post your chicken coop pictures here!

[TJordan]

Here is mine. I love looking at all of these other coops!

I wish we had the cash and space for something like that...

 

[tntchix]

Here is mine. I love looking at all of these other coops!

How big is this thing? 2 separate rooms? I have 2 but only 2ft x8ft for storage, rest is for chix. Very nice.

 

[Sylvester017]

Well, DE is DE whether it's in pure white, yellow, or low-grade equine gray form. The pure white just means the clay content and other particles have been extracted but sharp shards of the DE are microscopic and the sharp ends well, what do you suppose those sharp ends lodge themselves into - your intestines, your eyeballs, your lungs. DE is really an unnecessary expense and there are just too many warnings about it to be used safely around living beings yet doesn't do a thing to deter lice - my friend has been using it for her flock since I gave her my unopened 10# bag of pure white food grade DE and says its useless. I gave her a bottle of OMRI organic Poultry Protector and her lice/mite problem cleared up in less than a week. On the BYC Silkie thread it is fast becoming a common warning not to use DE around pets/chickens.

For those several who have asked me for a link to buying organic Poultry Protector on the internet here are link/s

http://www.mannapro.com/products/poultry/poultry-protector/
http://www.amazon.com/Manna-Pro-0502035355-Protector-16-Ounce/dp/B000HHLR3A
http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/manna-proreg;-poultry-protector-16-oz
http://www.mypetchicken.com/catalog/Chicken-Health/Poultry-Protector-16-oz-p780.aspx
http://www.randallburkey.com/339-oz-Concentrated-Poultry-Protector/productinfo/10702/#.U_PldWP4WCc
http://www.calranch.com/manna-pro-poultry-protector-concentrate

Check your local TSC or feed store supplies to see if they have it in stock. Several on-line hatcheries (which I haven't bothered to list) carry this product also. I recommend the 16-oz bottle for convenience with the quart bottle to use for refills. I only have 3 chickens so the 16-oz is all I need for several months but those of you who have a big flock may need to get the quart refill as well. Well worth the money, convenience, and safety from using dangerous DE.

 

[Sylvester017]

Added a stump for step down out of coop. The girls seem to love it and it came with a bug buffet.

New bottom nest boxes for bantams: it didn't take long for them to scratch out all the straw I just put in while they were inspecting my work. Or to poop on top. (needs slanted board for sure)
Nest mats are coming next.

I had one Silkie bantam that would scratch the wood nestbox bottom so hard before laying her egg that she would pull out toenails or injure toes to bleeding so we had to use plexiglass bottoms on the nestbox bottoms to keep that one Silkie from digging splinters into her toes. We tried other material but her toenails even snagged plastic so we resorted to plexiglass hard bottoms. She hasn't injured any more toes since. It makes the bottom of the nests slippery so extra straw or shavings will be necessary to keep the other chickens from slipping and sliding on the slippery bottoms. They've pretty much all gotten used to maneuvering around on the slippery bottoms. One thing I've noticed is that it was easier to clean up a broken soft shell egg on the plexiglass where it might've soaked too much into a wooden bottom.

 

[Sylvester017]

I've been hearing you two rave about that stuff. Do you have a link to where I can buy it online?? I've been googling it, but I haven't found any website yet as to where I can punch in my credit card and buy that OMRI brand OMRI Organic Poultry Protector and have them ship it right here to my door.

See Post #5165

 

[Sylvester017]

I will thanks... Btw... I love the song choice in the video...

How often should it be changed completely and how well does it clump if it gets wet ....
Quote:
Originally Posted by iwiw60

You know, I've never had to change mine yet. As for getting 'wet' mine doesn't so I can't address that either...fat lot of help I am, eh?!!

I imagine any type of granular litter whether cat or poultry is like any litter. If it starts to get harder to clean or starts to give off some odor than it's time to change it. Depends on how many cats (or chickens) you have to use up its effectiveness before it needs to be changed out.

 

[DoubleMM]

Here is mine. I love looking at all of these other coops!

I like this lots.... Thanks for sharing


BTW, what are gonna do with that big barn?

 

[TJordan]

I imagine any type of granular litter whether cat or poultry is like any litter.  If it starts to get harder to clean or starts to give off some odor than it's time to change it.  Depends on how many cats (or chickens) you have to use up its effectiveness before it needs to be changed out.

Good point.


Oh and happy dance time again... :yiipchick

My birds have figured out the coop at night !!!!

 

[Sylvester017]

Thanks, it's hard to see on the photo but there is poultry wire covering the top of the pen too. In terms of aerial predators, we don't have any where I am but I may take your advice on paving around the pen to deter foxes. I think there are the only threat to my flock.

Our real threat and growing problem all the way from the Southern U.S. north to Alaska are the American Raccoon which are a danger in both rural and city communities. Ontaria, Canada has the worst city problem with Chicago, Illinois being the 2nd worst city raccoon problem. In rural areas wild pigs interbred with Asian boars let loose in the forests are becoming the 2nd biggest threat to livestock and agricultural farmers. That's in addition to aerial predators, coyotes, foxes, weasels, oppossums, rats, mice, bears, deer, rabbits, snakes, wolves and bears occasionally, mountain lions, bobcats - and rattlers in the Southwest States. That's not figuring in the occasional loose stray neighborhood dogs or pet cats perusing the neighborhood. I almost lost my flock with 2 stray dogs that broke down our fence gate and attacked my poultry wire coop. They mangled and tore the chicken wire so badly it couldn't be repaired and would've lost my chickens if not for a good neighbor who chased off the mutts. Poultry or chicken wire is not interlinked and can easily be torn by claws/paws to make a hole for access into the coop which is why so many BYCers recommend 1/2 inch sturdy hardwire instead of the poultry/chicken wire that is easily torn open. And our raccoons are clever enough to keep working at the wire or locks on doors to gain access and teach their future kits how to manipulate until they successfully learn what their parents teach them.

The stray mutts that broke into our yard couldn't dig under our coop because we had a paver stone patio set all around the bottom of our pen thank goodness! Can you put paver stones around the rear backyard fence of your coop also? Doesn't look like there's enough room to barricade the ground so the paver stones may not fit?

 

[Sylvester017]

Well.....when I get the last posthole dug and post set...

..I think I'll have a party and invite everyone within driving distance who's able...to help me put on the run hardwire............I've got it already and I have an old door which I'm going to have to frame out and hang......It may be winter by then!! LOL I got one dug today and post leveled up...will dig another tomorrow, put in the post and quickcrete .. in the pictures, the cement blocks are there just to hold the post in the proper position. If you all hang around long enough, you will see my coop/run complete...

Ok...I couldn't stand it.... Let me see. hmmmmm! DH and dr. said to take a nap today.....the longer I sat here and looked at this pict, (they didn't know that I even dug one hole sooooo), I went out and dug a second hole, put the pole in and wrestled an 80 lb bag of quickcrete...1/2 in each hole and poured the water to it!!!!

One thing about RMSF is dehydration due to excess sweating....had to come in and change clothes and get the hair dryer.... Now the question???? I know dh's going to ask about my "nap". Can I lye or just what do I do now?

LOL

Won't your DH notice the mysterious posts going up one by one?