post your chicken coop pictures here!

[bruceha2000]

New coop built by the kids in the local high school wood shop as a project. Roof in the back lifts up to access nesting boxes. Space on side is supposed to be for flowers but I will use it to keep 5 gallon buckets of feed. They did a great job.

Looks like the kids learned well in shop class. Glad they still have such things. I never have used the calculus I learned but 40+ years later I'm still using the skills I learned in the shop and drafting classes.

As for the Chooks going paddling, yes they get wet occasionally, 9 / 10 times they flutter out the pool, but, I have had to dash across garden to fish one out, but right now its working fine

also the doofus goes beserk around the chickens (the ducks dont phase her at all strangely) so, even though Katie (aka doofus, dopey, stooopid, dog etc etc) has a lead that stops short of the pen, the girls stay put........ that said, is thus far

PS: Heres Katie Doofus

Good thing you are around for the 1/10 times! Somewhere here on BYC you will find a story of a chicken that was raised by a duck along with the duck's brood. A different 'Ugly Duckling' story I guess. Anyway, when it came time to learn to swim, all the birds dutifully followed mama duck into the water. The problem, of course, was that one of them didn't float. Fortunately the owner was close by to rescue the chicken.

Ah, Doofus, er Katie, looks like a fine dog. Very pretty. How old? Maybe she's just not run through her puppy years yet. My daughter has a cat that will be 3 next month. We still call him nut ball because, well he's a nut ball.

Bruce

 

[Junibutt]

Its not my chicken coop but I find it to be inspirational. I will try to build one similar to it (I am sure the original design is copyrighted). Its called a Gypsy Chicken Wagon.

http://sunnysideprojects.com/products/gypsy-chicken-wagon/

 

[Sylvester017]

Heres a few pics of our Coop, actually finally completed today

Built from junk...... ex packing crates, ours and a neighbours deck scraps plus yard & estate sales.

Absolutely love the coop and that it was repurposed materials! Really a bang-up good job!

I'm assuming you've buried the fence wire into the ground to discourage digging predators? Do you have bird netting or something over the pen against aerial predators or at least a couple doghouses or low makeshift shelters in the pen for the birds to snooze/hide/dive under? Friend of ours came home to find his flock of free-range ducks and chickens missing and a couple feathers in the yard. He expected the worst and then found his entire flock sitting under the axle of his tow-trailer in the yard. Apparently they all dove under his trailer to get away from something aerial. Ducks and chickens aren't bosom buddies but that day they were! It really pays to have cover in a flock's open areas. Hawks don't like to go after hiding fowl.

We had ducks and chickens in the same pen on the farm but ultimately my folks screened off the ducks from the chickens. In spite of all the clean drinking water provided chickens will drink from the dirty duck water. My dumb girls will drink dirty rain water that collects in tarps so we had to put drain holes in the fence tarps to keep them from drinking bacteria - ok if fresh rain but after a few days it gets nasty.

Enjoy the nice long walk in the snow to collect eggs every day! We decided to put our coop as close to the back door as possible so we didn't have a long rainy walk to collect daily eggs.

Just joking - I envy all the wonderful space you have! We miss our 25 acres and find it very confining in retirement to be in the city.

 

[Sylvester017]

I just calculated all my costs to build and supply my new chicken coop.
1. electrical (includes automatic coop door) $151.00
2.chicks and supplies (6 Americana's and 6 Wellsummers)
(waters, feeders, feed, etc.) $200.00
3.Coop $1700
4. Chicken run $575.00
Total : $2636.00!

And worth every penny! Secure, well-built, quality installations. Should last many years into retirement!

 

[MistyMountain]

School house is compete and currently occupied!!!!!




I am happy, my husband is happy and the crazzzzzzy chicks are happy.

 

[Sylvester017]

Coop was made from reclaimed pallets and old tin roofing, cost for coop was in the hardware and the hinges, and locks.

Coop total: $8
Run total: $60
Chickens and supplies:$50

Total overall : $118

Adorable coop. To not lose your flock in that rural woodsy setting I'd invest a little more in stronger hardwire for the pen and roof for predator safety and maybe raise the coop off the ground to prepare for melting snow or heavy rains. Wish we could find used things to repurpose but have to drive around yard sales to see if we can find stuff to use.

 

[Sylvester017]

School house is compete and currently occupied!!!!!


I am happy, my husband is happy and the crazzzzzzy chicks are happy.

Absolutely love the wide roof overhang and that the coop is raised off the ground. Very nice!

 

[Idaho Dan]

Adorable coop.  To not lose your flock in that rural woodsy setting I'd invest a little more in stronger hardwire for the pen and roof for predator safety and maybe raise the coop off the ground to prepare for melting snow or heavy rains.  Wish we could find used things to repurpose but have to drive around yard sales to see if we can find stuff to use.

Hey thanks! That's a good idea about lifting the coop, we will just have to see how it does here in the rainy season. As far as the coop wire, all the vents are covered in hardwire cloth. Only the run is chicken wire and I lock them up every night, the pop door has a lock on the inside. Plus I don't think my American bulldog will let any pests sneak by.....

Everybody up here free ranges and never has any issues if you lock them in the coop at night. No access to the run.

I forgot to mention that the coop if fully floored and the floor is a good 2 inches from the ground

 

[Sylvester017]

Its not my chicken coop but I find it to be inspirational. I will try to build one similar to it (I am sure the original design is copyrighted). Its called a Gypsy Chicken Wagon.

http://sunnysideprojects.com/products/gypsy-chicken-wagon/

This is really cute. But it is so small that 4 nestboxes is too many as there should only be one or two chickens in it and only for transporting them like to a school science project or to the fair or as a free-range shelter. A school child had one built on a wagon that she used for her educational programs on chickens but only transported 2 bantams at a time.

However cute this is it's not too practical as permanent housing unless it is built many times on a larger scale and those cutout holes can be covered at night. Let us see your masterpiece when you've finished it! You might inspire some others of us!

 

[MistyMountain]

Absolutely love the wide roof overhang and that the coop is raised off the ground. Very nice!

Thanks! Fully my husband's design. He is a big DIY'er and does not like to turn to the internet for help. He just wants to do it and learn along the way. There is also more venting under the eaves. I can not believe how much of a difference those vents make. You can stand in the coop and not feel stuffy or uncomfortable at all. We are not set on the coop's final location, so he also built skids(i think that is what he called them) under so he can lift it up and move it if desired.