Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[aart]

Coop is 6 by 6 and run is 14 ft long

<thumbsup> I'd stick with 6 birds instead of 10.

That will be tight for ten birds; consider a roof on your run so the whole thing works as an all-weather coop. which is what I did here, and it's great! Also, if birds will be locked in that coop, it needs more ventilation. Mary

Gonna be hard to winter ventilate that short of a coop even if it had eaves.

Nice roof on run...but run walls would need to be winterized to provide good winter space.

 

[iamfivewire]

@brian5161986 : we are having our annual "chickenstock" this weekend hopefully you will be able to attend. a lot of people bring birds to sell/swap - maybe could get some there if you dont already have some to put into your newly built coop. (we will be bringing some around 8 week olds).
. . . & welcome to the MI group


https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ken-stock-information-thread-for-june-11-2016

 

[zndzant]

Between dog shows, and nephew's baseball games (I'm official scorekeeper) my chick's are growing faster than we can build the coop! Thank goodness it's almost done. Just doors, paint and finish lining eaves and gables with hardware cloth and it will be ready for move in. Work is beginning on the run as well. It is planned to be 8 x 16 with sides and top covered with hardware cloth that will also be buried a few inches out from the edges to prevent predators from digging under. Winter will have tarps up on the north and west sides to block prevailing winds, and a portion closest to to coop will have a cover so they can be outside in winter. There need to be more hours in a day.

 

[wannahomestead]

<thumbsup> I'd stick with 6 birds instead of 10.

Gonna be hard to winter ventilate that short of a coop even if it had eaves.

Nice roof on run...but run walls would need to be winterized to provide good winter space.

What do you recommend for winterizing the run? I'd like to do that this winter so we have more outside space available that isn't covered in snow/mud

 

[aart]

Quote:

Quote: Well, I was speaking specifically about Brian's coop/run above...I'd cover all but the top 4-6" (for ventilation) in heavy clear plastic to let the sun in but keep the snow and wind out of the run.

 

[Folly's place]

My run was covered in two layers of (semi) clear plastic for the winter, with the top foot left open, and it worked great. Mary



Sorry, no photos of the plastic for winter.

 

[bigmrg74]

Between dog shows, and nephew's baseball games (I'm official scorekeeper) my chick's are growing faster than we can build the coop! Thank goodness it's almost done. Just doors, paint and finish lining eaves and gables with hardware cloth and it will be ready for move in. Work is beginning on the run as well. It is planned to be 8 x 16 with sides and top covered with hardware cloth that will also be buried a few inches out from the edges to prevent predators from digging under. Winter will have tarps up on the north and west sides to block prevailing winds, and a portion closest to to coop will have a cover so they can be outside in winter. There need to be more hours in a day.

I know that feeling. I've been working on building a new coop for my meat birds and I'm now scrambling to get it wired up enough to move the Rangers into it this weekend. They are getting too big for my mini coop. I was hoping to get it done today, but I didn't quite get the help I was hoping for today, and to top it all off, got the last 2 wagons of hay in today as well. At least that project is done for the year. Ideally, should have it ready for them by Sunday now.

 

[audy5000g]

Woot i found another Michigan thread. Yippie.

 

[iamfivewire]

welcome to the group

 

[wannahomestead]

Well I'm grumpy today! I found an egg missing from the broody nest, a different chicken in there, and remnants of the shell of the missing egg. One of my other jerk hens got in there and ate one of the eggs!

What a jerk. Down to 11. Hopefully broody gets back on the nest and we get back on track. I had a couple eggs that were yolky, so I cleaned them off real well. We'll see what happens.