post your chicken coop pictures here!

[Sylvester017]

@rubie , you're making me blush

I did notice a flaw though, there's some mouse poop accumulating around the feed bins. They can't get into them, but that doesn't stop them from trying. I'm going to put in some rodent netting, I have a roll of it in the shed. But that's a "when I get around to it" thing.

What is rodent netting? Is it hard wire or fabric content? We used netting over our garden beds and the rodents just chewed through it - d*#ned critters!

 

[Sylvester017]

But last night after I had closed my girls up I looked back and my nosy EE had already gotten up on the roost watching me as I left. She keeps an eye on everything. The motion light had not gone out yet (takes a few min). I took a couple of picts. Can you see her peaking...just over the welcome sign? LOL And yea, I have to get the wire over the ventilation asap..got the back done..got a lot I want to do on the inside..


She gets her place on the roost before any of the others are allowed to get up there. !! I always laugh because there is a fight for position every night... except for her....! LOL... The others are all the same age..young. She should be a layer at anytime!! She seems to be the mother/protector all rolled into one.

Our Blue Wheaten Ameraucana (my avatar) behaves exactly like your EE - she won't go to sleep always watching the open coop door at dusk. The others go to sleep but she sits on a ledge like a sentinel. Once the door is shut she feels safe to settle down and go to sleep in her spot. The only thing is that she is not an alpha. She's just a very wary breed and that's her breed's characteristic - alert, jittery, jumpy, spooky, klutzy, predator savvy, sweet, non-combative and a decent winter layer - and the same with EEs so it seems.

 

[Sylvester017]

Here's a great idea...look closely and you'll see the bird netting:


drive bamboo stakes into the ground, perch flower pots on top and cover with bird netting

We used the cheap 6-ft bamboo stakes (bought them completely out at 99 Cents store) and my DH brought home a roll of Starbuck's paper cups and I used those instead of heavier flower pots to hold up our bird netting. We had to use 2x3's to hold the netting down at ground level because the smart wild birds go under the netting and fly around in the garden. The boards have to completely anchor the netting on the ground or else the birds find openings to get inside the netting.

BTW - it doesn't keep rodents like mice or rats out - they chew right through the bird netting like butter!

 

[Sylvester017]

Compliments to you for becoming a chickeneer!

Nice to have young strong men help when you built your framework. But 1/2 inch hardwire is essential. I had 2 stray mutts break into our yard and attack our coop - the cheap 1 inch poultry wire was mangled and torn so badly it couldn't be repaired - a good neighbor chased off the mutts before they got to our chickens through that cheap poultry wire! A BYCer had a pet dog and cat that had been accustomed to being around their chickens for 7 years and then they came home one day to find the dog and cat tore into the poultry wire pen and killed their whole flock.

Without 1/2 inch hardwire over the pen structure your resident Raccoons (they are reclusive and you'll never know you have them until they attack your coop) will easily mangle and tear open holes in that poultry wire with their strong manipulative claws. Yes 1/2 inch is the most expensive part of a coop build but city Raccoons will love chicken dinner at your house through that poultry wire as it is now.

These things may or may not happen to you in particular but we BYCers love to share our experiences in good faith.

 

[Sylvester017]

When I put up my perch in this new coop I'm going to get a few small pieces of 2x4s and make a U cradle for easy removal and cleaning secured with screws... Just put the 2x4 perch in the cradle

That's how pre-built assembled coops have their removeable perches - in cradles as you call them.

 

[Sylvester017]

This thread is about coop design...so I'm trying not to get into a whole "thing" about DE

but to ease some minds... I use it sparingly. Around trees with ants, sprinkle it around my house to deter bugs, on vegie garden for afids ect., poop droppings to deter flies, sprinkle in nest boxes so they won't have mites living in there waiting on my hens to nest ect. And I really don't see any difference or harm in how I use it compared to my chickens dust bathing...it is "dust" bathing after all.

end of hijack

DE is most definitely a part of coop design topics. Popular warning consensus on the BYC Silkie thread! as well.

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/05/diatomaceous-earth-de-benefitrisk.html

 

[Sylvester017]

I had some people say the slanted nesting boxes wouldn't work and I was disappointed to hear that. I am happy to report the slanted boxes work beautifully and the eggs roll back out of the nest and away from the chickens which is good because they have four nest boxes and only use one sometimes two hens at a time.

Chickens are naturally careful when entering a nest that has eggs in it already. Have you ever seen those photos of several different colored eggs in one nest? The different breeds instinctively are careful about previously layed eggs so when the brooding instinct takes over they have a good clutch to set - even if they are other hens' eggs! Sometimes I even have 3 hens in one nest all laying at the same time and have never had a broken egg as long as there's plenty of nestbox bedding. Usually the slanted nestboxes for rolling out eggs are used by commercial or large flock owners to make egg collecting faster for them but I'm glad you are enjoying your system. Very nice build.

 

[Sylvester017]

We have finished our coop for the most part. Still have a few minor touches and need to clean up. We bought a Rubbermaid shed and used an old dog kennel, used the poles from an old trampoline to make the roof to the run.

Very clever use of recycled items and I love the comments you took to heart about the hardwire and using property boulders at the base. I love security minded chicken owners!

 

[Sylvester017]

First that last picture makes me hungry!! It looks so delicious! Second - the idea of slanted boxes....that's AWESOME. what a great idea. I worry mine are going to peck the eggs etc. Great idea. Glad its working!

We collect eggs daily sometimes twice to avoid egg-peckers or broodies. Chickens who use the same nest to lay eggs are careful not to break existing eggs in the nest - they want to come back a couple weeks later to set a clutch so are very careful about nest eggs - even other hens' eggs.

 

[Sylvester017]

What to do what to do if the deep litter option is out due to space limits in the coop..

So many options so little space lol... Also... Should I use only sweet PDZ in my coop for bedding or put shavings on top of it?.... I've heard it both ways... I'm planing to start using it when we build the 4'x8' coop ..... Oh I think I'm also going to build an add-on area like a green house area for the coming winter .... I hope....

Everyone likes something different so your best bet is trial and error until you find what works best for you. No one's way is the only way so get a feel for what will work for you. We went with a dirt floor but after finding how much chickens like to dig, we had to put a paver stone row around the base of the coop to keep them from underminding the foundation. We've had this "temporary" coop for 3 years now

How many years qualifies as "temporary"?