post your chicken coop pictures here!

[CoopArchitect]

Nah, we call it Vaseline. Same with "Kleenex", the generic is "tissue" or "facial tissue". But Kleenex and Vaseline have been used as "generic" names for so long that when one uses the registered trademark name, no one expects the product to necessarily BE that brand.


Lovely job! I like the sliding nest box access door. Has its own overhang on the coop side to keep rain out plus the larger roof overhang over the entire box. You might find chickens sitting on it if you let them out of the run since there isn't a lot of slope.

Where do you live that you need climate control? I see the roofs are fairy flat so I'm guessing it is not in snow country. They might need fans for cooling in a hot climate, certainly do not need heat even at -20F.

What kind of birds will you have? I'm wondering if the roosts are too narrow. Chickens 'perch' but stand flat footed most of the time and sit ON their feet at night. If you look at a chicken's foot, you will see that the back toe is fairly short and somewhat to the side. If you look at a perching bird's foot, the back toe is longer and aims backward for grasping. What a chicken's foot CAN grasp and what it is COMFORTABLE grasping and bearing its weight aren't necessarily the same thing.

Thanks Bruceha2000.
We get a lot of snow here and at times, very cold in the winter. The structure was built to surpass any snow load. We are restricted to a coop and run no taller than 6'. That is why it is so short with a limited pitch. We are also limited to 4 birds. That is why the coop is small. Inside dimensions are 5'x5'x54" high.
I will post other pictures of the ventilation system soon. We have calculated the intake and exhaust cfm to allow the maximum static ventilation without a draft on the girls as well as controlled power venting for really hot or humid days. I brought the house to one of my jobsites to have the insulation sprayed in. Our hottest day so far of 91°F outside ambient with the coop/run door open all day it never got closer than a 13°F difference inside the coop. There is a concrete slab that is shaded under the coop that really helps this also. In one of the pictures you will see some of the six - 4" I.D. tubes in the floor that are adjustable for the intake air. Almost like air conditioning. Granted, those numbers are without birds moving in and out, but still promising.
I will be looking into the roosts as you mentioned.... Thanks. I followed a guideline on this site for the one I have in the coop and the roosts in the run. I will do more research on this.
The coop will be occupied by 4 Buff Orpingtons.

 

[bruceha2000]

Thanks Bruceha2000.
We get a lot of snow here and at times, very cold in the winter. The structure was built to surpass any snow load. We are restricted to a coop and run no taller than 6'. That is why it is so short with a limited pitch. We are also limited to 4 birds. That is why the coop is small. Inside dimensions are 5'x5'x54" high.
I will post other pictures of the ventilation system soon. We have calculated the intake and exhaust cfm to allow the maximum static ventilation without a draft on the girls as well as controlled power venting for really hot or humid days. I brought the house to one of my jobsites to have the insulation sprayed in. Our hottest day so far of 91°F outside ambient with the coop/run door open all day it never got closer than a 13°F difference inside the coop. There is a concrete slab that is shaded under the coop that really helps this also. In one of the pictures you will see some of the six - 4" I.D. tubes in the floor that are adjustable for the intake air. Almost like air conditioning. Granted, those numbers are without birds moving in and out, but still promising.
I will be looking into the roosts as you mentioned.... Thanks. I followed a guideline on this site for the one I have in the coop and the roosts in the run. I will do more research on this.
The coop will be occupied by 4 Buff Orpingtons.

Brought the house to a job site to have insulation sprayed in. Geez, the insulating guys had to come TO my house for that! What an image out of context!

5x5 for 4 birds is really nice, I'm sure they will appreciate the floor space when the weather is such they would rather stay indoors. I figured the 'space per bird' calculation would include the roosts but I can count on 1 hand the number of times I have see one on the roost other than at night. Maybe it would be different if they didn't have adequate floor space.

Too bad your zoning people didn't go 7' for height, would make it something MOST people could stand up in and have some pitch to the roof. At least they allow you to have chickens.

"Standard" for roosts is 2x4 on the flat or 3" round fence rail. That is big enough for them to stand on without having to grip. I went with both thinking I could find out which they prefer. In the end, is seems being against a wall is the preferred spot and they use both equally since that gives 2 of them a wall on one side and 2 on the other. Actually, the other 2 "lucky" girls are up against the broody box which I

have to use WAY too often. Since it is heavy, I just leave it up against the wall on the left side of the 2 roosts - parallel 18" apart and 4' off the floor. My birds are "cage free" but if I forget to close the broody box when it is unoccupied, several girls will sleep in it.

Bruce

 

[gilcamp4]

we have a peep we are trying to find out what it is, it don't look like a peep, we hatched them from our own eggs and do not have one that looks like this one,
its the black one, we have had chickens for 5 years and thank god no limit, but then maybe there should be, we had 23 chickens and got one some somewhere and it turned out to be sick and got the whole flock, then we hatched a few like 13 then a hen had 13, so here we are with 3 age groups the big ones are 1 1/2 years the next group is 10wks then we have the baby's they are about 5 wks old, a bout to make new coop for the 10 and 5 wks.

