New coop!

[Mutchi]

well...not until we build it, still sort of wondering how we are going to build the roof...without much experience

hope you will figure that out i dont know how to build a roof!

 

[3KillerBs]

But will squirrels also not be able to dig in? I am afraid they will just dig around the wire.

Digging animals don't understand wire. They try to dig at the base of the wall, hit something that can't be dug through, and get frustrated. They don't understand backing up to tunnel all the way from the edge of the wire.

Squirrels aren't so much of a problem as predators anyway.

 

[21hens-incharge]

well...not until we build it, still sort of wondering how we are going to build the roof...without much experience

It should have instructions with it. If you get stuck you know we are here and can help figure it out.

 

[cherrynberry]

It should have instructions with it. If you get stuck you know we are here and can help figure it out.

yeah I know, but since it doesn't come with shingles...its a lot harder. I have not opened it yet though. But soon!

 

[cherrynberry]

I thought I would do a little update. So I have just been researching ventilation requirements as well as other coop features. So, so far…I have just been making a wall with cinder blocks and trying to flatten the ground (our chicken pen has a major slope). I want to use the same design as the quail aviary I predator proofed, so we will try to make the ground parallel to the quail aviary. And as for the predator proofing, I will add in the wire at the end when I surround the border with border rocks. So far, I only had one working day. I take a long time to get things done, but the quail aviary is the style I am trying to go for. And I am going to build the new coop 3 ft away from the quail aviary, on the left of it. The 3 ft in between is where I plan to place our feeders which are just metal storage bins. So I will probably just have the ground be dirt, and the bedding we will use is wood chips, so I hope all works out! I definitely have delayed this project for a while though, because we have a sick chicken as well…

 

[ChickenWhisperer101]

Thanks for all the positive comments, I know that it’s really ugly, and the larger coop is even uglier and the worst part about it all is the door to the coop, it was not hinged and is just an enormous piece of wood, it was heavy and super hard to put in place every night

So here is their trash can that they unbelievably slept in for one entire night, other than a blanket covering the front, it was not all all protected nor predator proof...there were not many pictures of our second coop, but yeah...not pretty, not safe, not functional, I don’t really get any part of the designs...except for the trash and/ pot, there were no designs for that one at all...

I wonder if that applies for my zone...

Ooooo, I love the golden comets!

 

[ChickenWhisperer101]

I thought I would do a little update. So I have just been researching ventilation requirements as well as other coop features. So, so far…I have just been making a wall with cinder blocks and trying to flatten the ground (our chicken pen has a major slope). I want to use the same design as the quail aviary I predator proofed, so we will try to make the ground parallel to the quail aviary. And as for the predator proofing, I will add in the wire at the end when I surround the border with border rocks. So far, I only had one working day. I take a long time to get things done, but the quail aviary is the style I am trying to go for. And I am going to build the new coop 3 ft away from the quail aviary, on the left of it. The 3 ft in between is where I plan to place our feeders which are just metal storage bins. So I will probably just have the ground be dirt, and the bedding we will use is wood chips, so I hope all works out! I definitely have delayed this project for a while though, because we have a sick chicken as well…

What’s wrong with your chicken?!?

 

[21hens-incharge]

In prepping the ground to build the structure the foundation...whether cinder blocks, cement, or wood needs to be level.

Do you have a 4' or longer level? If not they aren't expensive but are necessary.

 

[cherrynberry]

In prepping the ground to build the structure the foundation...whether cinder blocks, cement, or wood needs to be level.

Do you have a 4' or longer level? If not they aren't expensive but are necessary.

I have one, but right now, I am just trying to get an overall estimate, then, I will make final adjustments and level it perfectly.

 

[cherrynberry]

What’s wrong with your chicken?!?

not sure actually, but I suspect cancer, or something along the lines of no cure…just as a warning, there are pretty gruesome photos on the thread, so don’t click it if you don’t want to see them. She got infested in maggots yesterday as well https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/egg-bound.1474946/