post your chicken coop pictures here!

[perchie.girl]

That was a horrid experience. 2 chicks hatched... 1 had it's head basicly shrink warped just enough that it could breath but not get lose from the top half of its shell and the other had its BUTT the same way... I'm trying to boost humidity right now with warm water, a rag wicking up water, filled all resivores to max and still can not get it over 70%....

I've done something that might cost me precious chicks but I pulled each stuck one out 1 by 1, had the bathroom steaming hot and just spent an hour tiny bit by tiny bit loosing that blasted stuck stuff... I left the bottom section a tiny bit so that I don't damage the cords on either but I pray the others are ok... As soon as 1 was free I rushed it back to the warmth of the incubator and started the second. Both chicks are exhausted. 1 is moving a bit the other but lays there and breaths free to move it's head finally.

Horrid to see that...

You did good... I had to do this with one guinea... i just chipped a little bit at a time till it could effectively move enough to get free on its own.

Shrink wrap I believe is caused by too much humidity in the incubater..... I am NO MEANS an expert...

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

He's not a Rhode island red but thanks for trying

There is a thread called "what breed is this" They might have a better idea

 

[Sylvester017]

most people are saying that chicken wire just won't due to keep out predators but what most people don't realize is that the chicken wire is just on the run and chickens are only in the run in the daytime abd most predators of chickens are nocturnal so there's no big worry there...that chicken wire will hold up perfectly fine to chicken hawks now as of dogs I have two dogs that kill anything that move and we live on7 acres of woods do there's lots for them to kill which has left them kind of wild.. and they tried a couple times to get through my chicken wire and no success...although I notice you have the 2 inch gauge and I used the half inch gauge trust me as long as you spend time outside and no dogs come around and you make your presence known to any other daytime predators you won't have no problems with that chicken wire working....mine are in a 20x20 run made of nothing but chicken wire ..half inch gauge around bottom four feet tall then a 2 foot piece of 2 inch gauge like yours and a completely enclosed top of 2 inch gauge chicken wire...and I haven't had one single problem and as I said I live on 7 acres of wooded area

That's for certain! You've got to know the predators in the area and adjust accordingly. Rural areas will be different from suburban neighborhoods. For us citified folk the city Raccoons, 'Possums, and stray dogs are our worst critters. The Cooper's and Red-tailed Hawks come around but we have so many shelters set up around the yard they have no open lawn to swoop down on hiding hens. Love hearing what other folks do to protect from predators in case something new comes up that works well for us to try.

 

[TJordan]

Well, both babies made it thought the night... Had 2 more hatch so that makes 6 out of 14 eggs so far..
I had to take Shelly (my daughter named the one with its head stuck Shelly) and Egg Butt into the bathroom to try to remove a bit more of that dried on gunk...

I moved everyone to a brooder box because they were messing up the other eggs... 2 pipped but have gone silent sense yesterday because they got rolled over.
I carefully tried to candle the remaining eggs but figure God knows better than I. Does shrink wrap happen when the humidity is to low or high?

Anyway... Lots to do this weekend. I'm going to get a kitchen floor finally and while 'the hubby' plays with that I'll be drawing up my plans for the coop... Tired of waiting on him...

 

[Elginchickens]

That's for certain!  You've got to know the predators in the area and adjust accordingly.  Rural areas will be different from suburban neighborhoods.  For us citified folk the city Raccoons, 'Possums, and stray dogs are our worst critters.  The Cooper's and Red-tailed Hawks come around but we have so many shelters set up around the yard they have no open lawn to swoop down on hiding hens.  Love hearing what other folks do to protect from predators in case something new comes up that works well for us to try.

yeah it's crazy that the city has more predators then the country...all the restaurants throwing out food in the dumpsters pulls them in for a easy meal...Plus it helps I got two dogs that kills anything that moves the only sad thing is that includes chickens.lol

 

[Elginchickens]

...

There is a thread called "what breed is this"  They might have a better idea
[/quote) Yeah that's why my first post says sorry that I know this ain't the right thread but no one else is answering on the other forums

 

[bruceha2000]

The foundation was from an old deer stand on the property I just bought. This is my first time owning chickens or building anything of this size so this was a really fun project.

