Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[AnneInTheBurbs]

I need some advice everybody! Should I elevate my coop or not? I did before, but it was a much smaller coop and I had a lot less room. The guys setting up my shed will put the coop up in cinder blocks to keep it elevated, if I so choose. Originally that was my plan, but I don't know if I need to now. The area I will be putting the coop into has excellent drainage, no standing water even with all of this rain. And I will have plenty of space for them to spread out. Having the coop elevated does however give them extra room that is protected. Ideas?

 

[Chicken Egg 17]

I would set it up on the blocks because our shed the whole way around the bottom of it is rotting so setting it up would keep it up off the ground to help prevent that

 

[OneMountainAcres]

I need some advice everybody! Should I elevate my coop or not? I did before, but it was a much smaller coop and I had a lot less room. The guys setting up my shed will put the coop up in cinder blocks to keep it elevated, if I so choose. Originally that was my plan, but I don't know if I need to now. The area I will be putting the coop into has excellent drainage, no standing water even with all of this rain. And I will have plenty of space for them to spread out. Having the coop elevated does however give them extra room that is protected. Ideas?

If you decide to elevate it, make sure that is high enough that you can get under there to get at any hidden nests. I know my crazy girls love to lay eggs under sheds and coops. I had to block off all the sides of everything that I couldn't fit under to keep them out lol

 

[fisherlady]

I need some advice everybody! Should I elevate my coop or not? I did before, but it was a much smaller coop and I had a lot less room. The guys setting up my shed will put the coop up in cinder blocks to keep it elevated, if I so choose. Originally that was my plan, but I don't know if I need to now. The area I will be putting the coop into has excellent drainage, no standing water even with all of this rain. And I will have plenty of space for them to spread out. Having the coop elevated does however give them extra room that is protected. Ideas?

I like our elevated coop (which we stick built), I wish we would have elevated the 2nd premade shed I had brought in... Aurora had a good point on the height of elevation, they will like being able to go under for cool dusting and just hanging out. Making it higher allows you to get under it to insulate it (if you want, I like our insulated better than the non-insulated one), elevating reduces moisture rot (even treated timbers decay much faster in contact with the ground) and elevating can reduce areas for predators and pests to hide.

Make sure if it is elevated that they also support a few places through the middle area of the shed, not just the edges.
Elevating also means they get another 100+ sq feet of space when you have to go away for weekends and they can't free range. If you have time before they set the shed I would dig a trench around the perimeter where it will set and bury rock to 12 inches with a landscape timber on top at half ground level. This will help create a digging barrier and the landscape timber will give you something solid to attach hardware cloth to around the base of the coop.

 

[emorems0]

I figured out my Halloween plans and it looks like I'll be able to run a chicken train from East to West on Sunday, October 30th. As I recall, I think @Chaos18 wanted something from @dheltzel ? Anyone else along my route?

Dennis, what kind of chicks will you have available? My neighbor caught chicken fever from my flock, but she having a hard time ordering the chicks she wants since it is off-season.

She is looking for pretty, dual purpose birds... brown and/or tinted eggs. Or, anyone else along the way have chicks that fit that bill? She wants 15 or so birds and would really like variety. She pointed out a jubilee orpington (I think) that she LOVED.

 

[Chaos18]

I figured out my Halloween plans and it looks like I'll be able to run a chicken train from East to West on Sunday, October 30th. As I recall, I think @Chaos18
 wanted something from @dheltzel
? Anyone else along my route?

Dennis, what kind of chicks will you have available? My neighbor caught chicken fever from my flock, but she having a hard time ordering the chicks she wants since it is off-season.

She is looking for pretty, dual purpose birds... brown and/or tinted eggs. Or, anyone else along the way have chicks that fit that bill? She wants 15 or so birds and would really like variety. She pointed out a jubilee orpington (I think) that she LOVED.

e I was wanting to have some dheltzel welbars put on the train.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

I figured out my Halloween plans and it looks like I'll be able to run a chicken train from East to West on Sunday, October 30th. As I recall, I think @Chaos18
 wanted something from @dheltzel
? Anyone else along my route?

Dennis, what kind of chicks will you have available? My neighbor caught chicken fever from my flock, but she having a hard time ordering the chicks she wants since it is off-season.

She is looking for pretty, dual purpose birds... brown and/or tinted eggs. Or, anyone else along the way have chicks that fit that bill? She wants 15 or so birds and would really like variety. She pointed out a jubilee orpington (I think) that she LOVED.

I was hoping to get some silver welbars from dheltzel also.

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

I would set it up on the blocks because our shed the whole way around the bottom of it is rotting so setting it up would keep it up off the ground to help prevent that

I need some advice everybody! Should I elevate my coop or not? I did before, but it was a much smaller coop and I had a lot less room. The guys setting up my shed will put the coop up in cinder blocks to keep it elevated, if I so choose. Originally that was my plan, but I don't know if I need to now. The area I will be putting the coop into has excellent drainage, no standing water even with all of this rain. And I will have plenty of space for them to spread out. Having the coop elevated does however give them extra room that is protected. Ideas?

If you decide to elevate it, make sure that is high enough that you can get under there to get at any hidden nests. I know my crazy girls love to lay eggs under sheds and coops. I had to block off all the sides of everything that I couldn't fit under to keep them out lol

I need some advice everybody! Should I elevate my coop or not? I did before, but it was a much smaller coop and I had a lot less room. The guys setting up my shed will put the coop up in cinder blocks to keep it elevated, if I so choose. Originally that was my plan, but I don't know if I need to now. The area I will be putting the coop into has excellent drainage, no standing water even with all of this rain. And I will have plenty of space for them to spread out. Having the coop elevated does however give them extra room that is protected. Ideas?

I like our elevated coop (which we stick built), I wish we would have elevated the 2nd premade shed I had brought in... Aurora had a good point on the height of elevation, they will like being able to go under for cool dusting and just hanging out. Making it higher allows you to get under it to insulate it (if you want, I like our insulated better than the non-insulated one), elevating reduces moisture rot (even treated timbers decay much faster in contact with the ground) and elevating can reduce areas for predators and pests to hide.

Make sure if it is elevated that they also support a few places through the middle area of the shed, not just the edges.
Elevating also means they get another 100+ sq feet of space when you have to go away for weekends and they can't free range. If you have time before they set the shed I would dig a trench around the perimeter where it will set and bury rock to 12 inches with a landscape timber on top at half ground level. This will help create a digging barrier and the landscape timber will give you something solid to attach hardware cloth to around the base of the coop.

Thanks guys! I will move my cinder blocks today to get them in place. Fisherlady, love the idea of the gravel and such, but I don't think I will have time for that. I do have railroad ties to lay down around my perimeter though.

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

I think I bought the wrong stuff. I just wanted an antibiotic that I could give orally by syringe to my turkey.

 

[dheltzel]

I think I bought the wrong stuff. I just wanted an antibiotic that I could give orally by syringe to my turkey.

This should work for respiratory problems. If it is injectable, you will need a needle on the syringe to get a small amount out, then remove the needle before squirting it into the turkey's mouth. I do this with Tylan-50. Figuring out the right amount is the trick, but I think it's hard to overdose orally, so I would make a good estimate and then round up a little.
When I used Tylan orally on turkeys it didn't really seem to help much. In hindsight I might have been under-dosing.