Luxury Coop; King of Queens

[Whitehouse Quail]

Does anyone have a coop that has ALL the fixins? Like a dust bath in the run, anything that would make your 'Queens' happy?

 

[faykokoWV]

I'm not sure what "all the fixins" are. I'm still new so maybe there would be something I could add, but they seem pretty happy in my chicken moat run.

They have a dusty area for dusting, a shady area under an apple tree, a sunny area to, well, sun in. They get to go in the garden and eat lots of bugs, they have unlimited access to any veggies that grow through the fence (strawberries, cucumbers and tomoatos), I have a solar night light that comes on in front of the coop and inside it at dusk. Seperate quarters for new chicks so the young ones aren't under foot. roosts in the run and in the coop, nesting boxes with three different kinds of nesting material. I nice window with a ledge that they can sit on and look out of on nasty days.

I think they have it pretty good. I'm interested to see the responses, hopefully there's something else I can add to spoil them!

 

[patandchickens]

'All the fixins' 'luxury' from a human standpoint or from a chicken standpoint? Those are two pretty completely different things...

Pat

 

[Whitehouse Quail]

Chicken

 

[Judy]

First thing I'd suggest is you look over patandchickens' web pages:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1642

First, plenty of space, especially if you live in a cold climate (a state or country in your profile is a big help.)

Runs provide relative safety from predators, but usually do not provide what is most natural to chickens, namely, freedom to scratch and peck for food in a vegetated area. One way around this is a movable coop and run, but this can only be done as a practical matter if you have very few chickens, or have something like a tractor with which to move the coop and run.

Roosts need to be wide enough for them to spread their feet out and rest on them; they don't really like to hang onto a round roost as many birds do. They aren't fussy about nest boxes though do like a bit of privacy. Some way to hang or elevate food and water so they get a minimal amount of litter in them, and so they can't stand on top of them, because they will poop in them.

Yes, a place to dust bathe, and to sun bathe.

 

[GopherBoyFarms]

Our chickens have it all.....all but running water in the coop.....they even have a heater in there for cold nights and a huge fan for hot nights. There is also going to be a waterfall in the run, and now they have steps up the fence and to the kitchen window where there is a landing pad and a few of them have figured it out and come to the window each night at dinner time to get snacks while I cook, LOL

here is the first coop
http://sites.google.com/site/gopherboyfarms/coop-building

and here is the one that is being built now
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=100224&p=1

you should get some ideas there

~Tiff~

 

[gotpoodle]

Quote:
Where did you get your solar lighting? Brand? I'm looking for something that will light my way to the coop after daylight savings time...

 

[Southernbelle]

I saw someone put a roosting "tree" in the run

I made a jungle gym out of pallets in the run to give shade and hiding places for the ones low on the totem pole.

 

[faykokoWV]

Quote:
Where did you get your solar lighting? Brand? I'm looking for something that will light my way to the coop after daylight savings time...

I got it at Lowes. It has a solar panel with three lights that attach to it. I put two in the coop and one outside. I think it was around $40.

 

[fhdogs]

I like to think my coop has it all. I've got power and water (via rainwater/hose filled if it ever stops raining here). I have a large dog crate with sand for bathing inside (the run hasn't dried much this summer). The overhead light is on a timer wall switch so in the winter I can extend the day. Refrigerator facing out on the side of the coop so people will be able to buy eggs without bothering me. A webcam so I can see what's happening inside from the house, or anywhere on my phone. Oh and they just got a new car today! Well it's used, and a pedal car, but the hens love roosting on it in the run.