brooders, found waterers, found feeders, filled them up with water and feed and made sure they were safe and secure and didn't get into the house until 11:30 PM last night." If you find that pic, please post it for me.

As of last night, I have doubled my population of muscovy ducks. The total number of hatched ducklings is now at 73 within 1 week. God help me!

 

[foreverlearning]

Can someone please find a pic that says, "I came home from work yesterday and found 38 newly hatched muscovy ducklings. I have caught them, put them in 3 brooders, found waterers, found feeders, filled them up with water and feed and made sure they were safe and secure and didn't get into the house until 11:30 PM last night." If you find that pic, please post it for me.

As of last night, I have doubled my population of muscovy ducks. The total number of hatched ducklings is now at 73 within 1 week. God help me!

I think my bet on ducks is going to be short

We need to make some pictures just for fertile acres!