NY chicken lover!!!!

[Metella]

Well - I am NOT handy - crafty .... so building one - even with FREE materials - will get me a coop that will fall apart in one year anyway !

So I did a lot of research and poured through so many reviews my eyeballs were dry .... I got a snaplock coop - the bigger one. And I am VERY very pleased with it .... However, it didn't fit in the hoop coop run .... that my husband when he squeezed in time over 3 (that is THREE MONTHS ) to build a simple hoop coop for winter ...... so he can keep those dimensions in mind when he takes all of next year to build the best run/coop ever.


Point is - I really had to buy something pre-done - It cost a ton, but it will last a very long time and is easy to hose down and lice and mites aren't as fond of that plastic as they are of wood.

Very easy to side out the trays to clean and peek in to grab an egg (if there is one).

So like everything - so much boils down to particular circumstances on what is the best move. I am sad/angry that companies charge so MUCH for a frigging coop that crumbles in a year. It feels like robbery to me. Shame on them !

Say - I can smell my pies cooking ! So I'm off and hope that you ALL have a peaceful and fun THANKSGIVING !!!

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

Morning all! Happy Thanksiving! Frozen water bowls, frozen pop doors and frozen doors this morning. However, I fixed it all and the cheeps are happy. Cold but sunny here. Looking forward to a nice dinner at my aunts house. Not looking forward to my 245 am wake up to get to work. Today would have been my parents 50th wedding anniversary and my fathers birthday. Funny how I now mark time by his absence. I hope all of you have a happy and healthy Thanksgiving with family and friends. Life is short. Live it fully.

 

[rancher hicks]

You can still use it for something ...A garden shed ...a place to store extra chicken supplies , Hay or Grass whatever you use for bedding . Chicken Food if you have it in waterproof containers
Its your money ..if you want to buy a quick coop ...thats your option .

Besides it is a lot easier to have something all ready.. than Have the time to build it yourself

Well of course it's a persons right to buy these types of coops, but.

They're not sufficient for permanent winter chicken keeping unless placed inside another building like a garage. imho
They're definitely not predator proof. A large raccoon would rip the front off in a heart beat.

My concern is those new to chickens who go into TSC and buy them thinking they are. This is why I have no problem approaching strangers in TSC who I see buying feed or chicks. I give them my card and invite them to join us here.

Lord knows I've been saved plenty of heart break due to the advice I've been given here. Made some mistakes too of course, but you folks are not here for nothing.

 

[rancher hicks]

I wish but we have no snow

I'm moving them for the night out of the coop and I'm going to put the game cam up and see what I get. My guess is raccoon or fox the wire was bent pretty good and chewed quite a bit. The animal was luckily too stupid to try and dig under the fence.

To bad Tab and Trav are holding the pic nic next year, we could have had it at your place and had a coop building. Kinda like the Amish and their house raiseings. You're too far away or I'd give you some ply wood.

I'll be saying a prayer that things will be okay.

More tracks here too, though they seem small. I did hear the geese on the creek squawking. There's some building going on around the area so I expect preds are being pushed out and need to find a new place.

 

[rancher hicks]

Spent today making creams & stuff instead of cleaning house for tomorrow....

Sebastapol geese come tomorrow, so excited...

Daughter is giving me 2 Cayuga ducks on Sunday...not so sure about them, but will see how it goes...

 

[Metella]

Rancher - you are soooo right ...

even a fox can CHEW through chicken wire in a very short time - so unless an owner is sitting on a coop - the chickies are basically doomed in those store bought things that are really just hardy doll houses. Racoons can rip it up and open it right up.

We all don't know when we start out ! I used chicken wire for my first coop. When I saw the fox actually chewing right into it with no problems and plenty of speed .... that's when I did some homework .... why call it chicken wire ? Bah.

I've not actually talked to anyone yet, but the more I think about it - the more I think I should mention that not only are they being robbed on cost - but they are being defrauded on quality and use of the item.

Love the pic of the fox Stony .... I do like to watch them live, but now I can't indulged in that with my chickies :0 I don't have a good set up for my rifle - highway too close and neighbors .... so for now I just sick the dogs out - but there is a pair that roams around here periodically - it is in their range .... That is why I rarely let the girls free range unless I am home to run out if there is a ruckus ! Still, they get out almost every day for a few hours; on some days 1/2 the day.

 

[rancher hicks]

I had thought to buy one for quarantine purposes, but haven't. I'd certainly give someone a hand at building a coop, if they thought they could put up with me for a few hours.

If you have an HD I recommend stopping and saving up materials like I do.

I'll be looking for pics and advice next year for my duck coop. That's why I haven't used the ply wood I have. I'm saving it til I get all the stuff I need for their coop and fencing around the shallow pond I plan to dig.

Nearly got locked out this am. The key pad cover on the garage door was frozen and when I walked back around the house to the back door that I went out of the handle was frozen. I had to smack it good to get it to unstick.

We've got snow but not much.

No company today. This is the in laws year for thanks giving but we get the GK's for Christmas. Should I be using caps for things like GK's, DD and such or is lower case okay?

Stony, you got pics of fox tracks around your place? The pics they post on the web are always these neat little things. Not tracks through deeper snow.

 

[stonykill]

Stony, you got pics of fox tracks around your place? The pics they post on the web are always these neat little things. Not tracks through deeper snow.

no I don't. Haven't had one come around recently. Next time I'm out hunting or whatever and I see some I'll take a cell pic. We only have an inch of snow right now however

 

[stonykill]

 

[AQHAchick22]

To bad Tab and Trav are holding the pic nic next year, we could have had it at your place and had a coop building. Kinda like the Amish and their house raiseings. You're too far away or I'd give you some ply wood.

I'll be saying a prayer that things will be okay.

More tracks here too, though they seem small. I did hear the geese on the creek squawking. There's some building going on around the area so I expect preds are being pushed out and need to find a new place.

I'm really not worried, I do have 2 large coops and there are only 4 to move out of the small crappy one. I was just hoping to have more time to get them used to each other through the fence. Thanks for the thought with a ply wood, I could go buy some but I think building another coop in the winter isn't ideal, especially since I don't really need a 3rd one. This crappy one was just a temporary solution until I could integrate the others. This is the best picture I could find of my 2 current coops. The half painted one and the one over to the left a bit. There is plenty of room for my 32 chickens I just have to hope the 4 new ones can get along with the others