post your chicken coop pictures here!

[pollodelbambino]

I'll play...

bought the plans online for $20 from http://www.thegardencoop.com.  We modified the plans to make it bigger. 


Good luck, I know from experience that the planning for chickens and a new coop can be overwhelming.   It will all be worth it in the end.

 

[pollodelbambino]

 

[pollodelbambino]

Here's our coop! Just put the girls in today, they love it. Thank you to my hubby and Derek for building their new home!!

 

[Tomahawk]

You're welcome! Don't forget to close the gap between the walk-in pen door and the roof line.  I'm telling you, those raccoons can really squeeze through the flattest of slits/openings.  I watched a video of a full grown raccoon squeezing throuh a garage door gap barely enough for a bird to get in!  I have a distaste for raccoons because they kill/chase chickens more for the thrill of the chase than for food!

Do you actively do anything to reduce your predator population?

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
Not Sylvester017 but I have a huge predator load.... Bobcat, Mountain Lion, Coyote, Raccoon, Owls, Redtailed hawks.... The only ones I would do something about would be the feral dogs....

The deal is when you are in predator central or even if you have a light predator load Predators have territory and they defend it against other predators... You teach the residents that its not worth their effort they continue on but keep the others out. Meaning fortification and or Guardian dogs... Hot wire.

If they learn that your fence bites back they continue on to find food elsewere. Even bears can be deterred by hot wire. I was told by a naturalist that you simply put som tinfoil on the hot wire and smear something yummy on it... Like tuna juice or peanut butter... inviting them to sniff and or lick... Because a bears coat is so thick they could walk right through hotwire and never feel it.

That would work for Coyotes as well.

I choose fortification first... Keep free treats off the menu... bring in feeders dont leave dog food out.... yata yata...

deb

 

[junebuggena]

The old shed. It's not very pretty, but it came with the house. It's about 10x12.


We left some of the old shelves up on either side to give them a variety of heights to choose from giving us about 42 feet of roosting space.



We are adding nest boxes this weekend.

 

[Tomahawk]

Not Sylvester017  but I have a huge predator load....  Bobcat, Mountain Lion, Coyote, Raccoon, Owls, Redtailed hawks....  The only ones I would do something about would be the feral dogs....  

The deal is when you are in predator central or even if you have a light predator load  Predators have territory and they defend it against other predators...  You teach the residents that its not worth their effort they continue on but keep the others out.    Meaning fortification and or Guardian dogs...  Hot wire. 

If they learn that your fence bites back they continue on to find food elsewere.  Even bears can be deterred by hot wire.  I was told by a naturalist that you simply put som tinfoil on the hot wire and smear something yummy on it...  Like tuna juice or peanut butter...  inviting them to sniff and or lick...  Because a bears coat is so thick they could walk right through hotwire and never feel it. 

That would work for Coyotes as well.

I choose fortification first...  Keep free treats off the menu...  bring in feeders dont leave dog food out.... yata yata...

deb

In my household, I will fortify against predators, but they will be dealt with directly on sight.

 

[bigred77]

Well i moved the 7 week old 4 some into their tractor a couple days ago. Now i keep picking up on a sour smelL around the coop.
Even cleaned out all the shavings today, but ita still there.
Moved the tractor and it moved with thEm.

I wonder if ventilation is my problem

 

[bigmrg74]

Not Sylvester017 but I have a huge predator load.... Bobcat, Mountain Lion, Coyote, Raccoon, Owls, Redtailed hawks.... The only ones I would do something about would be the feral dogs....

The deal is when you are in predator central or even if you have a light predator load Predators have territory and they defend it against other predators... You teach the residents that its not worth their effort they continue on but keep the others out. Meaning fortification and or Guardian dogs... Hot wire.

If they learn that your fence bites back they continue on to find food elsewere. Even bears can be deterred by hot wire. I was told by a naturalist that you simply put som tinfoil on the hot wire and smear something yummy on it... Like tuna juice or peanut butter... inviting them to sniff and or lick... Because a bears coat is so thick they could walk right through hotwire and never feel it.

That would work for Coyotes as well.

I choose fortification first... Keep free treats off the menu... bring in feeders dont leave dog food out.... yata yata...

deb

There's always going to be another predator coming into an area. Short of living out on some small private island without any predators on it you'll always have to deal with them.

Well i moved the 7 week old 4 some into their tractor a couple days ago. Now i keep picking up on a sour smelL around the coop.
Even cleaned out all the shavings today, but ita still there.
Moved the tractor and it moved with thEm.

I wonder if ventilation is my problem

Pictures of your set up would be useful. With a tractor, you'll want to move it often anyways. I usually try to slide mine at least 2 to 3 feet a day just to keep things moving along. Mine's heavy enough that its not easy to move.

 

[Sylvester017]

Do you actively do anything to reduce your predator population?

We're city folk and don't have a rural setting other than the foothills and mountains about 2 miles behind us. The foothill folks get deer, coyotes, occasionally a bear, skunks, rattlesnakes, raccoons, oppossums, rabbits, stray dogs, feral cats, lynx, etc. My DD & SIL capture these beasties on night camera but they won't kill or trap them. I think they are playing rouette not to actively deter wildlife. A 6-ft iron fence isn't secure in my mind but then it's not my property. But we down in the suburbs don't have any wildlife other than rats, mice, raccoons and 'possums so we don't "Shoot! Shovel! Shutup!" as rural folks might do. We are relieved when we see roadkill on the street - especially raccoons - but most of the time it's either a possum or feral cat. I think the humane societies in different areas supply Havahart type traps but we've never needed one for the city beasties in our neighborhood. Folk like perchiegirl have better advice than me for country properties or rural areas. Her advice for electric fencing around a chicken area sounds good to me. Just be certain you have it turned on! I read many folks who swear by this fencing.