My new Mondo Chicken Condo(Update 04-29-09)

[codybird]

The whole enchilada.

Open and ready

Water and feed

Ready for eggs in 16 weeks

Delicat catfood container made into a no waste feeder

Egg access nesting box end

Ramp up to keep out nasties

Ramp down for breakfast

New tenants

The Cody. Head Bird In Charge

 

[mmtillman]

Hey...tell us more about the feed and water system....looks like something I want to do in my new coop! Great job!

 

[mmtillman]

OH !!

 

[kycklingmamma]

Awesome looking..and yes please do tell the secrets of your waterer and feeder...

Kycklingmamma

 

[codybird]

I used ideas from this site to feed and water.

The water system is a 3" pvc pipe about 4 feet long with two 90 degree elbows. It is a closed system. when the chickens empty the 3 gallons (+ or -) of water, you remove the pipe turn it on it's side and refill. Water is dispensed and replenished by vacuum, just like a water bottle in the office . I got the idea from a posting on here.

The feeding box was an idea posted on here using a bucket and cutting 2 inch holes about 2 inches from the bottom. The idea is that the chickadoodles will stick their heads into the holes to eat and when they do their food flipping thing, the food stays in the bucket for the next potentially wastefull bird to imbibe. The Delicat container is square, which lends itself to my design. It also has a lid which I hope will keep the food dry. I will probably put a cylinder of some sort in the square container to dispense the food at a reasonable rate. I have the container on a rope so I can adjust the height, which has a lot to do with the waste coefficient. The condo has doors at each side to allow access from the side at each end. I built this thing about three times, disassembled and rebuilt, as I learned from this site. If you notice, the feed and water system is under the nesting boxes, not under the roosting area, which is protected from the dreaded poopage.

The ground footprint of the tractor is 4' x 8'. I plan to build another 4' x 8' , chicken wire covered, rectangle box to increase the " free range" footprint. I will be able to connect the two together,wherever the condo ends up.

This thing weighs more than I thought it would, but is still moveable by one person , ( 4 or 5 feet at the time).

 

[tcwk]

Great job!, I'm going to steal your water system.

 

[CoopCrazy]

Very nice

 

[Omran]

Great job

 

[CoyoteMagic]

Nice! Thanks for the waterer info. I'm going to have to give this a go!!

 

[codybird]

The water level ends up even with the top of the botton pipe.

I may have to saw off the white flange so the chickens can get to the water easier.

I'll know when they get bigger.

This weekend is eviction time from the brooder box. Three weeks old.They have some feathers and look like they actually may turn into chickens, ( instead of vultures or velociraptors).

Initially they will have their chick, mason jar, screw on, feeder and waterer.

I'm thinking to put the bottom tray of their current brooder cage/wire dog pen on the hardware cloth second level and let them decide when to venture out.