 

[CGinJCMO]

Your Ameraucana/Araucana/EE is an EE if you purchased it in a feed or hatchery store like MurrayMcMurray. Ameraucanas and Araucanas are only obtainable through private breeders or through hatchery brokers like MyPetChicken or CaliforniaHatchery that order them from private breeders. Otherwise you can consider it an EE if you paid less than $10 for it - hyper/skittish but very sweet alert birds and allow petting from chickhood to adults if not around other bully breeds that spook their gentle nature.

Ameraucanas/Araucanas/EEs are gentle birds and may be bullied by Heavy LF like mature RIRs, Orps, 'Lorps, BRs, and SLWs. As chicks/pullets these breeds will seem to get along but at full maturity around 18 months to 2 years old will begin to hassle the gentle EE. May I suggest in future you either get a minimum of 2 EEs in a mixed flock or get all EEs because they are not prone to broodiness, are lighterweight, easier on the feed bill, and lay big eggs very often. By age one their eggs are XL. EEs are gentle natured and not interested in flock politics so therefore get picked on - good layers shouldn't be stressed by bullies. We ordered 2 APA Ameraucanas but one sister died so we have one lone pullet left in the flock. Even the little Silkies chase the gentle soul around the yard poor thing. At least the Silkies aren't big enough to administer any harm to her.

RIRs, Orps, 'Lorps, BRs, and SLWs are considered dual purpose. These breeds are bullies and at the very least are pushy toward gentler or smaller breeds at maturity. This is not a slander at any particular breed as I love all chickens but just our experience. If you are looking for hardy free-range breeds to eventually use for meat these are the way to go but I wouldn't add a gentle EE to the mix by herself.

EEs/Amers/Arauc are not broody breeds so therefore have a better reputation of laying in winter. Only moulting stops Amer/EE egg production but then start right up again. Orps and SLWs will go broody and cuts into their yearly total egg output. RIRs and BRs have an excellent egg output and seldom go broody but as a Heavy LF are not feed economical - medium weight Dominiques are a barred variety more economical to feed with nearly the same egg output and can still brood their own chicks. We've had both BR and Dom and find the lighterweight Doms preferable in personality, economy, production, and calm flock integration.

We have steered away from heavy dual purpose Heavy LF since eggs and peaceable breeds is all we're interested in and dealing with broody breeds like Orps and SLWs is a real pain in the *** ! We got an egg layer Leghorn and would you believe SHE went broody on us too LOL! Never had this problem with our APA Ameraucana and our egg-seller friend prefers Amer/EEs as the best egg layers in her flock and she's had Marans, BRs, Leghorns, OEs, Comets, and various production hybrids and sexlinks.

Enjoy your breeds and in time you will find your favourite breed like we finally did.

Smiles

Don't get me wrong, I love my EEs but I sold some EE chicks that apparently are bullies to the cinnamon queens the buyer also has. I assume the too groups just need more time to fully integrate although I'd think 2 1/2 months would be a good length of time to integrate. LOL

I guess I just don't have the typical flock.

I currently have a broody AustraWhite, had a broody Barred Rock last summer. Both of them are hatchery stock and supposedly non-broody.

CG

 

[tcstoehr]

Here's my attempt. Man, this was more work (and $$$) than I bargained for. 6x10' coup for my 5 chicks. 16x18' attached secure run. 2x4" welded wire on the sides and top. 1x2" welded wire buried on the perimeter to prevent Ricky the Raccoon from getting under. Yes, the area under the gate needs work, I'm on it.

 

[highrolla1969]

I have to post the one I built from pallets, total cost $130

 

[chickeelina]

Here's my attempt. Man, this was more work (and $$$) than I bargained for. 6x10' coup for my 5 chicks. 16x18' attached secure run. 2x4" welded wire on the sides and top. 1x2" welded wire buried on the perimeter to prevent Ricky the Raccoon from getting under. Yes, the area under the gate needs work, I'm on it.

Gorgeous!!! Well done! I know what you mean on time and money. We have been building since March I think and took over one month off but we still are NOT done!!! Ahhhhhhh! Waaaaaayyyy more than we bargained for!

 

[highrolla1969]

 

[chickeelina]

I have to post the one I built from pallets, total cost $130

$130 from pallets? Show off! This looks amazing. I had to keep zooming in on my iPhone because I could not believe how good it looks (especially being built from pallets!!!) whoaaaa!

 

[highrolla1969]

Ty so very much, I had to tear apart about 20 pallets to get the good wood. The pallets are free to us, we had to buy some 2x4s and plywood and the windows were sitting on the side of the road so thoes are free, the roofing was a tin roof I paid $5 for 6 prices of it. Inside is 8x10 outside is 10x10 I house 12 chicks in it and tomorrow I need to make the run for them.