meat bird coop ideas

[kylen2007]

Last year I kept my beat birds in the coop with my layers. It was my firs time with crosses and lets just say I will never do it again. They are nasty little boogers. I was considering doing a simple hoop coop since I will only have them for 8 weeks-ish. My concern is with predators. When I search coops for meat birds I get a lot of the trailers and hoop ones pop up. Anyone used any of those coops? I also want to do Turkey's and would love suggestions on how I could come up with on coop to use for both. Obviously not at the same time. I would love to raise my own thanksgiving turkey unless they are too complicated.

 

[Chicken girl 15]

How many meaties are you doing at one time? How much space do you have in your yard?

 

[kylen2007]

I have quite a bit... Like 4 acres. Obviously I won't give them that much. After last year when they lived with my layers I learned they don't need much room. They spent almost all their time as close to a feeder as possible or laying in the shade under the coop. The first 4 weeks they were more active then it quickly slowed. I did 15 last year and was hoping to do more this year and possibly quarter some. So 25ish. I may do two batches one in spring one in fall. But no more than 25 at a time. I really like the idea of an A frame coop and run or a hoop coop. Just not sure how safe it would be. Over the weekend I had to turn my run into an aviary after fight a hawk off one of my girls on Friday. :/ We also have foxes and coyotes out here. My layers are locked in their coop every night and aside from the hawk issue Friday I have has no losses or issues with predators but again they are sealed up tight each night.

 

[Chicken girl 15]

You could easily do a half hoop coop. Enclose half of it and cover the other half with hardware cloth. Low roost bars and lots of feed stations. No need for nest boxes they won't be around long enough.

 

[Chicken girl 15]

Look up a man named Rancher hicks. He's a nice guy and only uses hoop. He has some really nice ones.

 

[Corazon Ranch]

I did a hoop coop once, but it was a re-purposed tent garage from Harbor Freight. A fox or coyote dug in and killed all but one of my 25 meaties. Whatever you use, make sure it is safe or the local predators will think you've opened up a chicken restaurant. Lay down some wire underneath and throw bedding or dirt over it, so that predators can't dig their way in. A skunk can get through a very small hole (like 4 inches wide) and will kill a bird. Foxes and coyotes will kill ALL the birds. I hate that about them.

 

[kylen2007]

Last year my crosses never roosted. That's a lie one of them did lol. She was a runt and made it until 5 months and then she started waddling so we processed her. I was also considering one of those triangle shaped coops/runs. May be easier to build. I absolutely plan on doing some time of enclosed coop just on a much smaller scale. Sounds like it should work as long as I have a way to lock them up at night like I do my layers.

 

[kylen2007]

I did a hoop coop once, but it was a re-purposed tent garage from Harbor Freight. A fox or coyote dug in and killed all but one of my 25 meaties. Whatever you use, make sure it is safe or the local predators will think you've opened up a chicken restaurant. Lay down some wire underneath and throw bedding or dirt over it, so that predators can't dig their way in. A skunk can get through a very small hole (like 4 inches wide) and will kill a bird. Foxes and coyotes will kill ALL the birds. I hate that about them.

Fortunately we haven't had an issue with coyotes or foxes. We have a butt load of both around here too. I lock my layers up at night. My husband calls our coop fort knox. Lol. We kinda went over kill on it but from what I had read the biggest mistake most people make is underestimating predators. I am afraid with a hoop coop that would be exactly what I would be doing. Sigh! I love the Idea of the hoop coop too. Looks so inexpensive and easy. I don't want anything too crazy for something to only be used for 8 weeks twice a year. Less than that since they are in the brooder for a couple weeks.

 

[Chicken girl 15]

Use a 4×€ sheet of $10 plywood as a base. Screw 2×4 all the way around. 4 inch side laying flat on the plywoodbutted to the edge. That makes a k-9 proof base. Use fence staples to attach hog pannels to the 2 inch side of the 2×4 either inner or outer edge. You can use 2 pannels and cover one with a tarp for the co-op area and leave one uncovered for sunbathing. You can use any bedding method you prefer. Close the covered sied up at the end with a few 2×4 for support and some hardware cloth then cover with a tarp . on the non covered end do the 2×4 and hardware cloth again but no tarp. Make sure on the run end you make a door of the 2×4 and hardware cloth so you can feed and tend the kids.

 

[sonofabish1]

I'll also recommend as secure as possible. My first batch of meaties (15) was fine and no predators. The second batch (30) a coyote got in and killed them all. Chicken wire is a no-no. I have since replaced the chicken wire with 1/2" hardware cloth, held on with fence staples and buried 8-10" around the outsides. I'm also thinking about putting a layer of chain link over that before the next batch in spring.

Also, my coop sits a 4" off the ground and there is a small ramp from run to coop entrance. When getting large (and lazy), the birds have trouble getting back and forth between the two. I could not see having a coop where the run is under the coop. I doubt they would ever make it into the coop on their own without some major "persuading".