post your chicken coop pictures here!

[Red Star Hens]

The girls out for their first night in the house. Still got a little left to do but it's livable now and they needed to go out.

 

[Sylvester017]

Well. My husband has decided to buy a lg coop or 2 smaller ones instead of building one right now. Just have to find it in our price range.

After your run of luck I wish you all the good luck in the world in finding something affordable. I'm not saying to get one from MyPetChicken.com but they have really expanded their coop selections in a wide price range since I first started following them a couple years ago. Is your collapsed chainlink going to be hard to replace? How is your puppy doing after her ordeal? How are YOU doing after the ordeal?

 

[Texas4T]

New coop and run we just finished it's 5x6x6 a d the run is 8x25 the other half is my bully buff orpingtons

I love the star! This is a great idea.

 

[bruceha2000]

Thanks Bruce. Ya I know staple gun staples aren't the best to use but I hammered in a butt load of them to help that lol. Plus we are outside a lot. My wife stays home with our 3 boys and the coop and run is only about 30 ft away from the house. And my workshop/shed is only 8 ft to the right of the coop. Between kids and the German Shepard running around here all day predators stay away from the house.

I have a half mile long driveway so I'm usually piling up about 3 garbage bags outside next to the shed before I drag my butt down to the road and put it away in the garbage cans. Even sitting for a couple days (wife hates when I forget and leave them sitting lol) I never have anything tear into them.
So since I'm not too concerned with the daytime predators I chose the regular chicken wire to just keep the chicks in there more than keep predators out. We are also talking about buying a new house so there's a possibility I'm gonna have to tear this all down and start over again someplace else lol.

A butt load of arrow staples still won't stop anything

but you clearly know the limitations and that is what is important. Lots of people hear "staple the wire to the frames" and the only kind of staple they know is the staple gun type. And it IS chicken wire right? So it must be good for protecting chickens, right? That is why you keep reading here about using 1/2" hardware cloth and poultry / fence staples or screws and fender washers. What is familiar and sounds logical isn't the "Fort Knox" solution to keeping your birds from harm. We all take our chances since no one wants the birds to live like egg factory battery hens locked up tight 24 hours a day. What would be the purpose?? And if they aren't locked up tight, things can happen. We weigh the risks vs the costs in time and money. I'm sure Bill Gates could pay someone to build a 10 acre 100% predator proof area for chickens. Most of us don't have that kind of money.

Assuming your GS doesn't go after the chickens, it is the best protection you have!

Noticed my little ones aren't quite big enough to get up on the roost bar. So after finishing up all the wire on the run I chopped a few pieces of scrap up to make a mini roost bar/ step ladder for them. They are loving it. Jumping up and down it.

Perfect!

Here's mine

Very nice.

coop is at the house chickies are in...note to self add lock to run door

Yep, gotta keep those predators out of the run at night, the small blond one are the worst!

Finally done.

Beautiful. Attractive on all sides and really well thought out with the side and end doors.

My coop in progress! Pullet shut chicken door, floor pull out cleaning pan, cedar interior, auto feeders and waterer, temp controlled fan.

Still working on the outside and nesting boxes. Having fun picking out all my goodies and watching my chicks enjoying their new space!

Lovely! Do you have a plan whereby you can raise the roost as the birds grow?

Added an awning to the upper windows to cut heat gain from glaring summer sun. Still allows light and air movement, and also blocks harshest of rains.

Oh cut it out, I'm not going to be able to look at MY house pretty soon!

You do super nice work.

Pyr's don't really bond well with poultry... they are more geared to sheep/goats. If there are poultry around when they're raised and trained, it is more a secondary function rather than primary. They tend to become "possessive" and protect everything that is "theirs".

Edit to add that you'd best have strong fencing as well since they think they own everything within range of their vision... even if it's the next ridge over

Yep, from what I read, LGDs of all breeds have an instinct that says "I have a LOT of ground I must protect". Fences 5' high or 4' with a hot wire at 5'. And no wussy fencing either - solid welded wire or rail with hot wire at several levels. Plus hot wire near the ground since they will dig their way out.

Here is my coop. Chicks went out today and I am soo nervous. Even tho we are pretty sure nothing will get in the run. Im very new to chickens and would love any input!

Nervous = NORMAL!!!

It looks good from what I can see but if there is no way to lock the chickens up at night, I worry about the area around the top of the chain link door. And if you haven't done so, you need to bury a wire skirt from the bottom of the chain link down and out at least 18". And if you have weasels, go with the suggested 1/2" hardware cloth over everything. Those suckers can get through chain link spacing no problem.

And you might want to block off the area under the coop. I fear you might end up with a broody hiding out under there, or even just have chickens that lay there. Pretty hard to collect!

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Here's my coop. It's not done yet obviously but it's usable. The girls get to choose whether they want to use one of the 3 smaller nest boxes or one of the 2 bigger ones. I've noticed that in the winter, the smaller boxes are most popular but now that is getting warmer out, I'm finding more eggs in the bigger boxes. The boxes open up into what will be the shed half of the coop. I can't wait to get everything done! Hubby and I never built anything before building this. It didn't collapse under the weight of the snow so we must've done something right lol. Not even done and we're already planning an extention off to the side!

 

[Harleyman89]

[/IMG]

Built the coop and put up the chain link fence with my dad. 4ft long x 2ft wide x 4 ft tall. The open run is 15ft x 30ft. Very happy with how everything came out! Some cool things I like about my set up.. We have a semi dwarf apple tree inside the run. There's a Crape Myrtlle and honeysuckle for shelter/shade. The floors are removable for easy cleaning. Built sturdier/better than most homes nowadays
Really blown away by some of the coop mansions others have built! Very cool!

 

[HighStreetCoop]

Quote:
I've been giving mine a flat of wheat grass once or twice a month. Lasts them about four days before it's nothing but roots and dirt. BFF is going to see if her produce supplier can get it for me cheaper than the store (I'm betting that's a big old YES).

 

[TJordan]

After your run of luck I wish you all the good luck in the world in finding something affordable.  I'm not saying to get one from MyPetChicken.com but they have really expanded their coop selections in a wide price range since I first started following them a couple years ago.  Is your collapsed chainlink going to be hard to replace?  How is your puppy doing after her ordeal?  How are YOU doing after the ordeal?

Thanks I'll go look. I think were leaning towards 2 smaller ones that way if another goes broody we can have a private coop. This will give us time to build that 4'x8' at our own pace.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote: You know.... you can simply sprout your own right in the flat Look up online about sprouting but while you are feeding one flat you can be sprouting the next... No soil required they can eat the whole thing.

some people sprout sunflower seeds too... Alfalfa.... as well.

You just put the seeds in a jar and follow sprouting directions once they start growing a bit then spread them out in a tray

deb

 

[Oamaruvian]

heres a couple of mine