NY chicken lover!!!!

[JLaw]

Well made some deer chili hope it turns out good didn't have time to let it set and doctor it up as it finished since I have to go to work.

I cut a hole in my back wall of coop closer to the floor since all my windows are like 2 feet high figure give a good cross breeze along the bedding to dry it out. Have to put a slanted cover on out side keep rain and snow out but should work. I also open one window completely and the other window I had boarded up I put at an angle so there there is like a 8 inch gap at bottom to let air in but rain and snow out. I put some more wood chips down and mixed it up and the other stuff was soaked going to put more shaveings and some de in tomorrow.

I hope its nice again tomorrow today gave me alittle time to do chicken stuff was nice. The only problem I had is 2 chickens was heading back to the barn so I can to kick the collapsed wall to scare them away. I think they was going to try laying in there again. I hope it snows after tomorrow so my egg count stays up cant stand them hiding the eggs where I cant get to them.

 

[rancher hicks]

Well made some deer chili hope it turns out good didn't have time to let it set and doctor it up as it finished since I have to go to work.

I cut a hole in my back wall of coop closer to the floor since all my windows are like 2 feet high figure give a good cross breeze along the bedding to dry it out. Have to put a slanted cover on out side keep rain and snow out but should work. I also open one window completely and the other window I had boarded up I put at an angle so there there is like a 8 inch gap at bottom to let air in but rain and snow out. I put some more wood chips down and mixed it up and the other stuff was soaked going to put more shaveings and some de in tomorrow.

I hope its nice again tomorrow today gave me alittle time to do chicken stuff was nice. The only problem I had is 2 chickens was heading back to the barn so I can to kick the collapsed wall to scare them away. I think they was going to try laying in there again. I hope it snows after tomorrow so my egg count stays up cant stand them hiding the eggs where I cant get to them.

Pics would be nice. Pleeaase.

I've considered opening a window and covering it with burlap. It would offer some more ventilation but deflect a draft. Right?

On the hoops I figure the fleece does the same thing.

Otherwise I have to tear open the front soffit and put up some hardware cloth which I don't have right now.

 

[JLaw]

Here are some pics of how I have it set up atm. I didn't take a picture of the screen door that is main door but top half is normal screen opened, bottom half is metal. These are taken at 1230 am no lights on cept flash from cam so not best pics. If you want more pics or close ups let me know I just wanted to get them done now before I forget about posting them for ya.

Also by propped open in these pics I actually screwed the wood to coop then the plywood cover to the wood post and top of plywood is screwed to my header of walls.

Edit. I am thinking of moving my roosts around though I am thinking of running them along the right wall instead how they are then putting all my nest boxes on left wall. As of now I have 2 boxes on left and two on right then one on front by the door. It's kind of a pain this way. If I do this the roosts would be 12 ft long instead of 8 and I would run two ladders up and leave the bottom roost out since none use it any ways.

This is the Right side of coop and this is the window I propped the wood out away from window instead of closed off.



Same window but from back side of coop instead of front. you can see my x-mas lights across the out side rafters inside they are ran about same way little white hooks from walmart.



This is the hole I made today I will be cutting hardware cloth down and putting a cover like I have on the windows over it but probably more like a 45 angle.


This is my left wall window facing south I had plexi glass over it I plan on making a frame out of 2x2's and having it cover the window like the top windows are maybe hinged if a bad wind storm.



This is my front window by screen door still has plexi glass on it plan on doing same with this as with the window above.



This is just my chickens sleeping atm.



This is inside right side window where I propped the wood out.



This is the hole I made not big or too high just wanted to help get some fresh air in lower to circulate some and hope wind will dry the bedding more.

 

[miquwid]

Ok i was thinking of doing the same with the roost no one uses the bottom one. Then i want to move the nest boxes as well. I like the window idea.

 

[JLaw]

The main problem I have with my roosts besides none using the bottom roost is that they all crowd the front one so if I do move it I will put a ladder to the back on also. They aint high so they can jump/fly from floor to them. But the roosts are like 18-24 inch apart (don't remember how far i spaced them) so some don't try to do it. Every now and then I have a few little ones who don't want to try and barge through the big girls on front roost to get to back on and they sleep on floor only like 2-3 of those randomly doing it.

 

[armorfirelady]

I made a window on the south end of the coop with plexiglass. It's worked out great and much brighter in there plus the sun comes in now and warms it up some. I wish it was not so expensive or I would make it bigger on south end

 

[miquwid]

I think I might do a window too since I had to put tarps over the top of the run with a little hanging down, it was just too muddy for my taste though it does dry out quickly, but now it's darker blue dark. Monday is garbage day so today and Sunday I'm gonna drive around and see what I can get people through away a lot good stuff. I mainly collect buckets tires and pallets, and the occasional baby crib those slatted pieces have many great uses. I believe someone throw out a frame I could use. My roost are high up about 4-5ft if they can't fly that high they use the nest boxes to get up there but most of my birds can fly at least 4ft if not 6ft. They crowd that top roost so the rest roost on top of the nest boxes which I covered with with wood. The silkies sleep in a converted rabbit hutch that is in the run but is locked up at night I have a funny set up but I like it I just want to change the roost situation eventually. Speaking of the silkie coop the big brawny hens like to lay in there they can barely fit in the small nest box with their tails hanging out and then I find like three crowded in there trying to lay at once.

 

[armorfirelady]

Miquid I love big trash days here. My girls have paving stones up to their coop from the couple dozen I found free. It's just dirt and is muddy all the time so it was a big bonus. I also like to pick up buckets and pallets (free starter wood for wood stove) the buckets make great nest boxes (no bugs can live in plastic) & I have gotten so much lumber to build stuff. Oh and stuff to scrap to. It amazes me how wasteful people are!!

 

[Lynzi777]

Aria sent me her photo she wanted to share with you all while the topic of discussion was holiday lighting around the coops. This is a picture of the wreath she made from an artificial tree that is hanging on the side of her coop.

 

[Lynzi777]

Morning All,
Waiting for my BR to lay her egg before Stella does! I have a hard time telling the two eggs apart and it figures they are both in the same nestbox right now trying to lay their eggs at the same time.

Guess I spoke too soon, went out there just 10 minutes after checking them last and both eggs were laid! UGH Owell, I'm 90% sure the lighter brown one is from the BR, especially compared to Stella's others eggs I have saved already. As of right now, I have 2 silkie eggs (waiting for her to lay another at the moment as she is in the nest box, soreally 3) 2 Buff Orp eggs, 2 Lav Orp eggs and 1 BR egg ready for my incubator. Hopefully something good comes from this this time around.

I have a question...How many times do you all turn your eggs? I've only done it twice a day in the past but know that some of you turn 3 times a day.