post your chicken coop pictures here!

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
Ah....

 

[BarrettG]

I built this from scratch. I found most of the wood. I got bids up to $1,700 and overall I spent $250 plus 15 hrs of my labor!

 

[junebuggena]

I built this from scratch. I found most of the wood. I got bids up to $1,700 and overall I spent $250 plus 15 hrs of my labor!

Racoons will shred that chicken wire. And they will reach right through it to grab birds on the roosts and tear them apart. It might have been cheap to build, but it's not very safe.

 

[perchie.girl]

I built this from scratch. I found most of the wood. I got bids up to $1,700 and overall I spent $250 plus 15 hrs of my labor!

Awesome job... I love that you re-purposed the materials. I am afraid though Chicken wire is good for containing chickens only these days. Even the old time stuff that was sixteen gauge. When you get a chance and some extra money get a roll of hardware cloth. half inch is plenty strong enough to keep both Raccoons and Dogs at bey.

In my case not even twelve gauge chain-link didn't protect my Guineas from Raccoons.... they pulled legs and heads off right through the wire. My next build will be wood around the bottom a stripe of heavy gauge wire around the top and a steel roof. But in my case I have mountain lions and Bobcats as well as Coyotes And Feral dogs. In the desert here Food draws em in. My other first defense will be Hot wire and my own guardian dogs....

I have lost four whole flocks now due to predation....

deb

 

[MeepBeep]

I am afraid though Chicken wire is good for containing chickens only these days.  Even the old time stuff that was sixteen gauge.

Even in the old days it was never intended or designed to protect the chicken... The hexagon twisted weave we call 'chicken wire' or 'poultry netting' was invented by a British hardware store owner named Charles Barnard (from a farming family) in 1844 as a way to contain his fathers wandering chickens... It became more and more popular as 'suburbia' rolled out and the transplanted 'city folk' started to complain that farmers chickens were wandering off the farmers property...

As has been said, at the end of the day it offers little protection, a K9 can easily hook their teeth into it and shred it in no time, while other critters like coons will pull and bite through it as well given some time... Coons don't need to even get through it, if they can reach a chicken roosting inside they will simply pull the chicken through the mesh piece by piece, it actually helps them as it acts as a wire cutter...

 

[FrankLG]

It is not 100% finished yet, but here are a few pictures of our coop (I still need to fit trims around the cleaning door and finish the nest box):

 

[TalkALittle]

Frank, that's a cute little coop but it seems to be lacking substantial ventilation. Those little vents will not create the air flow needed to provide a healthy environment for your birds. Additionally, summer temperatures will be uncomfortable inside.

Given your average temps I'd put in vents across the entire roof line on both sides. I'd also add windows to your side walls that can be opened and closed depending on the weather. They don't have to be fancy. Cut a hole in the siding, hinge it at the top and cover the opening with hardware cloth from the inside.

Opening the coop up will let it breath. You'll have a healthier flock for it.

 

[lindalouly]

Wow, everyone has amazing coops.... Here is a picture of mine that I have been building from scrap wood... Not nearly as cool as everyone else's... But not bad for a person lacking carpentry skill...

 

[cabinchicky]

Nice coops Frank and Lindalouly! Very cute! I have no carpentry skills but I have learned this year! On another note, coons will pull a bird through any hole piece by piece. We had one chick taken through 1"x2" spaced welded wire fence.

 

[lindalouly]

Nice coops Frank and Lindalouly! Very cute! I have no carpentry skills but I have learned this year! On another note, coons will pull a bird through any hole piece by piece. We had one chick taken through 1"x2" spaced welded wire fence.

I have a door and netting over vents. I took them off yesterday to paint. Boyfriend doesn't think we need the door cause our girls free range... Not many preditors around our yard to many kids and dogs. Still thinking about it