post your chicken coop pictures here!

[meralgia]

It only took the squirrel a little over three weeks to start chewing the lid that protects the chicken feed from the elements. It also means that he can't find an easy way into the coop, which is good news for their protection! I got the five chickens on August 1, my first flock, and I covered every 1/2 inch of the coop and run to avoid their early demise. Now I just need to figure out how to keep the chicken from digging a deeper hole when she dust bathes as she is awfully close to the edge. I sunk the hardware cloth underground, but she's threatening to dig a hole to India.

 

[TJordan]

I am so sorry for the tree crushing your dream... .Yea, 4x5' is way too small for 10 birds but you do what you need to do with what you have at the time!!!  The rain has held me up from working on my run.. My poor girls have literally been "cooped" up all summer.. I've kept fans on them and ice in the water....everything. I "rebuilt" my run door yesterday because I wasn't satisfied with the sturdiness of the original. One of so many rebuilding...learning by my mistakes. I'm 65 and have no building experience..LOL   I understand your frustration at not having it finished.....oh, do i understand!!!  So sorry.. Hope it gets moving really soon...as bad as I hate to say it, winter is coming!

It has to get better lol... Only saving grace for my birds.... They have a big fenced in yard to roam ... They are semi-free ranged... Only have to hang out in the coop at night. I've even put up a few sheltered areas so they can be outside in bad weather but still covered... The old plastic truck bed linner flipped over and on a stand works great for bad weather hide...

 

[iwiw60]

It only took the squirrel a little over three weeks to start chewing the lid that protects the chicken feed from the elements. It also means that he can't find an easy way into the coop, which is good news for their protection! I got the five chickens on August 1, my first flock, and I covered every 1/2 inch of the coop and run to avoid their early demise. Now I just need to figure out how to keep the chicken from digging a deeper hole when she dust bathes as she is awfully close to the edge. I sunk the hardware cloth underground, but she's threatening to dig a hole to India.

So you had your feed in a Rubbermaid trash can instead of galvanized?

I know what you mean by digging their way to India! What I did was I took some scrap 2x12's, cut them about 4' long and made a "raised" dust bath for them. I then took a bag of peat moss and 2 containers of woodstove ash I had saved up, mixed them in, and voila! They absolutely love it! In this pic you can just see the dust bath off in the corner:


just an idea for you!

 

[LindaB220]

So you had your feed in a Rubbermaid trash can instead of galvanized?

I know what you mean by digging their way to India! What I did was I took some scrap 2x12's, cut them about 4' long and made a "raised" dust bath for them. I then took a bag of peat moss and 2 containers of woodstove ash I had saved up, mixed them in, and voila! They absolutely love it! In this pic you can just see the dust bath off in the corner:


just an idea for you!

I seriously love your setup. It would be perfect for my hot weather in La.

 

[meralgia]

Thanks for your idea!! I may, indeed, build them a raised dust bath.

Yes, the feed is in rubbermaid bin out at the coop. The water and feed hang from a rectangular hole in a piece of plywood (suspended like a roof over their feeding stump). I may change to galvanized, but I don't know if I can find a good rectangular option. For now, I've put a metal cover over it with a rock on top.

 

[iwiw60]

Thanks for your idea!! I may, indeed, build them a raised dust bath.

Yes, the feed is in rubbermaid bin out at the coop. The water and feed hang from a rectangular hole in a piece of plywood (suspended like a roof over their feeding stump). I may change to galvanized, but I don't know if I can find a good rectangular option. For now, I've put a metal cover over it with a rock on top.

I'd go the extra buck or two and go for galvanized because if it's squirrels today, it'll be mice and rats tomorrow....and THAT you don't want for sure.

 

[iwiw60]

I seriously love your setup. It would be perfect for my hot weather in La.

Thanks @LindaB220 !! Appreciate it! Did you click the link at the bottom of my post to view all the pics of my coop and run?

 

[jtbass2756]

Yep, that 1/2" hardware cloth can be a beast. What I ended up doing was to take 2 pieces of heavy wood (4x4x3-4' long) and I rolled a length of the wire out on the ground, threw those 4x4's on top so it wouldn't curl back up on me (hated that!) then made my cuts. I went the extra $ and had bought a real good pair of wire cutters and wore gloves and cuts weren't too bad to do that way. It really is a 2-person job but it can be done when by yourself, just frustrating! Take your time....

Thanks for the tips....I did get the pole in its 2' deep hole today! picts below..wore me out! I planned to do it this am while it was cooler but unexpected company dropped in and then it was time for dh to be home for lunch.,,,he had made a mistake this am of telling me to only do one thing today and then rest!

Sooooo, I didn't count putting on the pork loin in the crockpot and putting in a second load of clothes.....so after he left I went out and dug the hole for my last pole.. Went to get the 80lb bag of quickcrete...and it had gotten some condensation I guess and the bottom of the bag had gotten hard...it tore open but because it was on a tarp, I was able to get it into a container and pour it into the hole!!!!

I've got the pieces of 2x4's to use and may try to start the bottom layer in the am. Those concrete blocks may be difficult to get off but it was the only way for me to hold it level long enough for the quickcrete to set... Do you think the quickcrete will be set by tomorrow?

Guess I should have read the bag...have to do that..LOL..sure don't want to ask my dh...

 

[iwiw60]

Oh, sure it'll be plenty dry by tomorrow...go for it girlfriend!

 

[jtbass2756]

Oh, sure it'll be plenty dry by tomorrow...go for it girlfriend!

Well, I "sneaked" out a inute ago and shoveled the dirt in the hole...Its packed and ready for work tomorrow...I hope!