post your chicken coop pictures here!

[LindaB220]

. I will have to ad some pathways of small smooth river rock ( for their feet) because most of this Landscape rock ( pretty Coral color!!) I have since this Pic.. Moved in many more boulders... Ducks will move in soon!!

Your ducks are going to love it. Good luck. Keep posting.

 

[jtbass2756]

• jtbass2756 I actually don't have a roost. We didn't realize what that was until yesterday They chicks have just been snuggling up at night together. So we will have to add that. Should the roost be added inside the coop? Also, the "poop tray" is this generally removable, for ease of cleaning? It sounds like the tray is placed under the roost. Is that right?
• I think I do have a board in front of the nesting box already, let me know if this is what you are talking about. Maybe it's not big enough. Check out the pic below.

• Thanks!

Yep, I see your board.. I love the lay out. Yea, the roost need to be inside the coop and the poop board needs to be easily accessed for cleaning. I have one that I put under mine that is covered with a piece of scrap linoleum. I can remove it (and I do periodically for scrubbing and disinfecting) but I can also use a child's hoe and scrape everything off into a tupperware type tub every few days. Adding the linoleum was the best thing I did. When I build my new coop.....the entire floor with be covered with it... so much easier to clean..!!

 

[vehve]

@MamaGallina3 Cute coop =) With the tin roof i'd maybe put a thermometer in the coop to monitor heat so that it doesn't turn into your very own KFC in the Florida sun.

 

[bruceha2000]

- The ramp is NOT too steep, what the little ones need is cleats closer together. When they get bigger they will likely only use the top part as a staging area to get in the door.
- I would add to the 'front' board of the nest boxes, 10 cm at least if there will still be enough space for a full grown bird to get in. Not sure the distance between the floor and "ceiling" at the front of the nest boxes. If not, make it at least that high with a "scoop" cut in the middle. They don't need to walk into it and you do NOT want them thinking it is just an extension of the floor to poop on. And you'll want several CM of shavings in the nests.
- With regard to roosts, they need to be higher than the nest boxes and NOT in the path of air moving through the coop. That is the part I see as a concern because the likely best place would be in the front where you have the vent and the coop is tallest but, well, there is a VENT!

. You can't really run a roost perpendicular to the front of the coop because there is no headroom in the back. They also need at least 30 cm between the roost and the wall and want it as high as possible - make sure they have head room.

Nice job on the coop, it is beautiful!

Bruce

Hi all, new to the site as a member, but have been lurking off and on for awhile. Finally decided to join and officially begin my backyard adventure.

Nice job and great repurposing of usable items that would otherwise go to the dump. The girls will love the view, lots of chickens have none. Plus, you will be able to watch the chickens through their windows from YOUR windows. True Chicken TV!

I can't wait til I hear the "Egg Song", too!

Some sing, some just nonchalantly wander out "Laid an egg, what should I do now?" Some will sing if another chicken lays an egg. Chickens are very entertaining.

We have 2 Speckled Sussex'es at 5 weeks, pullet and roo, 1 Marans pullet at 8 weeks, and 3 Marans-Araucana mixes also at 8 weeks, two of them are roos. Probably going to have to cook some of the roos soon. We're also getting three Finnish Alho hens the weekend after next, they were born in January so we'll be able to get eggs a bit earlier thanks to them.

Go hunt the threads on integrating new birds with old. They apparently are not good at it on their own, can't just throw them together. Each group will have their own pecking order and that has to be figured out again when they are merged.

Might get some nice olive green eggs from those crosses.


Bruce

 

[vehve]

@bruceha2000 They're getting along fine, mainly the occasional introduction of corn or other special treats stirs up a bit of ruffling. The first day was a bit hectic, but we haven't seen any bigger issues since. The small ones have a little sanctuary they can retreat to if they feel threatened.

We started introducing them to each other right away when the smaller ones were a bit more surefooted, maybe at 3-4 days. Initially the big ones were petrified whenever we put the young ones in their brooder. After the third or fourth time they started to get used to them. And the smaller ones are catching up in size by the day.

About the eggs, with our current setup we're hoping for olive, chocolate, cream and brown eggs =)

 

[gilcamp4]

- The ramp is NOT too steep, what the little ones need is cleats closer together. When they get bigger they will likely only use the top part as a staging area to get in the door.
- I would add to the 'front' board of the nest boxes, 10 cm at least if there will still be enough space for a full grown bird to get in. Not sure the distance between the floor and "ceiling" at the front of the nest boxes. If not, make it at least that high with a "scoop" cut in the middle. They don't need to walk into it and you do NOT want them thinking it is just an extension of the floor to poop on. And you'll want several CM of shavings in the nests.
- With regard to roosts, they need to be higher than the nest boxes and NOT in the path of air moving through the coop. That is the part I see as a concern because the likely best place would be in the front where you have the vent and the coop is tallest but, well, there is a VENT!

. You can't really run a roost perpendicular to the front of the coop because there is no headroom in the back. They also need at least 30 cm between the roost and the wall and want it as high as possible - make sure they have head room.

Nice job on the coop, it is beautiful!

Bruce

Nice job and great repurposing of usable items that would otherwise go to the dump. The girls will love the view, lots of chickens have none. Plus, you will be able to watch the chickens through their windows from YOUR windows. True Chicken TV!

Some sing, some just nonchalantly wander out "Laid an egg, what should I do now?" Some will sing if another chicken lays an egg. Chickens are very entertaining.

i have a roos when one of the hens lays a egg he dose the song it is so funny you think about 4 hens are in there

 

[MamaGallina3]

Thanks vehve I actually puta thermometer in the coop to keep an eye on the temps.The roof to the coop part is wood painted white, and the roof to the run is white metal, think it's aluminum. So hopefully we won't have KFC over here in the summer

bruceha2000 Thanks for the specifics, I understand it now Will get on making some modifications.

And thanks jtbass2756 for getting back to me about the poop tray. I saw some others used linoleum flooring too.

 

[iwiw60]

• jtbass2756 I actually don't have a roost. We didn't realize what that was until yesterday They chicks have just been snuggling up at night together. So we will have to add that. Should the roost be added inside the coop? Also, the "poop tray" is this generally removable, for ease of cleaning? It sounds like the tray is placed under the roost. Is that right?
• I think I do have a board in front of the nesting box already, let me know if this is what you are talking about. Maybe it's not big enough. Check out the pic below.

• Thanks!

Here's a few ideas!



Your coop/run is adorable!!

 

[RomeRookie]

Here is my coop (bought) and run that I built. The swing us the chicks favorite!

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[jtbass2756]

Here is my coop (bought) and run that I built. The swing us the chicks favorite!

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I have seen the swings.....just got to fix one! You outfit looks great. What predators do you have around?