post your chicken coop pictures here!

[Sylvester017]

I have my brothers and husband working on ours today so ready for it to be finished!!! We are using an old deck ,ply wood from my grandfathers work place , and an old corner shelf for nesting boxes! Wish us luck lol

I love the recycled ideas. Corner shelf is a good use for nestboxes. We almost bought a tall narrow bookshelf to lay down on its side to use as nestboxes but it wasn't tall enough for head room IMO once it set on its side so we didn't get it. I have an Ameraucana that isn't heavy but she stands very tall and statuesque. The book case on its side would've made 6 nestboxes but I knew the Ameraucana wouldn't have good headroom. My current nestboxes are almost 3-feet tall - it came that way prebuilt at the feed store. I like giving my chickens more room rather than just getting by with minimums.

Your costliest expense with be the hardwire for the run. Are you planning some free-range? We have 64 sq ft of run for 4 hens but they free-range from dawn to dusk and just use the coop for laying eggs or going to roost - oh, and they hide out in it during the heavy rain downpours but very quickly exit to splash in the mud puddles when the rain lightens up LOL.

 

[Sylvester017]

Almost done, and I think chicks are ready to get out of the brooder. 95% recycled materials for the coop/run only spent around $40 total.

S

Cute house and good use of recycled material. How predator proof is the run - it looks like you're in a woodsy area which means nasty critters. They'll dig under the wire. Can't tell what wire you've set up for a run. We had 1-inch poultry wire that a German Shepherd mangled so badly with his teeth and claws it couldn't be fixed. He broke our fence gate to get to the coop - thank goodness a neighbor was home to chase off the mutt before he killed any hens - sure scared them though!

 

[chadtheartist]

Thanks. yeah I know its too small for this many chicks. but I am going to sell a few I hope. you want any of them?

 

[shuteye]

Cute house and good use of recycled material. How predator proof is the run - it looks like you're in a woodsy area which means nasty critters. They'll dig under the wire. Can't tell what wire you've set up for a run. We had 1-inch poultry wire that a German Shepherd mangled so badly with his teeth and claws it couldn't be fixed. He broke our fence gate to get to the coop - thank goodness a neighbor was home to chase off the mutt before he killed any hens - sure scared them though!

Thanks. Yes very wooded here in Maine...the run right now is 3x2 welded wire 5' tall. 2 1/2 feet up from the ground attached to the welded wire is 1/2 x 1/2 hardware cloth which is also buried (or is going to be tomorrow lol) it should do the trick. Also it will be cover with whatever is left over of chicken wire,hardware cloth, and welded wire to protect from hawks and what not. Other than that I have a 85lb lab an a shotgun

 

[Sylvester017]

Thanks. Yes very wooded here in Maine...the run right now is 3x2 welded wire 5' tall. 2 1/2 feet up from the ground attached to the welded wire is 1/2 x 1/2 hardware cloth which is also buried (or is going to be tomorrow lol) it should do the trick. Also it will be cover with whatever is left over of chicken wire,hardware cloth, and welded wire to protect from hawks and what not. Other than that I have a 85lb lab an a shotgun

Sounds like you've got security protection. Are the Lab and Shotgun around 24/7? LOL

We live in the city but there's a mountain behind us and every once in a while a juvie Black Bear will wander down to the houses below. They caught one that climbed over a fence into someone's swimming pool and the park rangers had to relocate it hundreds of miles away.

 

[shuteye]

Sounds like you've got security protection. Are the Lab and Shotgun around 24/7? LOL

We live in the city but there's a mountain behind us and every once in a while a juvie Black Bear will wander down to the houses below. They caught one that climbed over a fence into someone's swimming pool and the park rangers had to relocate it hundreds of miles away.

Yes. Haha there really are no dangers of daytime predators here and the chickens will be locked in their coop at night.

Bears do get pretty confused and curious when the wind up in a suburb or populated area. The wardens in ME usually shoot bears who knowingly enter the city, to prevent return trips. It doesn't happen to often at all though

Here are my chicks enjoying some sun earlier today

 

[kaseythomas86]

I love the recycled ideas. Corner shelf is a good use for nestboxes. We almost bought a tall narrow bookshelf to lay down on its side to use as nestboxes but it wasn't tall enough for head room IMO once it set on its side so we didn't get it. I have an Ameraucana that isn't heavy but she stands very tall and statuesque. The book case on its side would've made 6 nestboxes but I knew the Ameraucana wouldn't have good headroom. My current nestboxes are almost 3-feet tall - it came that way prebuilt at the feed store. I like giving my chickens more room rather than just getting by with minimums.

Your costliest expense with be the hardwire for the run. Are you planning some free-range? We have 64 sq ft of run for 4 hens but they free-range from dawn to dusk and just use the coop for laying eggs or going to roost - oh, and they hide out in it during the heavy rain downpours but very quickly exit to splash in the mud puddles when the rain lightens up LOL.

We still have the run to build we have bought some wire but I think we will need more so in all it will probably end up costing $200-$250. Maybe we can keep cost down as much as possible

 

[Dershov]

Just got my chicks on Thursday so I figured it was time to start building the coop. Here is the progress so far on my a frame coop.

Still need to finish some up, add the chicken wire, and paint it up. I will post the finished project when I am done! Any tips welcome.

 

[jhunter6]

Our coop we made out of PVC . I think it turned out pretty good

 

[Cluckadoodledo]