NICE build. I would suggest (at the risk of being labeled "too critical") that the Arrow staple gun staples are not appropriate for holding down the hardware cloth. They will pop out with minimal pressure on the wire. Better to screw a strip of wood over the top or pop in some poultry (fence) staples. PITA to nail in but they HOLD. You don't need it everywhere, the perimeter will do. I just finished a Q&D brooding pen in my coop and did use those Arrow staples because I am not concerned with predator security inside my predator proof coop.

I just got done remodeling an old milk house on our property into a chicken coop. The images are below, and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.

Now THAT is the Fort Knox of coops! Nice repurposing.

I love seeing all of the great coops, the different approaches to making them and the run's that are attached. the different materials, landscapes and experiences of the builders. It's great seeing all the pictures, I've picked up a lot of neat ideas off of this thread. But, and hopefully I'm not stepping on any toes, and could possibly be wrong...... The one bit that leaves a bit of a bad taste in my mouth is the same negative responses to people's pictures of their coops. If they are asking for feedback IMHO great give it to them, but if they are new, or just looking to post pics of their coops they are proud to have made, maybe just let it be, or if you really want to give feedback drop them a PM (which is a much more personal way to give advice). Seems that some members wanting to share their coops might be a little bit intimidated by other members critiquing every coop (after all isn't this a post a pic thread and not a critique my coop thread?)

I'm sure I fit your "target audience". I don't have a lot of time so I don't always "make nice" when pointing out potential problems so perhaps people take the comments to be "BAD JOB" when in fact I do not mean it that way. I saw a coop at the farm and garden store today that I wouldn't bother to comment on if it were posted here. There was NOTHING good about it other than the "shell" looked well made. I love the pallet coops, I love the Taj Mahal coops. I generally don't post "nice coop" unless it is something above the average build. My concern is only when I see something that is potentially a security or chicken "comfort" issue. Clearly some people have spent time researching before they build and some have not. Thus the "same negative comments" occur with unfortunate frequency. Generally speaking peoples' coops here are far and away well done and I don't refer to all the good parts (would take too long) and mention only the perceived problem areas.

I apologize if any my comments resulted in smashed toes.

I understand what everyone is saying, but personally I think it's helpful to get a little critique here and there! Though it can be discouraging to realize that after all the hard work you've put into something there still needs to be some adjustments, I think it's important to recognize what can be made better. Latestarter gave me some good info, even though there's not much I can do other than try to convince my dad of the hardware cloth. I'm new to chickens and have done my research, but still hope to learn as much as I can through experience and help from the BYC community. After all, I just want a safe and comfortable place for my chickens to live long, happy lives.

Yep! Had I NOT read this thread before I converted a horse stall to a chicken coop, mine would have chicken wire on parts and 2x4 welded wire fencing on others because that is what was over the openings above the half wall. The door would also be 2x4 wire fencing because some prior owner of this place made some really sturdy 2x4 framed and braced doors for larger livestock.. And there would be a 4" gap along the top on 3 sides Would my chickens be safe? Maybe. I'm not likely to have any chicken wire ripping predators in the barn. But the ermine we saw 2 years ago could walk through the 2x4 wire with plenty of room to spare. They can probably squeeze through the openings in chicken wire as well. And I would not be surprised to hear that a fox can get through 2x4 wire easily. So *I* appreciate the constructive criticism and had I posted without knowing I needed to put 1/2" hardware cloth over the openings and it was mentioned, I would be grateful.

I also understand what everyone is saying and agree with both sides … sometimes the critique can be a little harsh but to not say anything at all and have the OP lose their birds to a predator would be heart breaking.

I shared a picture of my coop a long time back and definitely will not be showing any of how it looks now .. all these beautiful coops in here put mine to shame

Some comments I might receive could be “the run is too low; “that wire will not keep out predators”; “that hook is too easy to open” and depending on where someone was “too much ventilation” or “not enough ventilation”.

The point I am trying to make is that; I have bantams and while the run is low, I have no trouble accessing it and it is fine for bantams; we do not have predators that can tear or chew through chicken wire; we also do not have predators that can open doors and living in Aus, my coop and run needs to be extremely well ventilated and shaded.

