post your chicken coop pictures here!

[suzwil19]

Our coop.

 

[16 paws]

Your ranch is amazing, 16 paws!!! I am beyond impressed!

Here are pictures of the coop I built with a friend into the existing structure of my deck. I used all recycled wood - the only thing I paid for was the wire and the hardware. I even found a whole finished door on the street, after we had just built another, almost identical door. 2 doors for the win! It has proven to be extremely secure, after 17 months. The only thing I need to replace is the top board of the nesting box (repurposed, particle-board cabinet). I also have heavy-duty plywood panels on top of the deck during the rainy season. I used tree branches for the roosts.

It is about 80 square feet. I let the hens out for supervised ranging for about an hour a day.

Thanks Liz, I love the way you used space under your deck. How did you ever think of that? The chickens must feel very safe there.No wonder your 2 broodies did so well together. Great way to use what you have! Hats off to you!

Marie

 

[moyock34]

This is my coop. I built it this year and have my first flock. This coop was built from mostly scrap lumber from Home Depot. I gave developed a sort of addiction to chickens and maybe building a new coop in the spring and May get about 50 hens. Quite a step up from 12 haha.

 

[gilcamp4]

here is our coop, when we have babies we put the wall up, took it down this week, right now they are in our screen house so we can get it ready for winter, we are changing thing around some, we now have 29 hens so we need move nest, we are using milk crates and they seem to like them better then the nest we had up, we had chickens many years ago, then a dog got in the yard, he broke the fence down to get to them, we gave it up, now we are older in new state and more room so 3 years ago we got 1 chicken that came from a maintain air truck, it was laying in the snow I went back and got it, then told hubbies it needs friends so we got 10, and up we went.

 

[16 paws]

I love the coop/trailer, very clever!
Marie

 

[lizgarf]

Thanks Liz, I love the way you used space under your deck. How did you ever think of that? The chickens must feel very safe there.No wonder your 2 broodies did so well together. Great way to use what you have! Hats off to you!

Marie

Thanks!
It just came to me one day that the space was under-utilized. I have a pretty big lot, but it's a very steep hill, and relatively flat space is at a premium. Plus, using the existing posts saved an enormous amount of time and money - anything that size would have had to be engineered because of the slope. I don't think I would have gotten chickens otherwise, and of course now I'm hooked. The only problem with the set-up is that it's in the front yard, which can't really be fenced, because a creek runs through it. I used to let them free range in the front, but I learned my lesson when my red hen, Stella, was killed by a dog. So, free-ranging involves herding them to/from the backyard, which can be challenging on occasion. Someday, I may build a run along the side of my house, up to the backyard.

 

[16 paws]

Hi Liz,
Sorry about Stella, that really hurts, I know from experience.
I lost my first hen Dixie when something, still dont know what , came into our yard in broad daylight and killed her. It must of been a coyote or bobcat.
Anyway the run from your front to back sounds like a good idea. Have you seen the small hoop runs? I really like them and think they might work really well.
A hawk is trying to get our chickens now so they are in lock down. It lands right on top of the covered run. I hear my chickens scream and then run out and scare it off. They really do scream and I am glad they do to alert me.
Take care now....

Marie

 

[Oceanbyrd]

So lovely; simple and uncomplicated. I love the flower above the nesting box. It adds a homey touch.

 

[jtbass2756]

This is my coop. I built it this year and have my first flock. This coop was built from mostly scrap lumber from Home Depot. I gave developed a sort of addiction to chickens and maybe building a new coop in the spring and May get about 50 hens. Quite a step up from 12 haha.
Would love to see more pictures...I'm giving some thought to putting our playground stuff to a better use. My grands are 11,11,14, and 20.. they have outgrown it. It has a elevated playhouse similar but not as big as yours but the space below it along with the double sections of swing area would provide a great run area. I've just got to convince hubby of it!...I really like yours.

 

[jtbass2756]

I just spent about an hour out in my coop but only about 10 min was cleaning it out.

It had been a while so I got my short handled rake out and just barely raked the top of the sand. After I got the poop into a pile, I moved it to a 5 gal bucket and in to the compost pile it went. After that, I put in a mirror for my ladies to primp...also a small pile of autumn leaves,,,also a milk crate with straw. Figured this would give them something different to rattle their daily lives. My RIR and golden wyndotte attacked the mirror and my other RIR is so shy, she hung back. My brahma, however, got into the leaves with a vengence! They are so funny to watch.! Here's a pict with all of them around the mirror....they are actually looking for the last of the grubs that I threw in there..LOL