post your chicken coop pictures here!

[TJordan]

Nice framework but as you may be familiar I'm not a fan of 1-inch flimsy poultry wire and that's what it looks like on my screen.  Needs paver stone walkway around the perimeter of the pens against digging critters.  Poultry wire is not interlinked and comes apart with hardly any effort as we found out when two mutts broke our fence gate and attacked our poultry wire coop. Lucky a neighbor intervened and saved our chickens.  Poultry wire is just a wasted expense.  The rest of your coops' framework is great but eventually plan on hardwire right over the poultry wire so you don't have to tear out anything already existing.  Do you have plans for shielding the walls from inclement weather?

Good point about the chicken wire... We are only going to use that for our vent areas and a drop down net on the door for hot weather. We have heavy duty fencing around our run area...

 

[iwiw60]

Good point about the chicken wire... We are only going to use that for our vent areas and a drop down net on the door for hot weather. We have heavy duty fencing around our run area...

Sorry, but what you are proposing to do will not do the trick against predators. As @Sylvester017 said in earlier posts chicken wire, in ANY form for ANY use is totally useless. Predators can, and will, tear through chicken wire like it was butter, and there goes your hard work with your flock. In order to keep your chickens really safe use 1/2" hardware cloth on all your VENTS. You said you have "heavy duty fencing around our run area..." what kind of fencing is it? Is it 1/2" hardware cloth? If not, it's a waste of money and time. I apologize for sounding 'brash' with my statements, but I have seen countless posts to the BYC forum boards on how predators tore up and killed their flocks because of lack of proper wire being used. Yes, it is an expense up-front, but will reward you with safe chickens and peace of mind. Wishing you all the best.

 

[TJordan]

Sorry, but what you are proposing to do will not do the trick against predators. As @Sylvester017
 said in earlier posts chicken wire, in ANY form for ANY use is totally useless. Predators can, and will, tear through chicken wire like it was butter, and there goes your hard work with your flock. In order to keep your chickens really safe use 1/2" hardware cloth on all your VENTS. You said you have "heavy duty fencing around our run area..." what kind of fencing is it? Is it 1/2" hardware cloth? If not, it's a waste of money and time. I apologize for sounding 'brash' with my statements, but I have seen countless posts to the BYC forum boards on how predators tore up and killed their flocks because of lack of proper wire being used. Yes, it is an expense up-front, but will reward you with safe chickens and peace of mind. Wishing you all the best.

Hey any advice is welcome here... I'm new to the chicken raising thing so I'm thankful for help... We haven't gotten the wire yet, we are getting it today so I'll let my husband know to get that instead... And by the fencing I mean that we bought some of that fencing used for large animals, like cows, that we will eventually be covering to protect from airial predators... I think we might even line the bottom and 1/2 foot deep with the wire you recommend to denture digging critters... Thanks so much. I live in lower AL so I have many critters to guard against... We also have gotten some 'household' vent covers to put over the air vents for added protection...

 

[iwiw60]

Hey any advice is welcome here... I'm new to the chicken raising thing so I'm thankful for help... We haven't gotten the wire yet, we are getting it today so I'll let my husband know to get that instead... And by the fencing I mean that we bought some of that fencing used for large animals, like cows, that we will eventually be covering to protect from airial predators... I think we might even line the bottom and 1/2 foot deep with the wire you recommend to denture digging critters... Thanks so much. I live in lower AL so I have many critters to guard against... We also have gotten some 'household' vent covers to put over the air vents for added protection...

Regular fencing that is used for larger animals, cows, etc., won't deter any of the predators that you most certainly have....living in ALASKA!!

If your DH does decide to go ahead with the 1/2" hardware cloth, make sure you secure it to your frames using 1-1/2" or 2" deck screws with fender washers. Stapling it down is not recommended. Also, be sure to "apron" your hardware cloth...everywhere....similar to these pics:




I invite you to visit my Pinterest board on Chickens ~ Predators . The link is below here in my signature.....wishing you all the best!!

