post your chicken coop pictures here!

[gertpacu]

On the back side it has a run the length of the entire front that's gated in with a separate door into the back where the eggbox is. That's where we keep the broody when she had her chicks so the bigger ones could get used to them. We also have a large fenced in area that surrounds the entire coop plot so they can stretch their legs and come and go as they please.

 

[nordicacres]

Add me to the group with aggressive Wyandottes (GLW and SLW mostly - our BLRW don't seem as bad). They are fine with birds they were brooded with/same size, but they are very mean to the smaller chicks (4 weeks and younger). Will specifically seek them out to peck, feather pull, and stomp on them. The other breed that is bad about this is the Dark Brahma for us. We keep them separated, but occasionally one will get loose and immediately regret it!

 

[Sylvester017]

Thanks for all of these great ideas! We're in Baltimore and our coop has to be moved frequently. This is a challenge because we happen to be in a wooded area where there are foxes, hawks, owls, snakes, and raccoons, never mind dogs and cats. Still trying to figure out how to make it mobile but really secure. From my understanding the hardware cloth for a pen needs to be dug into the ground to keep critters from digging under and nabbing my birds, but I don't see that it is possible... So our coop is done, but the run, not so much....

Don't know what your mobile coop dimensions are but burying coop wire into the ground is obviously not an option for you. Would putting paver stones or cinderblocks around the perimeter of the coop whenever it's moved help to secure the foundation from digging predators? Paver stones around our coop prevented 2 stray mutts from digging under our little 4x6 coop a few years ago. GL!

 

[bigmrg74]

Thanks for all of these great ideas! We're in Baltimore and our coop has to be moved frequently. This is a challenge because we happen to be in a wooded area where there are foxes, hawks, owls, snakes, and raccoons, never mind dogs and cats. Still trying to figure out how to make it mobile but really secure. From my understanding the hardware cloth for a pen needs to be dug into the ground to keep critters from digging under and nabbing my birds, but I don't see that it is possible... So our coop is done, but the run, not so much....

Moving the tractor daily will help keep predators at bay. Moving it daily will mean that they would have go over and check the coop for any weak points to gain access. when you move the tractor, make sure that it makes a good seal with the ground. after a while, that predator will give up making nightly visits to your coop to see if they can get in.

 

[Sylvester017]

I don't recall exactly where I saw it on the internet yesterday but someone makes a fence roll that has a hinged bottom panel specifically for this purpose.

ChickenCondos.com or K9 Kennels at Cove Products have dog kennels and their newest chicken coops have detachable skirting all around their pens as an option. The detachable skirting is on the outside of the pens for their chicken coops to keep out digging critters and have inside-the-pen skirting for their dog kennels to prevent dogs from digging out. We didn't need the skirting options for their Barn Coop because ours is set on paver stones which have already proven to us that stray dogs can't dig through the pavers. The design of their coops appealed to most of our needs. Some of the details of construction weren't the best like cardboard particle board interior but we solved the issue with paint/sealer and as added security we Rustoleum painted over all the thick metal kennel wire against weathering (as we did with a prior dog kennel we had). ChickenCondos isn't a cheap way to go but after we figured all the modifications we spent with the old little 4x6 OSB coop there wasn't much difference in total price to just go ahead and get a well-built USA pre-fab that would also look good in the end too. The 4x4 Barn Coop is huge standing about 61/2 feet tall with an attached 4x4 run making the total bottom run area 4x8. Glad I didn't go nuts and order the 4x6 Barn Coop + run pkg! The 4x4 with extra 4x4 run is roomy beyond expectation for 4-5 hens who free-range all day anyway.

 

[perchie.girl]

@Sylvester017

when are you going to share pictures of your new coop....

 

[Sylvester017]

Great information. Thank you so much.
Considering most of mine are of the breeds that you said were mostly non-combative (Ameracauna, Favorolle, Brahman),
I'm hoping I'll be ok. So far my Orpington's seem quite passive, although they're only 1 year old (you said one of yours
suddenly became very aggressive at 3 years old). And I'll have 3 Wynadottes, hopefully they'll be ok too.
Thanks again.

Our worst aggressor was a 7-lb Marans that attacked a 2-lb Silkie pullet. We also found the bald Silkie wasn't molting but the Marans was roosting next to her and pullingl out all her head feathers-ouch! The Marans was re-homed immediately. Our next re-home was a sweet alpha White Leghorn for 3 yrs and then came out of her 3rd year molt with an assertive attitude chasing other hens out of nestboxes, away from feed, away from water, away from dust-baths, etc and we gave her a couple weeks to settle down but she didn't so we re-homed her - so sad because she just went bonkers - but is doing well in her new Leghorn flock. Our 2nd Leghorn was another variety and she was a sweet pullet but at 1 y/o started chasing the Ameraucana and Silkies to pull out their crests, beards, and combs so she had to be re-homed into the same Leghorn flock. As for Wyans - Tilly's Nest had 2 aggressive ones - a SLW and later a GLW. The SLW was so mean they re-homed it. Haven't heard what they're doing with the disruptive GLW. Our friend's Orp was on the bossy side after having her first brood and hatch. If these breeds are confined in a coop there will be more than just pecking order squabbles. Our friends' flock drew blood on each other. Space is needed for combative assertive breeds. Amers, Favies, Brahmas are considered gentle breeds yet for myself I don't put larger gentle giants with lighterweight gentles simply because the larger birds will still throw their weight around if they can manage it - it's a chicken thing. I consider Amers a bit too lightweight around Brahmas yet owners have said their Brahmas are bottom of pecking orders. It boils down to watching how the breeds get along and if it looks like ordinary pecking order squabbles leave it alone but if there's injury that's a different story. There's much to learn owning chickens after getting the coop setup. Juveniles will be sweet - it's at maturity that assertions get serious. Hear other owners' experiences just to give yourself a heads-up if you recognize some of these issues with your birds later on. Meanwhile enjoy your girls!

 

[Sylvester017]

On the back side it has a run the length of the entire front that's gated in with a separate door into the back where the eggbox is. That's where we keep the broody when she had her chicks so the bigger ones could get used to them. We also have a large fenced in area that surrounds the entire coop plot so they can stretch their legs and come and go as they please.

So very cute. Nice that they have a larger fenced area too. Throw a couple doghouses or plywood shelters on cinderblocks in the open yard area for them to snooze/hide under from the aerial predators. Our hawks don't go after our hiding hens even when they can see them - darnedest thing!

 

[HollyBchicken]

More good info! We're going to try to make a sort of screened porch thing today for the coop.

In the "I couldn't have predicted that" category, we thought the chicks were safe on the third floor of our house in the pen we made them, but last week my daughter called down slightly panicked: there was a rat snake on top of their pen!

 

[plymouthchicken]

We just finished are 1st chicken coop and we have six chickens.