So, rather than assuming the OP will have a predator problem, problem with height, problem with ventilation etc, would it not be preferable to ask them in question form…

“Hey, that is a really good looking coop, do you have predators in your area?”

Not singling Latestarter out but just using a recent example …

“That run looks a bit steep; are you chickens using it yet?”

Then, the OP, rather than maybe take it as a criticism would either 1. Ponder the predator question or ask more questions or 2. “Ah, the chickens are not using that ramp, it might be too steep.”

Asking more questions about location, predators, climate, type of chickens going to be kept in it before making comment might be an idea.

OK, that is more work on the part of the responder but as Tiller suggested, for those who have just posted pics of their coops that they are proud to have made, probably a bit more gentle?

Just a thought and I will go back to lurkdom after the following comment:

It took me a long time to ‘raise the courage’ to post some of the techniques I use with my flock because some of them can be different to the norm and I was fearful of possible criticism of my methods but, as Latestarter has mentioned the purpose of this site is to share and what works for some will not work for others.

It does help when people put their location in their profile. We who do not live in Australia have learned in this thread that you do not have the fence ripping predators, no raccoons, etc. If I see someone lives in Texas, I'm not going to mention the need for snow/ice protection around a pop door for instance. But I will mention that they might need more ventilation in the summer. I think people DO like to see different techniques because they may not think "outside the box". I learn a lot by seeing what others create.

Almost done!

Very nice, looks well thought out and executed.

yeah it's crazy that the city has more predators then the country...all the restaurants throwing out food in the dumpsters pulls them in for a easy meal...Plus it helps I got two dogs that kills anything that moves the only sad thing is that includes chickens.lol

That is for sure. I am in the country now and have never seen a raccoon or skunk. Doesn't mean they don't exist though. I've seen only a few gray squirrels in 4 years. When we lived in the city, backed up to a tree filled ravine, there were gray squirrels everywhere and one of the "signs of spring" was the odor of skunk wafting about. We do have at least 1, possible 3 families of woodchucks but they don't bother chickens. And we have foxes, I've lost 2 birds (one this April, one last April) to foxes but the chickens were in a free range area with no protection. My stupid for not remembering that the one taken last year was near the END of April, not the beginning. I wasn't even thinking about it as a problem since the girls have been out free ranging anywhere they want since not long after the first was taken with no sign of any foxes. Around here maybe the foxes are mostly a concern when the kits are born (or about to be??) but the foxes' natural food sources haven't come out yet?

 

[bruceha2000]

Quote:
Maybe better to ask on the Front Porch Swing thread then? It is an "anything goes" vs topic specific thread.

 

[CrazyChickLady7]

I got knew nesting boxes put in today.

 

[Sylvester017]

yeah it's crazy that the city has more predators then the country...all the restaurants throwing out food in the dumpsters pulls them in for a easy meal...Plus it helps I got two dogs that kills anything that moves the only sad thing is that includes chickens.lol

Unfortunately every family pet dog breed is not best as a poultry guard dog - they may be good at guarding their humans or their property and keeping a fox at bay is a sport but the temptation of chickens/birds is too much for some breeds not to chase and kill. One owner sadly posted that their dog and cat were good around the chickens yet after 7 years the pets broke into the coop and killed all the penned birds. There are very specific flock guardian breeds that will protect chickens/ducks/geese but usually not the untrained family dog no matter how good it is otherwise. We had two obedience-trained Rotties, very intelligent responsive breed, yet there was no way to break these cattle herders from chasing and killing the Mourning Doves without our presence to command them to halt! Rotties are excellent around the large farm animals and equines but I wouldn't trust them with birds/poultry. Our current cottage yard is too small to have both a dog AND chickens - we decided we preferred the more useful chicken poops over dog poops. With neighbors bordering our yard with big dogs of their own we found it unnecessary to invest in a dog too.

One critter we found amazingly useful in the neighborhood are the Crow flocks. They will perch on rooftops and telephone poles but don't bother our adult hens or even go after our vegetable garden or chicken feed yet the Crows will keep the Hawks away. We get no Hawk visitations when the Crows are flocking the neighborhood! The Hawks also don't go after the Hummingbirds at the sugar feeder. The Hummies know they're too fast for the Hawks to catch.