Minnesota!

[Rhetts]

You could ad some louver style vents high up along the sides. you'll want ventilation in there in the winter, but cracking those windows right next to that roost could be too drafty right next to the birds.

Can you describe this is more detail, Cyrus? Where exactly to put them and what kind of vent do you mean? Please excuse my dumb questions. I will be the one trying to describe to the guys what to do so I want to be sure of what I am talking about.

Yes, the windows are too drafty in the winter time The one on the west is basically unusable. The other one doesn't get too much wind/weather so I could possibly use that on nicer days.

Its fun seeing other people coops. Maybe we should do something like a virtual 'Parade of Homes' but of our chickens coops? I love seeing other peoples set ups. it gives me ideas for my own projects

I really enjoy seeing what others do too. It most certainly gives me ideas that I would never have thought of. For example, poop boards. Never would have thought of that. I LOVE the idea. Now I am trying to figure out how to add them to what I have. Keep the coop pictures coming!!

 

[Mistahbue]

Thanks everyone for the input regarding roos

Right now of course I have Ole' and he's stuck by Lena's side.

Of these 5 that I just turned out I am almost 100% sure (based on comb) that the brown leghorn is a roo and I believe I might have a lavender roo. Again I'm basing this solely on the size of the comb based on their size - I know a comb does not a roo make -- just guesstimating here. The leghorn comb is literally 2 - 2 1/2 times larger than that of the other chicks. The 2 Americauna/Wyandotte/Heinz57? are likely hens - hardly any comb development at all. One of them is such a love bug - or she was until I put them out in the coop. She may stab my eyes out now - but while in the brooder she'd come stand by the side to be picked up and liked to cuddle against my neck.

The chicks coming at the end of August are all females. Oh I did get in touch with the hatchery and they are cancelling the Mareks vaccine on the order.

DRalphie - so glad you are back home and the birds are okay too! Look forward to a full accounting of your Mom's adventures in peep sitting. Sorry the fishing was bad.

Sick chick was really showing some improvement over the weekend but I think she's taken a turn for the worse. She's not been really hungry today and all she wants to do is sleep today. I won't have car until Thursday but if she's still here then I'm taking her to the vet.

Someone teach me how to grow a pair for culling. I just can't - not after I've babied her 8 days now.........

 

[KlopKlop]

Thanks everyone for the input regarding roos

Right now of course I have Ole' and he's stuck by Lena's side.

Of these 5 that I just turned out I am almost 100% sure (based on comb) that the brown leghorn is a roo and I believe I might have a lavender roo. Again I'm basing this solely on the size of the comb based on their size - I know a comb does not a roo make -- just guesstimating here. The leghorn comb is literally 2 - 2 1/2 times larger than that of the other chicks. The 2 Americauna/Wyandotte/Heinz57? are likely hens - hardly any comb development at all. One of them is such a love bug - or she was until I put them out in the coop. She may stab my eyes out now - but while in the brooder she'd come stand by the side to be picked up and liked to cuddle against my neck.

The chicks coming at the end of August are all females. Oh I did get in touch with the hatchery and they are cancelling the Mareks vaccine on the order.

DRalphie - so glad you are back home and the birds are okay too! Look forward to a full accounting of your Mom's adventures in peep sitting. Sorry the fishing was bad.

Sick chick was really showing some improvement over the weekend but I think she's taken a turn for the worse. She's not been really hungry today and all she wants to do is sleep today. I won't have car until Thursday but if she's still here then I'm taking her to the vet.

Someone teach me how to grow a pair for culling. I just can't - not after I've babied her 8 days now.........

I have several white leghorn hens and their combs are huge, so that may or may not be a tell for your birds.

 

[KlopKlop]

I really enjoy seeing what others do too. It most certainly gives me ideas that I would never have thought of. For example, poop boards. Never would have thought of that. I LOVE the idea. Now I am trying to figure out how to add them to what I have. Keep the coop pictures coming!!

I will have to take some photos tomorrow and share. I put my own twist on poop boards that i think is easier to handle as well as what I think is a pretty unique take on nesting boxes that my hens love.

 

[lalaland]

You like them!!!???? This is thee first time I've heard a farmer say he liked a predator!!!!!!!!!!

I'm not lucky enough to be able to call myelf a farmer - but it was my childhood ambition!

 

[The BlanchRanch]

Quote:
We do that here in hell. But our coops are no where near as large and elaborate as yours.

 

[NikonD2xer]

Show what most of us REALLY do while we are at work

So I took a brave move tonight and finally let one of my coops out to free range. They had such a blast and covered a huge portion of the main yard. They even found my comfrey patch (anyone else grow comfrey for your chickens?) and windfall apples (Tiny green ones). They even watched me cutting firewood for a while. I think this will become a nightly activity from now on since they have done so well!

@KlopKlop Do you know what kind of comfrey you have? I was looking at getting some but was worried it would not make it through the winters here. I would like some more info on it if you have time.

 

[NikonD2xer]

OK, looking for some advice from those of you who have wintered your flocks. I made the mistake of not having ventilation in the coop we built last fall/winter. I have added some now but I do not know if it is enough. I was also contemplating getting a fan to put in the coop. At night, it is so hot when they go to bed. I was thinking of getting one and installing it up in the peak of the ceiling and make sure it is adjustable. So I can point it down for cooling off the hens and then could I use it in the winter to move the air out the vent? So here are pictures. Ask me questions if you need to know more about the setup. Looking to see if you think I should add more vents or can I use what I have and add a fan or is what I have enough. Thank you

I have a hoop coop made out of cattle panels and a tarp. The north end is plywood and the south end is completely hardware cloth. With a completely open coop on the south side.....I still had some moisture issues and frostbite. You can not have too much ventilation as long as you can limit the air movement. Warm moist air rises and the higher you can get your vents the better.

Very nice coop. I wish I could have a coop like that.

 

[lalaland]

I have comfrey, don't know what kind! My chickens don't eat it, but I take the leaves, which are huge if you aren't familiar with comfrey - think tobacco leaf size - and dry them. I crumble them up and store the dried comfrey in jars, and in the middle of winter I add it to their feed. Good protein, and something green even if dried......

It is a big plant, reseeds itself so it makes a little colony, bees love it. Good for a corner where you don't care what grows. I've seen comfrey 5-6 feet tall, the variety I have gets about 4-5 feet tall. Doesn't get out of control like raspberries or shrub roses, though!

Glad you brought it up, it reminds me that it is time to start harvesting it and drying it.

 

[lalaland]

we're about to get hit with a morning storm. so dark that I had to turn lights on. SO dark some of the chickens stayed in the coop!

Bear came last night, usually that is more of a spring thing but....sucker took the suet cage again. The way I find them is when I'm mowing in late summer, and the mower has a seizure, and sure enough, there's a wire suet cage crammed up in there....