 

[Latestarter]

I find that Dumor makes the chicken poop smell something awful. Otherwise the birds don't seem to have any problem with it. I like to switch it up from bag to bag or mix different types

Maybe its because I use PDZ that I haven't noticed or maybe because I haven't tried others...always worried that switching around might really upset their digesting and cause problems with the poop thing! ??

I've used several types of feed including Dumor and actually prefer it over the others I've tried. I don't use PDZ or DE. I just use the DLM in the coops and have no smell at all and very few if any flys. They're raised coops with wood floors (3/4" plywood) coated with Blackjack #57 as a sealant. I have plenty of ventilation, so maybe that helps. Right now, I'm mixing Dumor grower finisher with Purina Flock Raiser to boost the lower protein level a bit and fermenting it to enhance protein absorption by the chickens. I don't use a "layer" feed because I have roosters so have free for the taking oyster shell for the girls.

 

[Latestarter]

Regular fencing that is used for larger animals, cows, etc., won't deter any of the predators that you most certainly have....living in ALASKA!!

I think "lower AL" is Alabama.... Alaska is AK.... But still, there are plenty of predators in Alabama as well. I concur with the wire choice as well... you really need 1/2" Hardware cloth for the lower couple of feet of the run as a minimum. You can use larger dimension wire like general 1 x 2 to 1 x 4 (heavy duty) wire fencing for the apron (underground portion to prevent diggers and above the hardware cloth to the top of the run. But the lowest 2-3 feet of the enclosure fencing is the most dangerous area for your birds.

The most commonly stated way to attach the hardware cloth is with screws and fender washers, but you can also use "poultry" staples. NOT the staples you put in a hand held staple gun or pneumatic stapler, but the "U" shaped ones that you need to hammer in. The screws and washers give a pretty decent look/appearance in my opinion, but are MUCH more expensive than simple poultry staples. (Always reminding myself; "It's JUST a chicken coop!")

 

[Olive Oil]

Quote: The smallest, the A frame is 3 1/2' tall x 4' wide x 7' long. Not near large enough for 10 chickens. We use it for a brooder coop. If you build one similar, I would highly recommend more large doors or openings on the coop on different sides/the middle and better ventilation. Ours has only one door on one end and I have a heck of a time getting to the chickens unless we lift it and move it which is why ours is inside another coop. The babies run everywhere! It is however easy to move due to it's size. Our large coop is 14' wide x 30' long. It's an old houseboat canopy. We reinforced one side with baby gates. The other sides are protected by steel framework for those critters who try and break through. We buried wire down and out around all sides for diggers. Dogs near the coop also helps keep those predators away!

 

[LindaB220]

We started this spring and just planned on a few hens for eggs...35 chickens later...this weekend we brought home ducks...bleeping gateway livestock

Isn't that the truth.

 

[DoubleMM]

I've used several types of feed including Dumor and actually prefer it over the others I've tried. I don't use PDZ or DE. I just use the DLM in the coops and have no smell at all and very few if any flys. They're raised coops with wood floors (3/4" plywood) coated with Blackjack #57 as a sealant. I have plenty of ventilation, so maybe that helps. Right now, I'm mixing Dumor grower finisher with Purina Flock Raiser to boost the lower protein level a bit and fermenting it to enhance protein absorption by the chickens. I don't use a "layer" feed because I have roosters so have free for the taking oyster shell for the girls.

Hi Latestarter,

It's not so much the smell of the coop, as it is the smell of a fresh drop when I'm in the coop. The stank will make my eyes water. I hope I can get over it eventually, Dumor is the least expensive feed around here.

 

[billkaroly]

A couple of thoughts. One is about why I clip my girls right wings and that is because some of them can fly higher than my six foot fence. It was more for insurance and we have a dog I do not trust with a chicken. And about feed. We are using Nutrena Layer feed.

I give them treats every day in the form of rose petals. They love those. We also have wild wheat grass and I pull the tops off and give those to the chickens as well.