post your chicken coop pictures here!

[Crafty chick]

I'm a victim of chicken math. I have this chicken house. They claim it is good for 2-4 chickens and I believed. Here is a picture of my chicken house:

Now I know. It's not even big enough for one chicken, But they said it was good for 4 chickens and I believed, so I got 4 chickens. Then chicken math happened. I started with 2 Rhode Island Red chicks. So cute! And they fit in my chicken house! So I got 2 Delaware chicks. Lots of room still!. Then I got 2 more Delaware chicks - I had to - they were the same hatch as the other two, but it was 4 weeks later and they were going to be put away. I had no choice. Seriously, what would you do? Then I got 3 Easter Egger chicks. (You have to have blue eggs, right?) Sadly, I lost a couple to hawks. Hazards of free ranging. Short story, I have 7 chickens in that teensy weensy chicken house. They free range during the day, but even for sleeping, it's a problem. What to do? I've been scoping out the local resale hardware outlet. I have my eye on this armoire that I think will be a great start for a chicken house for 7 big girls. I plan to make a real chicken house for 7 large chickens, starting with that armoire and a lot of resale lumber and doors. Wrap the whole thing in hardware cloth and we'll see what happens. I'll let you all know how it goes. I've already ordered the hardware cloth, so we (me and 7 crowded hens) are on our way. PS I have no idea how to operate any tools. I'll have to rent or buy everything as I go. Starting with a truck to get the armoire from the resale store to my house. Everything else will be delivered by Amazon. This should be interesting .......

Sorry I am a little late on commenting, but I had the same problem. What I did was make a run with a door on the end, when I wanted to make the store bought one bigger, I took the doors off both ends and butted them up together to make one long coop/run.

 

[Tiegrsi]

Wow! All of your coops and runs are AMAZING!

 

[junebuggena]

Wow! All of your coops and runs are AMAZING! I feel like I shpuldn't even show my slap-together, upcycled ugly starter-coop (but I'm super proud of it anyway). I only had 2 days notice that I needed to make it because my chickens belonged to a friend who suddenly needed someone to care for them for a few months.
It needs a LOT more work and I'll be building a second one and a second run soon to start my own flock.

That chicken wire is not going to stop a predator. Raccoons, coyotes, and dogs will go right through it.

 

[Tiegrsi]

That chicken wire is not going to stop a predator. Raccoons, coyotes, and dogs will go right through it.

The wire is stapled to the ground, and there is a large dog run right next to the birds who are very protective. We also have a cat that patrols regularly.
And like I said, it still needs work. The only predators I've seen signs of are hawks and owls, so the top is fenced as well. Eventually I want to build out a run with 2x4s instead of shoddy chicken wire.

 

[junebuggena]

Chicken wire is very easily shredded by certain predators. It's great at keeping chickens in, but that's about it. It does not provide any measure of security. And just because you don't see the predators, doesn't mean they aren't there. Coyotes and raccoons are literally everywhere in the U.S. there is not a single place in the country that is 'safe' from them.
And coyotes and raccoons are very smart. They know that a dog behind a fence is no threat to them.

 

[Tiegrsi]

.

 

[junebuggena]

The fence is stapled to the ground, and in some spot secured with logs as well. There is also a large dog run right next to it with two pit-beagle mixes who are very protective. The only predators we've seen signs of are hawks and owls, so the top is wired, as well.
Eventually I want to build out a run with 2x4s for framing.

Consider yourself warned...

 

[Tiegrsi]

.

 

[MeepBeep]

They know that a dog behind a fence is no threat to them.

So very true, had a raccoon earlier this year that would walk up the backyard fence and get the dogs attention, if the dog rushed the gate the raccoon simply stayed out of the yard that night, if the raccoon noticed the dog was actually locked in the kennel for the night he would jump the fence and walk right past the kennel as if the dog didn't exist, even though the dog was going ballistic not a foot away from him... Same with the coyotes in the area, they don't enter the fenced in area the dog patrols but they do walk the other side of the fence quite regularly...

 

[Intheswamp]

Tiegrsi, yes it's a friendly place. Lots of folks with lots of chicken knowledge here to draw from...and they give advice freely. JBG was just making sure you knew the inadequacy of chicken/poultry wire in protecting chickens from predators. There are many folks that do not understand that. And really, whether the chicken wire is stapled to the ground or has a log laying on it is irrelevant....if a dog or coon wants to get through they will tear through it. I understand that you're making do with what you have on hand at the moment but when you get able to some 2x4 welded wire will improve the security greatly.

Best wishes,
Ed.