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Pentamom said:
Hi everyone! I am from NE PA! I am preparing to finish my coop by mid next week, and I'm SO excited to get our chickens! Is there any recommendations??
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First and foremost, HI!!! Welcome!!!
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I am partial to a few breeds of chickens. What are you looking for? Egg production, yard candy, or dinner? Yeah I'd say that about covers the three categories. I think show birds can fit in yard candy lol
 
Everyone is quiet this morning!

I have been thinking about something. For all those budget minded as well as those seeking to go green there is an idea for a low cost, high value, earth friendly chicken pen. I am always looking at new designs for different types of typical landscape features that can be re-made in a more eco-friendly way. A few years ago I built a 6'x40' retaining wall. Okay. Sounds like nothing out of the ordinary you say? The retaining wall has a terra cotta stucco face. It's not the face that sets this project apart, it is the wall itself. Instead of using typical cement blocks and than facing it with mesh and than stucco the wall actually used nearly 200 used tires! The tires get filled, offset like a brick and secured throughout with rebar. Faced with paper, than galvanized mesh screwed into the tires and finally faced with stucco!

So where I'm going with this rant is "chicken bunkers" can be built using the same design. If you are building against say a garage or out building the walls would get constructed and a support braces would be fastened to the top of the structure. Than a treated lumber framework built in the front with a door and the pen could be completely fenced(top and front using far less fencing material. If a smaller project is desired, the walls are lower and the coup could face out giving access to the coup without a door (and carpentry skills). Realistically a 10x10 pen could essentially be built material wise for just under $100 and be strong enough to withstand all but a bulldozer.
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To add that design you could stain the stucco nearly any color you can find to stain or color concrete. I use the powdered color that gets added directly to the mix as you apply the finish coat of stucco. " Which is your breeding pen?" "Well the breeding pen is terracotta" "The sell pen is highland stone" " And my grow out pen is charcoal grey"

And one could even build "chicken igloos" in the same manner.

Food for thought. See if I can provoke some new thinking on such a wet and dreary day.

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patrickschick said:
First and foremost, HI!!! Welcome!!!
welcome-byc.gif



I am partial to a few breeds of chickens. What are you looking for? Egg production, yard candy, or dinner? Yeah I'd say that about covers the three categories. I think show birds can fit in yard candy lol
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LOL!! Thank You! Dinner....no. We are vegetarians (I'm Vegan) LOL! So we wont be eating them~or killing them. LOL! I won't let my children be vegan because I believe they still need some of the nutrition that's necessary (like B12) LOL! They have to be older before I'll let them make that decision. When they are done laying their eggs for us, I'll have another coop that will be like a "retirement" coop for the girls. LOL! I really just want good eggs all year round. (I love the showgirls and silkies but I've never had their eggs before. I'm not very familiar with the breed...well, I'm not familiar with ANY breed....that's why I'm here! LMAO!!

I am currently building my coop myself...getting anxious because I want chickens before winter hits.
 
Pentamom said:
LOL!! Thank You! Dinner....no. We are vegetarians (I'm Vegan) LOL! So we wont be eating them~or killing them. LOL! I won't let my children be vegan because I believe they still need some of the nutrition that's necessary (like B12) LOL! They have to be older before I'll let them make that decision. When they are done laying their eggs for us, I'll have another coop that will be like a "retirement" coop for the girls. LOL! I really just want good eggs all year round. (I love the showgirls and silkies but I've never had their eggs before. I'm not very familiar with the breed...well, I'm not familiar with ANY breed....that's why I'm here! LMAO!!

I am currently building my coop myself...getting anxious because I want chickens before winter hits.
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well if ya dont mind some of chads mixes I am hatching out some that will be ready on the 9th if ya want some of those ... and some others as well.... I have showgirls and silkie but not egg laying age quite yet .. i do know usually with silkies the eggs are smaller and they have a tendency to go broody
 

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