post your chicken coop pictures here!

[FarmerPhronc]

The nipple valves don't work well at high altitudes like Colorado because there's not enough air pressure for the valves to work properly.

I live in Colorado and have no issue with nipples working here. This is the waterer and feeder that came with the coop I purchased.

I use an API 250D 200-Watt Pail and Birdbath De-icer with Guard and 6-Foot Cord to keep the water from freezing, so far so good.

The only issue I have is that the vertical nipple seems to freeze up in cold weather so I'm replacing it with a horizontal nipple. My understanding is they are less likely to freeze up... time will tell.

 

[adkhunter1590]

Are you talking nipples in a bucket or saddle nipples in PVC? I am using the latter inside the coop at ~18" off the ground connected to a 5 gallon Igloo drink cooler mounted outside the coop so adding water is no harder than pouring a gallon in now and then. My water pipe is built into the bottom of the 3 bay nest box. Were I to do it again, I would make it a separate unit and screw it to the bottom of the nest boxes.


That is quite a nice sized shed/coop. Plenty of room when chicken math hits

What have you done to protect against digging predators?

Also you used BAD words: "chicken wire". Where are you using it? It is not hard at all for predators to get through. Use 1/2" hardware cloth to keep the predators out.

I don't think insulating one wall will do anything with regard to temperature in the coop, especially one that big cubic feet wise, nor keep the water from freezing. If properly ventilated, shy adding heat (man made or solar through glass), the coop will be about the same temp inside and out in the depths of winter even if fully insulated. If my birds are typical they LOVE to peck rigid foam insulation so if the sheet goods you have there aren't for covering the wall with the foam, I suggest you get something to cover it.

Thanks for your reply. Against digging I have scrap metal roofing panels cut and buried around the perimeter. There wasn't enough left over metal roof for me to bother saving but the previous owner left it behind so I figured I would use it somehow. Figured it was just as good as using some kind of metal wire. I know chicken wire is taboo around here but I only used it for the wall sectioning off the chickens to their side of the shed. And I put some around my lamp I have secured up in the corner for extra light a few hours early in the morning to keep egg production up. It's just a 40watt equivalent LED soft white bulb. Won't provide any heat just 2 hours of light before sunrise and 1 hour in the afternoons ending at dusk. My flock free ranges around the property so I just wanted to turn the light on as a reminder to come home soon.

I didn't think the insulation would do much but it was free scrap stuff that I had access to so I decided why not. I did cover the walls I insulated in plywood so they can't peck it. I did think that one through lol. It's not covered all the wall to the ceiling but it's plenty high enough that they can't reach it. And I made sure nothing over there was tall enough for them to jump on to reach the insulation.

I think I'll have more than enough ventilation especially when I install the 2nd vented roof skylight. Both ends of the shed have big double doors that are not air tight around the edges. That lets in a lot of air too. But I'm going to be sealing those doors up tight soon as the snow is going to fly any day now here in upstateNy.

I'm also planning on building a hoop run attached to the shed soon. Someplace for them to get out of the coop when we are buried in snow. It will just be covered in white plastic to keep snow out. Cheap and easy to take down when snow melts and free ranging can start again.

 

[Cluckies]

Wow some of these coops are amazing.
We only have 9 chickens, and we re-purposed materials from an old barn we tore down.
Our coop has 2 roosts, two nesting areas, and four different areas to place the small chicken tractor so they
can have dust bathes, graze, and get buggies and fresh air. We rotate which opening they come out, we live
in rural Florida so shade was important, we found a nice place under a large oak. Our coop is not fancy but it
works.

Nice, I love the rotating run. I would suggest, if you haven't already (can't tell from the photo) put hardware cloth over your welded wire, as that will not keep predators out. last year 1 weasel took out 9 chickens of a fellow chickener in one night. I would hate to see that happen to your ladies.

 

[Cluckies]

[/URL]

This is fantastic, I also expanded my run this year (built the coop last year) lots of work, but worth it. Your coop looks wonderful!

 

[Sylvester017]

The in bucket heaters won't keep the nipples themselves from freezing when severe cold hits. Those who use rubber pans just dump out the ice and refill every day...I used to do that back in the day. LOVE my heated dog bowl...safe electric, fresh water. I've also got heated buckets for my dogs and love those as well. I use a large rubber pan for the rest of the year for all animals and that stays clean as well...I elevate it off the ground inside an old tire and that keeps it cool and cleaner.

Necessity -- the mother of invention. Chickeneers are so clever to figure out what works best for their flock!

 

[Sylvester017]

I live in Colorado and have no issue with nipples working here. This is the waterer and feeder that came with the coop I purchased.

I use an API 250D 200-Watt Pail and Birdbath De-icer with Guard and 6-Foot Cord to keep the water from freezing, so far so good.

The only issue I have is that the vertical nipple seems to freeze up in cold weather so I'm replacing it with a horizontal nipple. My understanding is they are less likely to freeze up... time will tell.

A Colorado breeder told me the nipple valves didn't work in their thinner atmosphere. That's good to know it's working for you. Let us know how the horizontal valves work for you.

 

[gpeters3]

I would love to use PVC for the water but I don't know any good way to prevent freezing. We have 2-3 months where it can stay frozen (maybe not this year, its still 60 during the day). The bucket idea has merit but I like the barrel with horizontal nipples the best so far. I'm going to have to move it so i can get it higher. Tomorrow I'm going to mess around with the perches.

 

[Sylvester017]

I would love to use PVC for the water but I don't know any good way to prevent freezing. We have 2-3 months where it can stay frozen (maybe not this year, its still 60 during the day). The bucket idea has merit but I like the barrel with horizontal nipples the best so far. I'm going to have to move it so i can get it higher. Tomorrow I'm going to mess around with the perches.

I hope you're having fun configuring stuff for your chickens. We're constantly thinking "chicken" everytime we go shopping

 

[gpeters3]

I hope you're having fun configuring stuff for your chickens.  We're constantly thinking "chicken" everytime we go shopping

Believe it or not this whole thing started because my wife asked me if she could have "a" bird. Now ive taken over the project and my wife is just al9ng for the 4ide (OK, I'm turning off the number row#€¥%:&-++)

 

[gpeters3]

As to lighting, so CE I have a 12' ceiling and pole barn construction I finally installed an IC light fixture and use a 95 watt red flood light. I had a clamp on drop light in the other coop and they kept hitting it (7' ceiling) The IC fixture completely shrouds the bulb in case any should fly that high and it is between the rafters further protectong it. Its on a timer and comes on early enough to preceed dawn and comes on at night just before dark and stays on long enough for them to find the ramp and get back in after dark. My research indicates a red lamp is more soothing for them and while providing light, it isn't too bright etc and still provides them with plenty of night time. I believe the light time is 12-14 hrs for best laying.