post your chicken coop pictures here!

[Sylvester017]

I was thinking that this morning! I know there isn't a ton of moisture from that pack I put in but that isn't the same as the ventilation. I only have two vents the first is the one at the bottom of the coop shown in my first photo this is the second.

It's near the top but I think the wire is too large so I'll put another layer of wire there. The holes near the bottom are for little wooden slide doors to collect eggs. They need repairing. I don't want to make it too drafty but dont know if those two vents will keep the coop free of gasses. The way it's looking I might have just three hens now. They're getting older and some look like they might be roos.

I worry a lot! I want to make sure that the are not cramped, that their area is secure and that they are happy and healthy. I don't want to cause any deaths or illness due to my inexperience. But I really enjoy having and caring for my little ones. You've taught me a ton so I am very grateful!

For 3 hens that ventilation seems adequate. The sliding drawers are a puzzle to me and seem easy access for predator claws to pull open and enter the coop. Put secure locking latches on them so a 'coon can't slide them open.

I don't know what your climate temps are but in the late summer we get 100+ temps and I leave the cleanout nestbox door open for more ventilation but I stay up all night to make sure there are no predators - the coop is 10 steps from the kitchen sliding door. Silly? Maybe. But as I said I'm a worrier. Our newest coop won't have ventilation problems. The best thing is to use a 1/2" hardwire screen door as a people door and use a thin plywood screen door insert cover for night-time or inclement weather days. Just some ideas as I don't know what your final look will be like.

Re-homing roos is heartbreaking. One was sent to us as a pullet and we have to re-home the sweetie!

 

[Sylvester017]

so proud of my hubby's coop for our chickies...obviously a work in progress

Is the coop heavy to move or is it on wheels? DH looks like a fancy builder!

 

[winginit]

Just added the the wheels he's an engineer and a perfectionist...and hes doing it all because I wanted chickens

 

[Amberjem]

Just added the the wheels he's an engineer and a perfectionist...and hes doing it all because I wanted chickens

 

[rstrasbu]

A work in progress.

 

[bigmrg74]

Nipple waterers are wonderful for keeping drinking water clean. I only have 3 chickens but between them and the wild birds I got tired of dirty poops and weeds kicked into the water. My girls free-range and since there's only 3 of them I got two Brite Tap Rubbermaid portable nipple waterers from www.chickenwaterers.com - I can move them around to keep in shade in the yard as the seasonal sun changes directions. The water stays so clean and insulated cool inside the containers. Ice cubes in summer is an added touch for really hot days. And if I needed to I can strap or hang the coolers inside the coop. I have two Brite Taps just as an added backup should one ever leak out (not likely just good sense).

I agree that the nipple waterers seem to be the best way to do it...I dont wanna have to clean water bowls out multiple times a day because I work to much for that and even though my wife is a stay at home mom she has 3 boys to deal with so having to constantly check the water bowls is too much...My plan is to build a small platform for this 35gal drum to sit on just outside the coop and have two pvc lines with 5 nipples on each line...one running through the wall of the coop and strapped against the wall on the inside and the other line strapped on the wall of the coop on the outside...this way they can have water both inside and out...Planning on building a extended roof overhang off the coop to cover the drinking area on the outside to keep it shaded as well...I have a million ideas and so little time! haha...this is EXACTLY why I just went ahead and bought a coop instead of building...I can manage little projects one by one...but trying to build anything extensive is just too time consuming!

Yeah, I switched my older girls over to a nipple water today. Its just one of those bucket ones from TSC. I think they were starting to figure it out by this evening, and well, by then it was raining and I didn't feel like staying out there watching them any longer. I'm hoping that they'll have it mastered soon. after that, I'll be mixing in my new chicks and hope they'll figure it out from them.

 

[Sylvester017]

Yeah, I switched my older girls over to a nipple water today. Its just one of those bucket ones from TSC. I think they were starting to figure it out by this evening, and well, by then it was raining and I didn't feel like staying out there watching them any longer. I'm hoping that they'll have it mastered soon. after that, I'll be mixing in my new chicks and hope they'll figure it out from them.

