post your chicken coop pictures here!

[jtbass2756]

Some updated pics of our coop.

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Would love to see some inside picts ..... I like that it is up close to your house to block some of the weather.

 

[katekearby]

i added the 4x4 which they are moving too rather than all sitting on top of each other at the door, you see the vent holes that are on each side of the roost pole, they roost on a pole outdoors. thinking of putting a 'screen door' on the nest box door? what say you, p.s. that's a stick not a snake.

 

[Sylvester017]

I know the wild parrots have not bothered us but they are very noisy and alert the hens anyway.

The crows I beg to differ - If there are easy picking baby chicks around an isolated hen they WILL go after chicks - or ducklings for that matter. I saw a mother defending her brood from not one but two crows so definitely crows are a threat. However in our yard our LF never had chicks and aren't targeted because they have too much cover from aerial predators that sit as close as 5-feet watching sometimes! The crows come by and sit on the wires or roof to watch our flock but move on when they don't see easy picking chicks. The fact that we and 5 neighbors around us have chopped down old useless trees has helped to keep the aerial predators from disguising themselves and no more squirrels or raccoons are easily jumping from yard to yard!

So of the 3 wild birds the crows and hawks ARE threatending. This is why we landscape constantly to provide covering for our flock with canopies, lean-to's, doghouses, shrubbery, tall plants, etc. The Free-Range Chicken Gardens book by Jessi Bloom was very helpful in identifying garden landscaping principles and listing safe vs toxic plants around chickens.

Thanks for your views. Always like reading your posts

 

[Sylvester017]

Thanks for these useful suggestions. Ever since we lost a hen to a hawk last fall I've been looking at the yard and fields from a hen's point of view and I've made some of these fixes as well. A brush pile in the corner of one field is their current go to, so i will make a few more of those in the other corners. DH thinks it makes the place look a bit trashy, but that's because he hasn't developed the hen's point of view just yet.

Our first attempts were immediate emergecy set-ups and were trashy at the beginning. Slowly over the last 3 years we've been digging, painting, planting, repurposing, over the trashy areas. Still a lot of messy areas exist but as long as the hens have hiding places in the meanwhile a little eyesore view is a small price to pay for safety. If it weren't for the Free-Range Chicken Gardens book I wouldn't have thought of doing these emergency measures. Thanks for your reply.

 

[Sylvester017]

Yeah I'm just not going to tell the DH about all the other expenses that may arise! It never fails to play dumb and he won't be mad at me then! And it helps that he has one of the most expensive hobbies ever (archery competitions) that doesn't even produce anything! At least mine will give us eggs!!

My DH wasn't too keen about our initial setup coop costs of almost $500. He thought we'd never recoup the cost in returned eggs. And he's correct - we haven't other than getting our own organic eggs. However within 3 months of first getting the chickens he has completely taken over letting them out and putting out their feed/water setup in the mornings, cleaning the nestboxes, collecting the eggs, giving out the hand-held treats, necessary butt washes and blow dries, closing and covering up the coop at night, etc. Funniest thing. He even makes sure there are open windows or doors so he can hear them throughout the day as they free-range. One Silkie has him tied around her little toe and she begs him to let her into the house to lay her egg in the indoor hospital pen. He's turned into such a softie.

 

[iwiw60]

What type of roof should I put over my run? And should it be over the entire run? I was thinking a tin roof but I didn't know if that was about my only option for something simple. Sorry if these questions sound dumb! This will be my first chicken coop and chickens for that matter since I was a kid.

Not a dumb question at all! I see you're in West Virginia...do you get a lot of snow? Here where I live in Central Oregon we got loads of it. I'll be putting up a metal roof system over my run for SURE. Best of luck to you!!

 

[bruceha2000]

i added the 4x4 which they are moving too rather than all sitting on top of each other at the door, you see the vent holes that are on each side of the roost pole, they roost on a pole outdoors. thinking of putting a 'screen door' on the nest box door? what say you, p.s. that's a stick not a snake.

I say - you shouldn't have vent holes in line with the roost. Ventilation YES, draft NO.

VERY unusual for a chicken to NOT roost high if they have the opportunity. Can't tell for sure, what is that higher roost? Looks like a round pole and maybe not large enough diameter for their feet which is why they are going to the 4x4. Looks like it might be only a 1 1/2" pole? A 2x4 on the flat is 3 1/2", a 3" round fence rail is, well 3". I have both and they use both. You can get by with smaller if they are bantams but chickens really aren't perching birds that are comfortable wrapping their toes around a branch all night.

As far as a screen door on the nest box door - you mean outside access to the eggs? I probably wouldn't. You don't want ANY water to get in the nest boxes. And if you mean inside where the chicken enter the nests? Why? They don't open doors. Clearly I don't understand what you are asking.

Bruce

 

[katekearby]

sorry, the vent holes will be covered when weather is cooler, we are already pushing 90 degrees here, and it would be 'over' them if they sat on the pole. the 'screen door' would be where the current access door is and it would be a roof or could be closed if it rained.

The whole thing is to try to get them to not all pile up at the door sitting on the floor with their head peeking out? Thought they were wanting more 'outdoors in' the way they are acting. Will try to do something else for a perch too.

 

[Peggy O]

Some updated pics of our coop.

 

[sled483]

I've got the interior camera up and working. Got the app installed and running. It took close to 5 hours to get one camera installed and working remotely. It was too late to move the chicks. But they will go in tomorrow and I will feel better being able to check up on them any time any place.