post your chicken coop pictures here!

[the poppster]

the chickens can get under there, it has 1/2 hardware cloth completely around the entire area, I also have a 2' apron around the coop and run covered with dirt and mulch

the chickens we go back into the coop at night without any assistance once they realize that it is their "Home" and safe place to spend the night....so unless they are tiny chicks you won't have to put them away at night...they will do it themselves...maybe tempt them with a few treats inside the coop at bedtime for a few days....and they'll figure it out. As far as shoving bedding in under the coop....if they are like my birds, just take the bales out of the way....the birds will probably spread the bedding under the coop for you. Nice set up!

 

[ProfNancy]

Back in spring i won a duplex coop/run. said it was sufficient for 8-10 chickens. Hardly. so we purchased three runs and connected them for our girls. strung rope lights to extend the day, we turn them on at 4:30am. IT is 27 feet long 3 feet wide.

 

[the poppster]

Thank You for your replies,
but I didn't get my question answered. I would like to know what other people do with a setup like I have. as far as deep litter in the run.

I started out with about 6 inches of saw mill shavings....add leaves every fall and spring....and shovel the coop bedding out into the run about twice a year....the chickens spread it out almost as fast as I can shovel it. Since the ground slopes gently away from the coop, the birds scratching tends to work it down to the end of the run. I will turn it up with a potato fork in any areas that get hard....the birds love it, and get under foot, I have to be careful not to stab one or more. It's so funny! They all gather around me as soon as enter with the fork or shovel!

 

[gilcamp4]

I built my coop and run, I made the coop 2' off the ground, so the run would be a total of 16' long




after completion and reading threads on this site, I decided to try the (deep litter method) in the run, so I can let the chickens compost it for me. so far I have about 6" of pine needles and leaves and grass clippings down on the floor of the run. I have straw bales blocking off the run so the chicks cannot get under the coop part of the run, and I don't have to craw under to get the chicks, and put in the coop at night. ( for the winter ) my question for all of you that basically do the same, how or what should I do when I remove the straw bales from under the coop? should I leave I the ground bare or should I add the deep litter under the coop area too? I'm thinking it might be a bit tricky to get stuff under it.

enc

we put up a fence along the coop so they can not get under it as they like to lay eggs under it and we could not get some of them. put fence all around the coop so free animals could not get under the coop

 

[the poppster]

I suggest that you (or anyone else worried about heating for chickens in the winter) pick a different breed of chicken... perhaps the latest fad... the Yeti chicken! Good to go down to -100f for prolonged periods. No additional heat sources required. Not recommended for hot climate zones.

A few other drawbacks however... the coop space requirements and feed requirements are kinda prohibitive. Oh, and they're big enough to beat the crap outta you if you tick them off.

The Yeti chickens are out in the coop and run....they routinely mob anyone who enters their yard! Especially the Big White Snow Rooster...a huge white rock roo, who takes his job very seriously....I don't need any high tech yard alarms...if it's daylight Roger Roo and his right wing man Larry of the Black Fuzz will let you know that strangers have appeared!

 

[pennyJo1960]

Quote: To move shaving around I use rakes I have 4 x 6 table for a roost hard to get shaving
under I use a leaf rake as the hens find a way to move it all somewhere to their
liking anyway

 

[junkman56]

the chickens we go back into the coop at night without any assistance once they realize that it is their "Home" and safe place to spend the night....so unless they are tiny chicks you won't have to put them away at night...they will do it themselves...maybe tempt them with a few treats inside the coop at bedtime for a few days....and they'll figure it out. As far as shoving bedding in under the coop....if they are like my birds, just take the bales out of the way....the birds will probably spread the bedding under the coop for you. Nice set up!

my chicken do go in the coop on their own at night, I had the straw under there just so they wouldn't stay out at night. I started removing some of the bales today

we put up a fence along the coop so they can not get under it as they like to lay eggs under it and we could not get some of them. put fence all around the coop so free animals could not get under the coop

I hope I don't have to fence under the coop off, I do have hardware cloth completely around the coop and the run. nothing can get under it

 

[junkman56]

I started out with about 6 inches of saw mill shavings....add leaves every fall and spring....and shovel the coop bedding out into the run about twice a year....the chickens spread it out almost as fast as I can shovel it. Since the ground slopes gently away from the coop, the birds scratching tends to work it down to the end of the run. I will turn it up with a potato fork in any areas that get hard....the birds love it, and get under foot, I have to be careful not to stab one or more. It's so funny! They all gather around me as soon as enter with the fork or shovel!

mine come running as soon as I enter the run, and like yours I just about step on them, or rake them up lol

 

[pennyJo1960]

I have a little joe tiller I take that in the run they
barely let the times stop before they are digging for
the bug and worms

 

[cavemanrich]

Quote: Not to start a disagreement, but to suggest how to solve stray eggs issues. In my opinion the more run room provided, THE BETTER... That area under coop is also dry. (from direct precipitation). Chickens may choose to dust bathe there . A+ plus.. Now if for some reason a chicken lays an egg there, very simple solution is to retrieve it with a small can attached to a long stick. I have such a setup that I use to get eggs from my winter housing lofts. 4 foot piece of 1" x 2" wood with a tuna can attached on one end.