- Apr 7, 2011
- 8
- 0
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My husband and I have a beautiful chicken coop - he built his children a log playhouse many years ago, and it has since been repurposed. We put up a run that is about 10x20 feet, but allow the chickens to free range out of the coop/run during the day. The run had deer netting stretched over the top and connected to the sides, to discourage aerial predators from attacking. We also buried the chicken wire 18 inches to discourage other critters from digging in. The coop itself has a dirt floor, which we layered with a cover of chicken wire (again, to discourage predators), and dirt. Unfortunately, a recent snow/ice storm collapsed our chicken run. Luckily, I had turned the chickens out earlier in the day and they were all standing around outside the run confused about what had happened - noone was harmed! Phew!
I'd post pictures, but I was just informed by the server that as a newbie, I'm not allowed, haha!
We have 15 hens, and 1 roo, of multiple breeds: black australorp, rhode island red, araucana, comet, barred plymouth rock... and two Pekin ducks who were raised with the chickens and seem to believe they are chickens. We also just acquired 5 Black Copper Maran chicks - I'm eagerly waiting to see if we have hens or roos. Hopefully 4 hens and 1 roo... or all hens! Probably not, though...
We are figuring out some changes that need to be made to make the chicken's playhouse more chicken (and tall-people) friendly. We have repeatedly nailed up roosts, but they always manage to fall down, so I need to make some free standing ones this year. Any tips on making sturdy, tight space roosts? The log walls make nailing the roosts in place a bit awkward.
Also - we are planning to either add a skylight, or, better yet (for us), raise the roof and where it is raised, put in plexiglass panels (or the like). I'm thinking, since we have cold awful winters here, that I should shrink the door to the coop, which was at one point a large window in the playhouse. The skylights would serve several purposes - more light for our hens, particularly in the winter when they avoid going outdoors anyhow, and, in the event we raise the roof with them, more head room for us to collect eggs and clean!
We had been using straw as bedding in the coop, however we are planning to switch to pine shavings. I look forward to learning lots on this forum and interacting with everyone! We are new to chickens and are trying to live more sustainably on our small farm.
I'd post pictures, but I was just informed by the server that as a newbie, I'm not allowed, haha!
We have 15 hens, and 1 roo, of multiple breeds: black australorp, rhode island red, araucana, comet, barred plymouth rock... and two Pekin ducks who were raised with the chickens and seem to believe they are chickens. We also just acquired 5 Black Copper Maran chicks - I'm eagerly waiting to see if we have hens or roos. Hopefully 4 hens and 1 roo... or all hens! Probably not, though...
We are figuring out some changes that need to be made to make the chicken's playhouse more chicken (and tall-people) friendly. We have repeatedly nailed up roosts, but they always manage to fall down, so I need to make some free standing ones this year. Any tips on making sturdy, tight space roosts? The log walls make nailing the roosts in place a bit awkward.
Also - we are planning to either add a skylight, or, better yet (for us), raise the roof and where it is raised, put in plexiglass panels (or the like). I'm thinking, since we have cold awful winters here, that I should shrink the door to the coop, which was at one point a large window in the playhouse. The skylights would serve several purposes - more light for our hens, particularly in the winter when they avoid going outdoors anyhow, and, in the event we raise the roof with them, more head room for us to collect eggs and clean!
We had been using straw as bedding in the coop, however we are planning to switch to pine shavings. I look forward to learning lots on this forum and interacting with everyone! We are new to chickens and are trying to live more sustainably on our small farm.
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