New in North Central Florida!

Pics
Date sort Score sort
Sarahh_Janeyy

Sarahh_Janeyy

Songster
Dec 12, 2019
306
247
166
North Florida
Hi there!

I've literally wanted chickens my whole life. I bought a house about 2 years ago that's semi-rural/suburban in an unincorporated part of the city. I actually wasn't interested in this house until I saw what I THOUGHT was a chicken coop in the backyard.. Turns out it was a kid's playhouse! I bought the house anyway, and I'm planning to turn the playhouse into a coop and make a pretty good sized run attached to it. You know, as soon as I figure out how to be handy. I've been scouring these forums even before joining, looking for ideas and how-to's. I'm going to wait on purchasing my first chickens until I have the coop all the way I want it and predator-proof. Cus I'm a planner like that. We definitely have foxes and coyotes (I've caught a red fox on my Ring cameras!) despite being somewhat suburban. I've all looked up what kinda breeds I want to start with and all. I just need to get to it.. But as probably many of you know, there's always another project to work on when you buy a house, so the chicken coop/run has had to wait for a while...

Perhaps joining this forum will kick my butt a bit into getting it done!

See ya around!
 
Welcome to BYC.

:yesss: We are glad you joined our flock!
Jump right in and make yourself at home.

If you can post pictures of the playhouse we can help give you ideas on how to predator proof it.


This video will help you learn how to navigate this site:

Coop Ideas:
Chicken Coops.

What exactly did you Google to get here? <<<<<<<<<<<

BYC has an APP!
 
Here it is!

20191210_092638.jpg
 

Attachments

  • 20191210_093624.jpg
    20191210_093624.jpg
    1,003.6 KB · Views: 3
:frow Hello! Welcome to BYC, and chicken math! :lol:
That is a gorgeous playhouse. It looks like it’s 4X6’ (just guessing), so it will hold six chickens. I think with some hardware cloth over the windows, and possibly keeping the door for you, then adding a hole with a ramp on another side, the coop will be done. Add hardware cloth around the base of the coop, and extend it out on the side of the pop door. This will allow you to keep food and water underneath, and the birds can hang out under there too.
 
It's pretty big, looks close to 7 ft x 7ft, and pretty high off the ground- I could not get into it without a ladder.

I was going to cover the door without the ramp and one of the windows with hardware cloth and when it's cold, cover that with plexiglass and screen fasteners (idea from: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-mod-coop.74256/). Doesn't get very cold here but it freezes a few days a year. Turn the door with ramp into a pop door. I want to take an entire side off (the side with no window) and make it hinged to open the whole side and be able to clean, and also add nest boxes to it. Add roosts inside (still researching that plus the poop boards etc, but since that sort of thing isn't structural I haven't put as much thought into it).
Build a big run with the hardware cloth below the ground with cement. Also add pavers to the outside perimeter for aesthetics/protection. And maybe a few more ring cameras. :p
I'm most worried about the run and the nest boxes. The rest seems pretty easy. I have a very handy friend I'm going to recruit to help me.
 
Last edited:

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom