***OKIES in the BYC III ***

Suggestions?
We left ventilation holes at the top but covered with wire. The rain is really getting in and soaking the coop! I still need to paint and add a chicken door so we can keep the big door closed during the cold days. Also, looking for a way to fix the chicken wire on top so it doesn't look so tacky.

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That looks nice! What color are you painting it? What type of roofing do you have on it? You can buy 2x8 foot metal roofing at Home Depot for less than $20. If you extended that over the edges of the roof some, I bet that (or anything extended past the edges) would fix the rain problem. Or maybe something dropping down from the edge...several inches of plastic sheeting (like a rain jacket) or something would let the ventilation work but deter rain.
Chicken wire--drives me crazy! Your sides look great! If you could make simple frames and then put them on top, it might give you a cleaner look. We have hog panels that I use for just about everything. I cover them in wire and then put them together in whatever shape I need. Hope I've helped!
 
New Okie in NE Oklahoma!

I've been reading on this site a while now. You all have gotten me through all kinds of things like, "why are my chicks sleeping so much," and "why are my chickens squatting when I walk up to them." I'm sure there have been others too. Oh, PVC feeders and nipple waterers. LOVE the nipple waterers! The PVC feeders are nice too. OH! ... and "does my chicken have a tumor?" LOL! Very educational site :)

We started out flock this year with 6 "red pullets" from TSC. They've been pretty decent. Lately they free-range on our 2.5 acres, and they have for a while - we let them out when they're done laying (5-6 eggs/day out of 6 hens). They've got a sort of tractor-ish chicken house I built in the Spring. It serves its purpose, but I made it too heavy, so it doesn't move very far but I try to move it daily. Around that, we have some electro-net from Premier1 and a solar energizer from the same. Great stuff.

I've really got to get a move on soon, because winter is upon us. I ordered a little building from Better Built Structures that is 10x20. Going to dedicate 8 ft to a screened-in area, 8 ft to the "hen house" and the last 4 to a maintenance area. The plan is to use some solar panels to to charge a deep cycle battery that will run a 3.7 L/M pump to circulate the water (horizontal nipples this time) and a very low wattage heater I found that is used in bee hives to raise the temperature of the water a little bit. Hopefully, the combo keeps the water liquid. There will be LED lights run off the battery too, and controlled by timers.

Big plans, huh? The lead time on the building seems to be the bottleneck. Amazon is more than glad to help me find, buy, and get shipped anything my heart desires. I feel like I should just sign my check over to them lately. Hehe. Seriously! Don't tell my wife :)

So ... just saying "hey" and introducing the flock/operation.

Next year, I think this batch of ladies are going in the freezer and I'm going to order 14 RIR ladies and 1 rooster from one of the big hatcheries. From that point on, the idea is to cycle half of the flock out every year so we'll keep each hen around about 2 years. We may eventually raise some just strictly to put in the freezer, but I figure doubling the size of the flock will be enough work and adjustment. It's already clear I need to rebuild the chicken tractor for next year so that its easier to move. I'd really like to move them more. Even with them free-ranging a good bit of the day, quite a bit of droppings accumulate under the roosting area. I've learned a lot this year though. Lots of good lessons.

Thanks to everyone for providing such a great resource ... and entertainment :)

Oh! If anyone knows a good source for New Zealand white rabbits, I'd appreciate it. I'd like to get that going in the Spring too. I should have room in the chicken building to hang them off the rafters - their cages that is. I haven't been back to Oklahoma that long and Google hasn't helped me a lot. Plus, you still have to wonder about people operation unless you know someone that knows.

Well, that's quite a long post, so I'm going to shut up! Once I get the winter coop setup, I'll be sure and share. Maybe there are some ideas in there that someone else can benefit from.

All the Best,

Eddie
 
New Okie in NE Oklahoma!

I've been reading on this site a while now. You all have gotten me through all kinds of things like, "why are my chicks sleeping so much," and "why are my chickens squatting when I walk up to them." I'm sure there have been others too. Oh, PVC feeders and nipple waterers. LOVE the nipple waterers! The PVC feeders are nice too. OH! ... and "does my chicken have a tumor?" LOL! Very educational site :)

We started out flock this year with 6 "red pullets" from TSC. They've been pretty decent. Lately they free-range on our 2.5 acres, and they have for a while - we let them out when they're done laying (5-6 eggs/day out of 6 hens). They've got a sort of tractor-ish chicken house I built in the Spring. It serves its purpose, but I made it too heavy, so it doesn't move very far but I try to move it daily. Around that, we have some electro-net from Premier1 and a solar energizer from the same. Great stuff.

I've really got to get a move on soon, because winter is upon us. I ordered a little building from Better Built Structures that is 10x20. Going to dedicate 8 ft to a screened-in area, 8 ft to the "hen house" and the last 4 to a maintenance area. The plan is to use some solar panels to to charge a deep cycle battery that will run a 3.7 L/M pump to circulate the water (horizontal nipples this time) and a very low wattage heater I found that is used in bee hives to raise the temperature of the water a little bit. Hopefully, the combo keeps the water liquid. There will be LED lights run off the battery too, and controlled by timers.

Big plans, huh? The lead time on the building seems to be the bottleneck. Amazon is more than glad to help me find, buy, and get shipped anything my heart desires. I feel like I should just sign my check over to them lately. Hehe. Seriously! Don't tell my wife :)

So ... just saying "hey" and introducing the flock/operation.

Next year, I think this batch of ladies are going in the freezer and I'm going to order 14 RIR ladies and 1 rooster from one of the big hatcheries. From that point on, the idea is to cycle half of the flock out every year so we'll keep each hen around about 2 years. We may eventually raise some just strictly to put in the freezer, but I figure doubling the size of the flock will be enough work and adjustment. It's already clear I need to rebuild the chicken tractor for next year so that its easier to move. I'd really like to move them more. Even with them free-ranging a good bit of the day, quite a bit of droppings accumulate under the roosting area. I've learned a lot this year though. Lots of good lessons.

Thanks to everyone for providing such a great resource ... and entertainment :)

Oh! If anyone knows a good source for New Zealand white rabbits, I'd appreciate it. I'd like to get that going in the Spring too. I should have room in the chicken building to hang them off the rafters - their cages that is. I haven't been back to Oklahoma that long and Google hasn't helped me a lot. Plus, you still have to wonder about people operation unless you know someone that knows.

Well, that's quite a long post, so I'm going to shut up! Once I get the winter coop setup, I'll be sure and share. Maybe there are some ideas in there that someone else can benefit from.

All the Best,

Eddie
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