My first try at a coop? ? ? ?

[mickey328]

Wow! Those are awesome, Mitch! I so admire the ability to "see" things from pieces and parts like that. And re-purposing/recycling is very high on my list of "good things". We too bought very little for our coop...mostly paint and fasteners.

Looks like we're probably going to have to put more $$ in the hutch than the coop. We probably have enough of the wire fencing but we'll definitely have to get galvanized hardware cloth for the floors, and Dave wants to use EMC for the main structure...it's lighter, not very pricey and they won't chew it to pieces. We'll need to build a lean to sort of roof to provide shade, but should be able to do most of that from stuff we have on hand or can scrounge off Craig's List and Freecycle. He's also got to get the cold frame built, but other than screws we won't need to get anything for cash. My next project, after the canning is all done for the season, is to get a meal worm farm going. It strikes me as a pretty easy and inexpensive way to provide good quality protein for the chickens.

Do keep us updated if you get into an aquaponics system...I know almost nothing about it at all and would be interested to hear how it goes.

 

[BrendaJ]

Great pics & amazing craftsmanship. I could fly you out & even get you a dog - lol .... but seriously you do great work.

 

[Crazy Mitch]

Wow! Those are awesome, Mitch! I so admire the ability to "see" things from pieces and parts like that. And re-purposing/recycling is very high on my list of "good things". We too bought very little for our coop...mostly paint and fasteners.

Looks like we're probably going to have to put more $$ in the hutch than the coop. We probably have enough of the wire fencing but we'll definitely have to get galvanized hardware cloth for the floors, and Dave wants to use EMC for the main structure...it's lighter, not very pricey and they won't chew it to pieces. We'll need to build a lean to sort of roof to provide shade, but should be able to do most of that from stuff we have on hand or can scrounge off Craig's List and Freecycle. He's also got to get the cold frame built, but other than screws we won't need to get anything for cash. My next project, after the canning is all done for the season, is to get a meal worm farm going. It strikes me as a pretty easy and inexpensive way to provide good quality protein for the chickens.

Do keep us updated if you get into an aquaponics system...I know almost nothing about it at all and would be interested to hear how it goes.

Can you build the hutch out of metal studs? I think they will rust. But the rabbits won't chew on it. I never thought about that.

Where will you post your pictures and story about the meal worm farm? Can you give me a link? We need that for reptiles. Is it hard. . . never looked into it! I might have to start.

I'm an artist by heart.
But still CRAZY MITCH!

 

[Crazy Mitch]

Great pics & amazing craftsmanship. I could fly you out & even get you a dog - lol .... but seriously you do great work.

Thanks Brenda, for your kind words . . . . What kind of dog? ? ? ? ?

It would just be hard to take off for as long as it took for me to build this one. . . . but you never know? ? ? right!

my wife and daughter want a dog. . .and well. . .. I'm a cat guy? So it is a slow process.

GB
Mitch

 

[Crazy Mitch]

I got the pay off today! ! ! ! . . . the first egg!



This first one has a greenish pearl color.





And second. . . all on the same day. Nov 6th. Very cool! Much smaller than the first! and much rougher surface in the shell.




Here they are next to a large store bought egg. . . .

Very exciting news. We will see how the chickens do in the winter. They have been eating pumpkin. . .and loving it.

And OPA's nesting box design works great! ! ! ! ! ! THANKS AGAIN OPA!

THANKS EVERYONE for all the help! ! ! !

GB
Mitch!

 

[UrbanBYC]

Wow, pretty big for their first eggs!

Also, what did you end up using as wire on your run, I was going to suggest you use 2x4 welded wire to keep cost down. It is very strong and lined with come chicken wire, it's a great alternative to hardware cloth.

 

[mickey328]

See...all your hard work was worth it! Woohoo, congrats! You'll see the eggs get bigger and production step up as their bodies adjust to the routine. Ours were 7 months when we got them and while production has always been good (till the shorter days anyway), the eggs have gone from med/large to mostly large/jumbo since July.

 

[Crazy Mitch]

Wow, pretty big for their first eggs!

Also, what did you end up using as wire on your run, I was going to suggest you use 2x4 welded wire to keep cost down. It is very strong and lined with come chicken wire, it's a great alternative to hardware cloth.

Thanks . . . we got another one last night. So three in the first day! It was exciting.

For the run. . . I found some hardware cloth I put it on the back side of the run (it butts up to a raised shed) so there was a gap I filled with that. And on the front I have just the chicken wire for now. I lock the coop up every night. . . and hope there isn't a day attack. I did drive past a house on the far side of town that had turkeys. . .and they were huge and all over the guys roof of his house. But he just had a 4" x 4" fence. too try to keep them in.

I would like to bulk up the fencing. . . but not this year. . .I have to move onto other projects. Can the racoon still reach through the 2X3 wire? But the key is it is welded. . . right?

Thanks again for the support

Mitch

 

[Crazy Mitch]

See...all your hard work was worth it! Woohoo, congrats! You'll see the eggs get bigger and production step up as their bodies adjust to the routine. Ours were 7 months when we got them and while production has always been good (till the shorter days anyway), the eggs have gone from med/large to mostly large/jumbo since July.

THANK YOU! ! ! ! ! Yea it is really COOL. . . . and I just happy they are laying. . . . ( we got a third one last night) I do have two smaller hens. . .. I don't know what they are. . .but I think one was the maker of the smaller egg. These are a greenish color. I can't wait to check the coop today. And the nesting box design of OPA worked great.

It will be fun to see the eggs get bigger and BIGGER. . . and maybe it will be like James and the giant peach!

Like I told my son. . . a $1,000 egg . .. after all the work spent building the coop, what little materials we had to buy, the cost of food and chicks . . .and now paying all the people we owe. . . in eggs! hehehehe Thanks again for all the support and willingness to reach out and help!

GB
Crazy Mitch