I had older hens from 2 to 4 yrs in age. I took my smartest chicken, a little pistol of a Black Silkie and tapped on the nipples until she understood water came out. I did it constantly throughout the day and she was a pro by end of day. However, it took the 4 y/o Silkie 8 days to catch on to using it properly. The most difficult thing for me was to withhold the old watering bowl while they were forced to learn the nipple valves. If the old watering method is left out they will never learn the nipple valves. For the older Silkie we hand-fed her treats like cuke, cantaloupe, and Greek yogurt for moisture until she perfected the waterer. She knew water came out of the valves but didn't understand how to catch the drips. She finally learned. We have two height positions but the Silkies and Ameraucanas use the two height sizes interchangeably. I got sore fingers constantly tapping the valves 20x a day but it was worth it to get the flock transitioned. Be patient. It will happen.

 

[bigmrg74]

I had older hens from 2 to 4 yrs in age. I took my smartest chicken, a little pistol of a Black Silkie and tapped on the nipples until she understood water came out. I did it constantly throughout the day and she was a pro by end of day. However, it took the 4 y/o Silkie 8 days to catch on to using it properly. The most difficult thing for me was to withhold the old watering bowl while they were forced to learn the nipple valves. If the old watering method is left out they will never learn the nipple valves. For the older Silkie we hand-fed her treats like cuke, cantaloupe, and Greek yogurt for moisture until she perfected the waterer. She knew water came out of the valves but didn't understand how to catch the drips. She finally learned. We have two height positions but the Silkies and Ameraucanas use the two height sizes interchangeably. I got sore fingers constantly tapping the valves 20x a day but it was worth it to get the flock transitioned. Be patient. It will happen.

thanks, I'll do that tomorrow.

 

[dandymandie]

For 3 hens that ventilation seems adequate.  The sliding drawers are a puzzle to me and seem easy access for predator claws to pull open and enter the coop.  Put secure locking latches on them so a 'coon can't slide them open.

I don't know what your climate temps are but in the late summer we get 100+ temps and I leave the cleanout nestbox door open for more ventilation but I stay up all night to make sure there are no predators - the coop is 10 steps from the kitchen sliding door.  Silly?  Maybe.  But as I said I'm a worrier.  Our newest coop won't have ventilation problems.  The best thing is to use a 1/2" hardwire screen door as a people door and use a thin plywood screen door insert cover for night-time or inclement weather days.  Just some ideas as I don't know what your final look will be like.

Re-homing roos is heartbreaking.  One was sent to us as a pullet and we have to re-home the sweetie!

I'll get something down, raccoons are a real problem they eat the cat food and they surrounded me in my van one day so it's war now! We have mild temperatures. I'm coastal in Northern California. We get a lot of rain and fog. I think I'll put some kind of tarp on half of their area to keep that out.I'm not sure what kind of wire we purchased but its very small. The person never told us what it is called and we live in a small town maybe I can order something online .

I know it will be hard to say goodbye if I do indeed have a few roos one is sort of obvious I think, but they are silkies and my understanding is I won't know for a while! I'm so glad I studied quite a bit before getting them and that I have found this website. Everyone here has been very helpful and it's great that we have a place for us newbies to learn! Very appreciative here! If the ones I suspect to be roos do turn out as so, I hope I can find a member nearby that will take one. That would be awesome!

 

[Sylvester017]

I'll get something down, raccoons are a real problem they eat the cat food and they surrounded me in my van one day so it's war now! We have mild temperatures. I'm coastal in Northern California. We get a lot of rain and fog. I think I'll put some kind of tarp on half of their area to keep that out.I'm not sure what kind of wire we purchased but its very small. The person never told us what it is called and we live in a small town maybe I can order something online .

I know it will be hard to say goodbye if I do indeed have a few roos one is sort of obvious I think, but they are silkies and my understanding is I won't know for a while! I'm so glad I studied quite a bit before getting them and that I have found this website. Everyone here has been very helpful and it's great that we have a place for us newbies to learn! Very appreciative here! If the ones I suspect to be roos do turn out as so, I hope I can find a member nearby that will take one. That would be awesome!

We stopped leaving pet food out overnight. Night critters will get accustomed to it and we don't want 'Coons, Mice, Rats, 'Possums, someone's loose pet Boa or Python, or nocturnal feral Cats coming to our yard for nightly snacks. Besides tarping the coop in rain, a pop-up canopy over the coop with canopy legs buried in ground will keep most of the hard rain out of the coop - especially if the coop is elevated on 2 or 3 rows of cinder blocks to give the coop elevation from the wet ground.

I had to give away my first Partridge Silkie 4 yrs ago when he started crowing incessantly at a little over 6 m/o. I still get anxious when his little photos come up on my screen saver! Silkie roos just grab your heart!