post your chicken coop pictures here!

[Sylvester017]

This is our new coop that my husband built. the frame was made with free pallet wood. It is to house 4 chickens...

How do you plan to anchor the ramp at the top or will it just lean on the entrance? Trying to get ideas how to anchor our ramp inside to the nestboxes as we need it to be removeable and not hinged or nailed down. We have a heavier new ramp and thought putting a cinder-block on the ground at the base of the ramp will keep it secure as it leans on the nestbox ledge. Any input? Thanks.

 

[Sylvester017]

Love my new coop. Built out of pallets.

Love your digs! I've been trying to get ideas about how people are fastening their ramps or if they are free-standing ramps just leaning on the coop. I can't tell from photo if the ramp is nailed, screwed, hinged, or free-standing. We built a new ramp because the old one was skinny and flimsy and kept falling. The new one is wider and heavier and we thought to just lean it up against the nestbox ledge with a cinder-block on the ground at the bottom of the ramp to keep it from sliding. The coop is small and we need the ramp to be removable at cleaning time. Any input? Thanks.

 

[kenmlang]

Love your digs! I've been trying to get ideas about how people are fastening their ramps or if they are free-standing ramps just leaning on the coop. I can't tell from photo if the ramp is nailed, screwed, hinged, or free-standing. We built a new ramp because the old one was skinny and flimsy and kept falling. The new one is wider and heavier and we thought to just lean it up against the nestbox ledge with a cinder-block on the ground at the bottom of the ramp to keep it from sliding. The coop is small and we need the ramp to be removable at cleaning time. Any input? Thanks.

Can you post a pic of your coop, so we can maybe get some ideas?

 

[BtownChickMom]

Sylvester017--We used hook and eye fasteners for ours. It doesn't slide around and is easily removed for cleaning. Not sure if it would work for your coop or not. It's pouring right now but when it lets up I'll go out and take a pic.

 

[generalmills628]

We built it out of stuff we had around the house and shop.

 

[snmartinez]

Here is my chicken coop it currently houses 4 barred Plymouth rocks, 2 rhode island reds, 1 buff and 1 that I am unsure of the breed.

















The sides are folded down to give air flow and to help provide shade for everyone to hide under at night they fold back up. The sides also get left up if it is windy or raining.

 

[BtownChickMom]

Sylvester017--

 

[Trefoil]

Sylvester- I put a cross piece on the ramp that is wider than the pop door but will fit in diagonally. To attach I just lift the ram, turn it sideways and the cross piece fits in the coop, holding the ramp in place.

 

[AZBarbarian]

Well we finally got our coop done.

Being in Arizona, everyonE I spoke too said ventilation and shade were the priority. We can cover with a tarp in rare inclement weather.

 

[Sylvester017]

I thought that too until I got some Salmon Faverolles. We had 14 birds and by the middle of the second laying year we were only getting 2 to 4 eggs a day. Fortunately we found someone who wanted them as pets. Otherwise, I'd have given them to someone who wanted them for people food or for dog food. I can't keep every chicken - we don't have that kind of room, or money. As long as the people getting them aren't going to use them as fighting bird bait or something gross like that it's okay if they use them for food.

Sometimes egg production drops because of underlying issues like mites, lice, worms etc. Treat for those things on some regular schedule and see if egg production resumes again. Also calculate that each hen will lay 20% less eggs than in her previous year - each year production drops 20%. Ameraucanas, White Leghorns, and EEs usually continue laying well their 2nd year and don't usually drop that much their 2nd year but will lose about 20% laying each year after.

We use organic Poultry Protector spray for lice/mites 1-2x month per directions, worm at least every 5-6 months (wild birds in the yard keep bringing worms and lice so a regular treatment regiment has to be used (dust-bathing alone doesn't eliminate feather lice on chickens). For worming we use Ivermectin paste (for equines) at one drop per each pound of bird weight and dab a Q-tip of paste on the skin under each wing (calculate your bird's weight - some are heavier than others and use one drop equivalent of paste for each pound of bird). Unfortunately their eggs can't be eaten in a laying week but are ok after that. 3 of our girls moult all at the same time and aren't laying so that's a good time to worm them.

1 to 2x/week the 2 lb fowl get a drop (not a whole dropperful) but get a drop of children's liquid Poly-Vi-Sol no iron vitamins on the side of the beak away from nostril (don't force mouth open or liquid could go into lungs) and the 4 lb fowl get 2 drops and the 5 lb fowl gets 3 drops - more human vitamin dosages than that can damage internal organs so don't overdose. I like to use precise vitamin measurements on the beak so I know that each chicken has received the proper dosage. There are chicken vitamins in water but some chickens drink a lot and others not so much so I prefer knowing each hen gets precise dosage. We have 3 out of 4 birds that run up to the dropper to get their dosage and like the taste. One bird we still have to dab a drop on the side of her beak but she doesn't fight it and just licks the annoying drop off with her cute little tongue.

For scaly mite protection we do vitamin E oil massage on each chicken's legs/toes/nails at least 1x/month.

These are simple routine health steps and some of our girls are into their 3rd year of laying like champs. Just keep in mind that 20% less eggs each year is normal. We kept a calendar chart on the fridge to keep track of our hens' laying schedules.