post your chicken coop pictures here!

[Deleon98]

Ahh ok i was thinking if i dont use it for the chickens id just use it for the guinea pig but i like the idea of using it as a sick house

 

[Latestarter]

Sick house, quarantine house, broody house, chick grow out housing... firewood...

There are many ways it can be used really.

 

[perchie.girl]

Would this be to small for my 6 chicks once they grow up?Im thinking it might be If so.how many could i keep in this one?

IF you havent bought it yet... pass. If you have its a decent start for one or two small birds. I have seen Little Tykes playhouse conversions that make decent coops... place to sleep lay eggs... with a run built on for their real living space.

deb

 

[Spartan22]

2X Most feedback, a year ago I was so close in buying that exact so called chicken coop. I was told great for 4-6 (we have 6 minimum here in Ohio). I've looked at the display in the store. I ordered it since they don't have in stock. I'd been researching few days before since I got our chicks on impulse buy. (Dummy me

)
When I got home from work and did some googling bout space issues I called the store and cancelled my order. That's when I started looking at premade sheds but too pricey at same time I have to do some modifications. Thats when I said maybe I can design and build my own (I got no prior building skill nor tools).
We just move from a city couple years ago with my wife and young kids and took a challenge on research (no sleep for few days). I built my 10x12x10 coop for less than couple of months (weekends). Then added a 10x12x7 run months after, decided to add clear roof to the run last spring. Then added another uncovered extension run few months later since we added more chicks.
Moral of the story, we need to look at the future (there is such a thing called chicken math) I guess happy hens will give plenty of eggs.

My chickens pays for their food and monthly rent + free eggs for my fam, as I write this we're looking @catalog to bring more chicks for colorful eggs this spring.

 

[cabinchicky]

Yes chicken math will probably get you. we starred with a premade coop for our first 12 chicks. I bought the extra run parts as wellso 4'x10'then an electric fence to surround it and give more run space. we used it for them until we build our first coop 8x12. We moved it into the run for new chick housing and have used it for chicks since. We build coop 2 last year, 10x16 and added to the run making 2 separate runs all enclosed. Current plan for spring of 16 is to take part of prefab run and use for part of quail pens and a two tier brooder. Should still have enough of the prefab run left for 3 chicks for integration. So if you have a prefab they can be handy but are not a good permanent coop in my opinion. Materials are thin and after 2 winters outside ours will need roof repair among other things.

 

[perchie.girl]

Yes chicken math will probably get you. we starred with a premade coop for our first 12 chicks. I bought the extra run parts as wellso 4'x10'then an electric fence to surround it and give more run space. we used it for them until we build our first coop 8x12. We moved it into the run for new chick housing and have used it for chicks since. We build coop 2 last year, 10x16 and added to the run making 2 separate runs all enclosed. Current plan for spring of 16 is to take part of prefab run and use for part of quail pens and a two tier brooder. Should still have enough of the prefab run left for 3 chicks for integration. So if you have a prefab they can be handy but are not a good permanent coop in my opinion. Materials are thin and after 2 winters outside ours will need roof repair among other things.

Bwhaahahaahah....

Proof that chicken math exists. And why I use dog kennel panels. Reconfigure-able, Relocatable. and infinitely expandable.

deb

 

[Deleon98]

What exactly is chicken math lol and ik what you mean spartan when you say yours was an impulse....thats exactly what happened with me with my chickies. Ive never owned chickens in my life but im learning a lot as i go along and i feel relieved that im not the only one too Im not good with building either but il g ill have to learn that too. I plan on turning our well house into one and just fencing it in

 

[Sylvester017]

I live in a region that can get cold, and my coop is un-insulated, and the walls are but a half inch thick. And, my coop is far more open, and ventilated than yours. We can get winter temps to zero (Not including any windchill) and the front of my coop is wide open, covered only with hardware cloth.

Hi - what's not showing in any of my pictures is the screened door when the solid door is open (open door in photo below), plus the two air vents top of both tall ends of the coop, and the open kennel-wire bottom slide-out floor tray with an all-wire kennel run under the coop and which as yet does not have the additional 4x4 kennel run attached because we have too much yard construction going on. The attached kennel run's secure metal roof (roof panels leaning against the house in photo) and kennel-wire walls makes it safe to leave the pop-door open all night for added cross-ventilation if needed. For winter we have a solid slide-out floor tray.

The design has the versatility to be open, well-ventilated, and insulated against heat in the summer and closed off cozy for the occasional chilly nights or Santa Ana winds which can gust to 100mph here a couple times each year. This coop is heavy for a small 4x4x6' tall housing so we sure are glad we got the heavy wheel pkg because nothing short of a Grizzly bear could possibly budge it!!!! Funny, because it didn't seem that large in the pictures and videos when we were looking for a "compact" coop LOL! I have yet to find an absolutely "perfect" coop for our retirement cottage backyard - but of all USA-made coops this one was the closest in design and features without having to do major modifications or major DIY assembly. We custom-ordered what sizes and features we wanted and the walls all came solidly complete with windows installed and even the egg box was already attached to its wall - assembly was easy to just bolt 4 walls together until us old retirees couldn't quite climb high or safe enough to attach the roof or install the very heavy wheel pkg. Our agile contractor finished the assembly rather promptly for us old folks!

We constructed a 2x4 plank for the 2 LF to roost but the silly girls preferred the rounded perches that came with the coop so we were happy if they were happy. The 2 Silkies have always slept in nestboxes because they are a breed that prefers sleeping together in a pile so we're happy if they're happy! Occasionally one or both of the LF will sleep in a nestbox so we're relieved that there is one nestbox for each of the 4 girls should that occur.

 

[Latestarter]

@Deleon98 Chicken math is what happens when 2-3 birds turns into 6-8 birds, then 12-20 birds then 30-40 birds.... well, you get the idea... Once you have a couple, you find they really don't take up much space, make real nice yard eye candy, and OOOoooo that breed looks really pretty! and the OOoooo that one lays BLUE eggs?! oh and those lay GREEN eggs?! Then before you know it you start qualifying what doesn't "really" count as a chicken because it's really small, or because you plan(ned) to sell it, or some other such thing...

Though chickens can be just about as complicated as you'd like to make them, they can also be pretty danged simple... Give them a place out of the wet and wind to roost at night. Give them some shade in the heat of the day. Give them a place to dig pits to dust bathe in. Give them some protection against predators. Make sure they have fresh (unfrozen) water every day. Give them some nutritious feed daily unless you can fully free range them. Then sit back and watch chicken TV! They are actually quite fun and relaxing to watch.

And they pay you back for all this by providing you the best eggs you'll ever taste (meat too if you want them for that purpose) along with the joy of being with them and watching their antics.

BTW, Greetings from the front range in Colorado, and

! Lots of good folk here and they'll readily help you if you have any questions or concerns. Lots of really good detailed info already available on the site as well. Hope you find you like it here as much as many of us. Oh, and pictures are always welcomed!

 

[Deleon98]

Im glad i found this site cause id be totally lost and im finding out that they are fun to watch cause ill sit right infront of the brooder and do just that. I cant wait to see them as adults but then i can cause i still need to make more space lol