My first try at a coop? ? ? ?

[ellandeeranch]

I was just thinking...if the chickens don't like it, I'll move in!

 

[Crazy Mitch]

Yea on the roof it is two layers of ply. . .and painted with several coats of paint. So we will see.

I like you light idea. . .and maybe instead of 14 hours. . . I will shorten it. . . .if it gets dark about 4:00 pm . . . the light would be going on at 2:00 am Wow . . .that is early. . . I think I might do a 6:00 am. .. and just try that. . .and it will give a little heat and then when ever dusk hits. . . it hits.

Thanks again for the encouragement!

I like your ideas for the roof and all. . . .

So how long have you been doing this Chicken thing. . . and do you find yourself saying in your mind. . . ." Chicken" when they run away from you as you round the corner to their run? I do.

GB
Crazy Mitch

 

[mickey328]

We didn't shingle ours at all. We put a couple coats of white rubberized paint on the roof. The rubber will keep it dry and the white helps to reflect some of the strong sun we get at this altitude. So far, it's working great.

If you give them 10 or 12 hours of light a day, they should continue to lay...just not quite as much. It'll encourage them to be a bit more active as well. They're all but blind in the dark, so they just sleep when they can't see. Ours are getting about 12 hours now...just natural light from about 7am to 7pm, although it's still getting shorter. Only 6:20 now and since it's cloudy, it's dusk already. They'll likely put themselves to bed in the next 15 minutes or so.

We got our birds in July, so we're relative newbies too. But we got started pullets so we kind of had a jump on things. Although we'd been doing a lot of research (thank goodness for BYC!), we weren't prepared...got the chickens before we had anything ready for them. Luckily the lady who sold them to us let us borrow a rabbit hutch to use till we got the coop built...and we had to stop on the way home from there to pick up some chicken feed, LOL.

We're planning on starting to raise some rabbits for meat, but this time, we're prepping first...gonna have a hutch and food waiting when we find the right bunnies!

And yeah...I call 'em "chicken" when they run. But they don't run when I approach the run...in fact they all come running to me from wherever they are...think maybe they associate me with treats??? LOL Now if I reach for one, she'll dance away, but they're always hoping for goodies, the little gluttons!

 

[Crazy Mitch]

I used outdoor paint. . . but I have a lead on some more ice and water shield ( I have a little piece now) and felt paper ( I have 3 bundles of shingles). . .so we will see If the rain stops and I can get something up.

I did the same thing. . . bought bedding on the way home and borrowed a rabbit cage that day too (which got destroyed) so we had to replace it. Wasn't thinking.

But I was thinking about rabbits, too? But . . . the butchering. . . I haven't done that, yet. . . even with the chickens I hear it is a long process? I would guess rabbits are easier to skin. . .and you can make a vest and gloves. . . and other things from the pelts. . . it is just trying to get the kids to gnaw the hides to tan them being the hardest part

. . . does the founders of this site have "backyardbunnies.com"?

Thanks again for the encouragement.
GB
Crazy Mitch!

 

[mickey328]

LOL, no backyardbunnies, but check out backyardherds. There are lots of experienced bunny keepers. I joined a week or two ago and have got some great advice.

DH and I talked over the butchering before we seriously considered it...I had visions of being overwhelmed with kits and not having the gumption to butcher 'em, LOL. He says he'll be fine and I think I could help since we'll be keeping the breeding stock...the new kits would only be around for 8 to 10 weeks so I'd steel myself and not get attached. Think you're right though...they'll be much easier to clean than chickens...no feathers, just peel the skin. I wonder if we could train the dogs to do the gnawing??

 

[BrendaJ]

Everything looks great We might recruit you in coop building lol. Very nice set up. I have not a had a problem with wildlife but think my dogs help with that.

 

[Crazy Mitch]

Everything looks great We might recruit you in coop building lol. Very nice set up. I have not a had a problem with wildlife but think my dogs help with that.

OK. . . I'll do it. . . But it takes month and months and months. . . .and can you fly me out there.

Thanks for the nice words.

We don't have a dog. . .but that is about it. . .we have everything else.

Mitch!

 

[Crazy Mitch]

LOL, no backyardbunnies, but check out backyardherds. There are lots of experienced bunny keepers. I joined a week or two ago and have got some great advice.

DH and I talked over the butchering before we seriously considered it...I had visions of being overwhelmed with kits and not having the gumption to butcher 'em, LOL. He says he'll be fine and I think I could help since we'll be keeping the breeding stock...the new kits would only be around for 8 to 10 weeks so I'd steel myself and not get attached. Think you're right though...they'll be much easier to clean than chickens...no feathers, just peel the skin. I wonder if we could train the dogs to do the gnawing??

So 8 to 10 weeks and that is it? There are big enough? So do you need my address to send all the extra meat? I don't think I have had it before. I will be interested in hearing how it goes!

Thanks
Mitch

 

[mickey328]

It depends on the breed, but if you go with ones developed for meat animals, that seems to be optimum...if they go longer, they'll get bigger but will be tougher...stewing meat rather than fryers. From what I understand, they'll dress out at 3 to 4 pounds of meat, which isn't too bad. You have to feed mama, of course, but you'd need to feed her anyway, and she feeds the kits till about 6 weeks or so. At the end, you just have to provide for them a month or two.

I've never had domestic rabbit, but I've had ones Grandpa used to snare and I thought they were really good. Evidently they're gamier than the domestic ones. It's the leanest meat there is...even leaner than chicken, and has the lowest cholesterol of any. I've read where several folks have said they didn't need to eat as much of it as say beef or chicken to feel full.

Tell ya what...you bring your coop building skills for the cages and I'll be glad to share!

 

[Crazy Mitch]

It depends on the breed, but if you go with ones developed for meat animals, that seems to be optimum...if they go longer, they'll get bigger but will be tougher...stewing meat rather than fryers. From what I understand, they'll dress out at 3 to 4 pounds of meat, which isn't too bad. You have to feed mama, of course, but you'd need to feed her anyway, and she feeds the kits till about 6 weeks or so. At the end, you just have to provide for them a month or two.

I've never had domestic rabbit, but I've had ones Grandpa used to snare and I thought they were really good. Evidently they're gamier than the domestic ones. It's the leanest meat there is...even leaner than chicken, and has the lowest cholesterol of any. I've read where several folks have said they didn't need to eat as much of it as say beef or chicken to feel full.

Tell ya what...you bring your coop building skills for the cages and I'll be glad to share!

Very interesting. . . .

Sounds good on helping you build the rabbit hotel . . . .but I will need some plane tickets. . . or a gas card? For me and the family. . .we work great as a team. . . and also. . . well. . . .I can't guarantee what it would look like when finished. Ouch. . . I made this coop up as I went along . . . with what I could find. . . .life is a funny thing.

I do like to create things from anything i can find. Here is a tree house we built. . . I bought two pieces of wood and the fasteners. But the rest was scrounged. It took 3 years. It is built around the tree. . . not one nail into the tree. It is a great place for a water fight.

Front


Back



The other (and favorite) is smaller scale model building. . . and a car hobby.
This is made from 6 tape dispensers.












So back to food sources. . . .

I've been looking into aquaponics on a solar panel system (four batteries) . . . . vegetables and shrimp maybe some fish. up to 800 pounds a year of fish and 1,200 of vegetables. We will see. . .. and I have some projects in the house to finish. . . first.

God Bless
Mitch