Need a coop can’t build one

[N F C]

Hi Betsy, I also vote for converting an old shed into a coop. Or you could look through the coops under the Articles to see if there is something there that will give you other ideas: chicken-coops.12

Good luck!

 

[Nomadicus]

Hello from Lower AL and Welcome to BYC! Glad that you joined us.

 

[Red Mangrove]

Not everyone can do that, I'd loose my flock in a week with all the coops and coyotes we have here.

I have a family of red foxes on my land and I watch them chase my chickens on occasion. However like in most natural settings they only eat the weak, old and sickly

I'm not worried about my chickens joining other flocks either. That's actually happened before when I didn't have a rooster for a month. Maybe 3 American Gamefowl pullets joined the closest neighboring flock about a quarter mile away. I see them over there occasionally. That's also perfectly fine

I would never bind and enslave any bird to my service. They have souls and I try to respect their autonomy

 

[triciayoung]

Sorry for the stupid questions but what is an egg drop box, @Vanakrishna?

 

[triciayoung]

Welcome. I converted shed. Very easy. Add ventilation at the top but not where they are roosting (secure the holes with hardware cloth), add nesting boxes, roosting bars and a chicken door.

 

[Red Mangrove]

Sorry for the stupid questions but what is an egg drop box, @Vanakrishna?

Any small, dark, safe and comfortable spot a chicken will want to lay eggs in. I simply have small cabinets placed at random in my forest with a door cracked about five inches and some pine needles inside. My chickens love these and both lay and brood inside of them

Usually anything rectangularly shaped and solid with a door should function fine. I usually prop the doors open so that weather and chickens don't open or close them too much

 

[triciayoung]

Any small, dark, safe and comfortable spot a chicken will want to lay eggs in. I simply have small cabinets placed at random in my forest with a door cracked about five inches and some pine needles inside. My chickens love these and both lay and brood inside of them

Usually anything rectangularly shaped and solid with a door should function fine. I usually prop the doors open so that weather and chickens don't open or close them too much

Very interesting. Thank you.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

Look for an old junk camper trailer, that someone wants hauled off for free or little $$.

You'll need to check / air up / repair / or replace the tires, get the title and bill of sale if applicable in your state, and get some temporary/magnetic taillights you can stick on the back if the old ones don't work. Get some concrete blocks to stack under each corner so you can raise it off the ground, and remove the tires for storage. (Raise it with scissor jacks and blocks, or a friend's handy bobcat skidsteer if you can snag one.) If the roof leaks, get some of that roofing tar stuff and coat it well. The floor of mine was rotted in the bathroom area, so I had to put down new plywood over the old floor, then I laid some cheap crap vinyl flooring over that.

BEST COOP I've ever had. It's insulated, windows open and close for ventilation, roof vents even!. It really wasn't hard to demo out all the junk inside I didn't need, and install some nesting boxes (I used 5-gal buckets laid on their sides, on a 2x4 frame) and roosting bars (4-inch diameter tree limbs or trunks, or use 2x4's laid flat). Keep some of the overhead cabinets for handy storage! I removed screens and covered the insides of windows with hardware cloth. I cut the bottom off one of the two doors on my camper and made a pop-door - but if you look it over, there's likely an access door or panel for something or other (heater? storage?) that you can open up for a pop-door.

What I'd have done differently: Just one thing - Instead of raising it 16-inches (thickness of two concrete blocks), I'd have gone higher by one more layer of blocks - so that once it settles into the ground, I'd still have 20-22 inches clearance underneath.

Your chickens will LOVE hanging out underneath. It's great cover from predators, great shade and air flow, and always dry for dust baths.

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC, and good luck in establishing a coop.

 

[chrissynemetz]

Hi, and a belated welcome! Good luck with your coop.