post your chicken coop pictures here!

[Tarzakus]

 

[Tarzakus]

That is the right interpretation; the floor of the roosting area is welded wire mesh, it has never been harmful to the chicken's feet. If it were chicken wire, then it might be a problem, but, the welded wire is a thicker gage so it's easy on the feet. Normally they don't even have to walk on the floor.

 

[Sylvester017]

Just don't know about pouring chemicals on the ground. The ammonia will kill all the grass. Wonder if dilute it with water would be ok and not be so bad

As someone who is a firm believer in organics in my garden, there are just some situations that require stronger solutions to a problem. I believe in OMRI organics to fertilize plants or eradicate my garden pests but if the organic solution is not doing the job I am forced to use insecticide on a problem plant. Now if I had my choice between a little ammonia killing grass or having a rattlesnake surprise me or kill my chickens - guess what I would choose to do? Sometimes you have to pick a stronger method against an evil problem and rattlesnakes are EVIL on your property as those of us who have encountered them can testify. As one post said I don't mind killing the weeds along the fence line anyway.

 

[Sylvester017]

Oh cool. I really didn't know they were not big on night laying. This is our first time being chicken owners. I should probably open up the boxes soon, just in case. I think all the breeds we have (Wyandottes/Australorpe/Orphington) will lay at about 26 weeks though. We'll see. I am in there looking for eggs every day, haha.
Just in case

Leghorns and production breeds or sexlinks are known to lay as early as 20-24 weeks but most other breeds LF or bantam seldom lay before 6 months old. My Ameraucana didn't lay until almost 7 months old - she started laying in the dead of winter and hasn't stopped yet! I've read where some breeds didn't lay until 8 or 10 months old and some chickens that never layed an egg in their life but that's the rare exception. I had one Silkie that took 6 months to start laying again after a moult. Relax and enjoy your birds and socialize them with treats in your hand - in 3 years you'll be quite calm and experienced about what chickens do or don't do LOL! Do routine maintenance like organic Poultry Protector for lice/mite prevention, worming at least 2x a year, and don't use DE in chicken food or in their dust bath. Chickens are prone to respiratory infections so we don't use any powdery substances around them or their coop. In advance line up a vet that likes chickens for any future health problems - don't wait until an emergency to try to find a good vet.

My most traumatic experience was having to take a very sick little Silkie to the vet (she's ok now) and the 2nd most traumatic was peeling a vicious attacking 7-lb Marans off of my 2-lb Silkie. Can you guess why I only invest in gentle LF and under 5-lb now? I research a breed like crazy now before I introduce one into my gentle flock. Believe it or not a chicken is not just a chicken like all others - there are many variables regarding breed temperaments, diet requirements, breed health issues, etc. My folks raised poultry on the farm in large numbers and there was a different ethic about raising them 60 years ago. Today chickens are pets as well as utility in our backyards and the raising methods are different because we get so attached to them - my DH refuses to eat our chickens and will re-home even the mean ones LOL. I often am amazed my chickens are still alive after 3 years with all the mistakes I make along the way but they are resilient little buggers.

Wyans are dominant breeds and Orps can be assertive as well. It will be interesting to find which of your breeds becomes the alpha matriarch of your flock.

 

[Sylvester017]

It's ok. A lot of people don't like DE because it kills the necessary bugs that chickens will eat. It won't work for deep litter, what I have.

The reports of DE's snake oil treatment reputation from killing bugs to aiding digestion are far over-rated and rarely kills bugs even after the bugs walk directly through the powder. A product with that much warning on the label to wear goggles and breathing mask was enough to set up a red flag and cause me to research it more.

This is one of the few intelligent articles I've encountered about it's use around chickens: http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/05/diatomaceous-earth-de-benefitrisk.html

I really tried to talk myself into using DE, even buying the expensive white food grade (not the yellow or gray) but the more I researched it on various websites, the less safe it obviously became to use around humans or chickens. Everyone has to make their own decisions about what they do with their poultry but I researched for 3 months before using my 10 # bag and finally decided to give it away unopened. There are safer products to use than DE - once a month I use organic OMRI Poultry Protector for lice/mite prevention on both our coop crevices as well as directly on our hens following the label instructions and we've been lice/mite free for 3 years. Everyone has to decide for themselves.

 

[TJordan]

One chickeneer on this thread said she used mothballs inside old pantyhose and hung them around the outside of her chicken coop.  She says she doesn't have any more snake problems since using this economical practice.  She hung them on the outside of the coop so not to harm the respiratory system of her hens inside the coop.  If kids want to eat mothballs they'll have to chew through the pantyhose to do so

that's funny... I've heard that moth balls work... Just never thought of doing that. Thanks

 

[carcar80]

I prefer dirt cheap, or long lasting solutions. We have a saying here, "Poor people can't afford to buy cheap things" - it's better to invest in quality that lasts than to replace annually.

Can I just say, I LOVE this saying!?

 

[ADavid]

My Sweet husband designed and built this one. He's so handy Very functional, for cleaning etc and egg box is very easily accessible. He even added a step so the kids can help collect eggs! Also the green blends in with the landscape so it can't really be seen from the road (if you're trying to go icognito). Our girls seem happy as they can be!

 

[iwiw60]

My Sweet husband designed and built this one. He's so handy Very functional, for cleaning etc and egg box is very easily accessible. He even added a step so the kids can help collect eggs! Also the green blends in with the landscape so it can't really be seen from the road (if you're trying to go icognito). Our girls seem happy as they can be!

That is a great looking coop! Well designed, but I'm compelled to address a few things for the safety of your flock. First you used 2 x 4" welded wire. As you live in Georgia, aka predator heaven, that wire will do nothing to deter predators such as raccoon, fox, weasel, etc. They will tear through it like it was butter and there goes your flock. Also, with raccoons, which is your major predator there, they will "team tag" with another raccoon and while one is creating the chaos with the birds the other one will sit on another side reaching in and ripping their heads off, which is their favorite thing to do. I would highly recommend re-thinking your wire and switch over to 1/2" hardware cloth everywhere. You should 'apron' it also such as these example pics:


This will deter the diggers. On the window(s) I can't tell from the picture but assume you have covered the opening with hardware cloth? Just a few ideas for you, and I wish you all the very best.

 

[jtbass2756]

My Sweet husband designed and built this one. He's so handy Very functional, for cleaning etc and egg box is very easily accessible. He even added a step so the kids can help collect eggs! Also the green blends in with the landscape so it can't really be seen from the road (if you're trying to go icognito). Our girls seem happy as they can be!

I love this...wish my dh would help me out.....wouldn't even ask him to do it....Just some help please. (to say the least...he is not a chicken person) LOL
Would definitely put some 1/2" wire around the lower portion of the run. Predators are known to grab a chicken and pull them thru the wire ...one piece at a time.. not pretty.