New Coop and Chicks :)

[jasongind]

Well yesterday was finally warm enough to pick up and put together my new Urban Chicken Chicken Chalet. I must say for the price this thing is great. It's well built, quality, nice size, and nice too look at. The only thing I would change about it would be sending it with exterior screws because it comes with non coated interior screws. I switched them out and used coated exterior screws for longevity.

Since we got the coop we need some chickens. So we got five today. 1 Black Australorp and one Golden Wyandotte each 3 1/2 weeks old. Then a Easter Egg Chicken, a Light Brahm and a Barred Rock that are 1 1/2 weeks. They are so awesome already and we've only had them a few hours. Let the fun begin.

 

[jinsing]

I have the chalet too! And used 2x2 to reinforce the whole coop from the bottom.

 

[cblakley0531]

Congrats on your new little ones! I've come to see that this coop is very popular! How much was it? Dimensions?

 

[TLWR]

Not sure where the OP got theirs, but I've seen them recently at Sam's Club
http://www.samsclub.com/sams/large-chicken-chalet-chicken-chalet/prod12920491.ip?navAction=

 

[cblakley0531]

Thank you!

 

[jasongind]

Yup that's throne and that's where I got it. Can't eat that deal. Around here people sell some jenky homemade built ones from found materials hat only for 3-4 birds for $650.

I'm very pleased with this one. I'm going to pick up a second here soon and get 5 more birds, then I'll have a total of ten.

 

[kimberley848]

I have this same coop, and it's worked out great for us. However, there are a couple spots to look out for in terms of predator proofing it. There are vent openings along the roof underside that would allow small type predators (rodents) to get in. Hardware cloth took care of that for us. The roosts also needed to be raised so they weren't level with the nesting boxes. We added in a "rubber gasket" around the door to help prevent drafts and rain from getting in, reinforced all the hardware and we put shingles over the existing wooden roof for more weather protection. And lastly, we installed a panel of wood in front of the open run area under the coop itself to give the girls more protection from bad weather. I also bought this at Sams Club. My 4 girls are only in it at night, the rest of the time they have a large garden area to roam.

 

[jasongind]

Yeah there were a few upgrades I plan on doing to this as well. I just got this house in November and it has a nice big garden area that I won't be able to start until next year, so until then I put the coop in there and will make a fence around it that is buried 2' and stands 4' tall. That will keep predators out now then will keep the chickens out of the garden next year. Mine will roam the yard whenever we're home.

 

[jasongind]

Oh yeah, we did take the chicks outside and let them run around their new coop got about 3 hours while we detached part of the yard. Have a lot of work to do to get the grass back.

 

[jasongind]

Moved the coop today closer to the house. I decoded to do this for a few reasons: it keeps it out of the sprinkler system (which I just repaired and it's functional again), gets it out of the morning shade and afternoon heat and pits it in the morning warmth and afternoon shade, closer to the house to prevent preditors, and the house will block the wind especially important in the cold winters, and the rocky/wood chip area is going to get fenced in buried 2' and 6' high with a gate for a larger run that is easily accessed to let them free range in the yard.

They are in it for the first time tonight too. I got a 250w heating lamp in there to keep them warm and a digital thermometer to ensure the temp is good. They've been in it most of the day and seem to enjoy it. Once the sun went behind the house the the temp dropped to about 62* they all walked up the ramp into the roosting box.