post your chicken coop pictures here!

[Sylvester017]

This is our first year with chickens and we're hooked! We only have 3 RIRs for now.
We started with a small starter coop but then decided to build a bigger one using an old truck cap from a work truck. The nesting boxes are in the old tool boxes on the side so we just open the doors from the outside to collect the eggs. Some of the photos are from before it was completed.

Works in progress are just as interesting to us as "completed" projects because as chickeneers we NEVER stop adding, fixing, modifying our chicken housings!!!

How do your girls manage with the ramp going down from the inside of the coop leading to the run below? Our Silkies were able to go down the ramp but it was too steep to climb back up for their little legs and we had to close the floor up completely and have a ramp with less incline leading from the outside pop-door wall. Our large fowl had no problem with the inside floor ramp going up and down but at night the Silkies couldn't make the climb back up the ladder incline -- sometimes inside the coop they took mis-steps and almost fell through the hole

Even with the outside ramp leading out of the pop-door we had to raise the incline with cinder blocks for the Silkies to use it comfortably.



This ramp has been raised and still hard for the littles to maneuver. Our NEXT ramp will have 3" cleats instead of 4" wide cleats so the littles have closer climbing grasp. Being "flightless" birds, Silkie wings don't give them much support for flapping up or down the ramp. The 3" cleats are just fine for large fowl too.

 

[5crazies]

Works in progress are just as interesting to us as "completed" projects because as chickeneers we NEVER stop adding, fixing, modifying our chicken housings!!! How do your girls manage with the ramp going down from the inside of the coop leading to the run below? Our Silkies were able to go down the ramp but it was too steep to climb back up for their little legs and we had to close the floor up completely and have a ramp with less incline leading from the outside pop-door wall. Our large fowl had no problem with the inside floor ramp going up and down but at night the Silkies couldn't make the climb back up the ladder incline -- sometimes inside the coop they took mis-steps and almost fell through the hole Even with the outside ramp leading out of the pop-door we had to raise the incline with cinder blocks for the Silkies to use it comfortably. This ramp has been raised and still hard for the littles to maneuver. Our NEXT ramp will have 3" cleats instead of 4" wide cleats so the littles have closer climbing grasp. Being "flightless" birds, Silkie wings don't give them much support for flapping up or down the ramp. The 3" cleats are just fine for large fowl too.

I love browsing this thread and seeing all the different types of coops! I'm so glad I found this site. It has been so helpful. Our girls have been in this coop for a little over a month now and have been going up and down the ramp with no problems. Maybe because we have a little bit more of a "landing" at the top of the ramp? Here's a more recent picture of the inside that shows the board we added along the edge of the opening to keep the bedding from being kicked down the opening. They now choose to roost on that board instead of the pole we put in the coop.

 

[5crazies]

Oops, here's that picture.

 

[cavemanrich]

This ramp has been raised and still hard for the littles to maneuver. Our NEXT ramp will have 3" cleats instead of 4" wide cleats so the littles have closer climbing grasp. Being "flightless" birds, Silkie wings don't give them much support for flapping up or down the ramp. The 3" cleats are just fine for large fowl too.

If you would have sent your silkies to Mountaineering Camp they would have made that ramp in a FLASH.

Oops, here's that picture.

I think you should nail a piece of 2 x 4 flat side up on top of that board. What difference does it make where the hens make their favorite roost.

 

[5crazies]

Yes, we were thinking of putting something on top of the board to give their feet a little more area to hold onto.
I don't really care where they roost. I just thought it was funny that they chose that. I guess my only concern with roosting there is that the opening is right there and we are now in single digits here and it's going to be dipping below zero with lots of wind in the next week. I suppose if it's too cold for them there they'll move though.

If you would have sent your silkies to Mountaineering Camp they would have made that ramp in a FLASH. 

I think you should nail a piece of 2 x 4 flat side up on top of that board.  What difference does it make where the hens make their favorite roost. 

 

[FlyWheel]

What kind of chicken is that?!

It looks like a nicely feathered vulture's head!

 

[cavemanrich]

Yes, we were thinking of putting something on top of the board to give their feet a little more area to hold onto.
I don't really care where they roost. I just thought it was funny that they chose that. I guess my only concern with roosting there is that the opening is right there and we are now in single digits here and it's going to be dipping below zero with lots of wind in the next week. I suppose if it's too cold for them there they'll move though.

You may consider covering the windward side ether with plastic, or just place temporary plywood against the lower portion of the open run area. You want ventilation and just avoid drafts. My thinking that with windward side blocked, there would be no draft up the floor opening.

.

 

[5crazies]

You may consider covering the windward side ether with plastic, or just place temporary plywood against the lower portion of the open run area.   You want ventilation and just avoid drafts.  My thinking that with windward side blocked, there would be no draft up the floor opening. 
. 

That's a good idea. The whole thing is mostly blocked from the wind by our garage so we'd probably only have to do that to one side. Easy enough. Thanks for the tip!

 

[Sylvester017]

Oops, here's that picture.

Our girls have been in this coop for a little over a month now and have been going up and down the ramp with no problems. Maybe because we have a little bit more of a "landing" at the top of the ramp? Yep, with only a 4x4 floor space there's not much room for a landing inside the coop.

Here's a more recent picture of the inside that shows the board we added along the edge of the opening to keep the bedding from being kicked down the opening. They now choose to roost on that board instead of the pole we put in the coop.

Chickens really like to do their own thing, don't they?

 

[Sylvester017]

If you would have sent your silkies to Mountaineering Camp they would have made that ramp in a FLASH.

TeeHee - unfortunately with flightless Silkies there's only so much Mountaineering Camp can do for them!