post your chicken coop pictures here!

[bruceha2000]

If they do not know any better, perhaps. It is not fair to compare to factory farms. They deserve to be happy, not to deal with it because someone else has it worse. I have gotten chickens from people who follow the ten square feet rule, and their chickens were definitely excited to be out, and waited at the door more anxiously to be let out than the chickens I have always let range. Once they get a taste of freedom they typically are not happy to be in. If it is literally all you have I guess it will work, but mayhaps you do not really need a bit of your yard and could give it to the chickens? Or let them range as often as possible. I just wanted to give advice in case it was not realized, that they prefer more. Just trying to help.

How much additional "bit of yard" is enough? I don't disagree with you, chickens can't have "too much" space but my ten 2.5 Y/O chickens self limit to a little over an acre (not including the ~700 sq ft of barn that is their "indoor run" and where the coop is located). They get out every day, all day and they are RIGHT at the barn door when I open it every morning. Some of that is "what have you got for us today?" begging

That said, a goodly part of any day will find them all under a lilac bush in the front or the one in the back, under the deck or the tree by the barn. There is a huge ancient maple tree in the front and a very large spruce. There is also a large spruce in the back by the deck and aforementioned lilac bush but they all hang in maybe 15 sq ft TOTAL of more "enclosed" space a lot of the time. They forage around in the morning after they leave the barn and again later in the afternoon when people who aren't home all day could let their chickens out. This is all spring/summer/fall activity. When it gets cold and windy, they just hang in the barn alley. They COULD all spread out but I still mostly see them hanging in a 10'x12' stall next to the one that was converted into their coop or various parts of the alley.

So while more than 10 sq ft of run per bird isn't a bad thing, I don't think mine would be suffering if they were limited to that a large part of the day and foraged outside in the later afternoon.

 

[Free Feather]

How much additional "bit of yard" is enough? I don't disagree with you, chickens can't have "too much" space but my ten 2.5 Y/O chickens self limit to a little over an acre (not including the ~700 sq ft of barn that is their "indoor run" and where the coop is located). They get out every day, all day and they are RIGHT at the barn door when I open it every morning. Some of that is "what have you got for us today?" begging

That said, a goodly part of any day will find them all under a lilac bush in the front or the one in the back, under the deck or the tree by the barn. There is a huge ancient maple tree in the front and a very large spruce. There is also a large spruce in the back by the deck and aforementioned lilac bush but they all hang in maybe 15 sq ft TOTAL of more "enclosed" space a lot of the time. They forage around in the morning after they leave the barn and again later in the afternoon when people who aren't home all day could let their chickens out. This is all spring/summer/fall activity. When it gets cold and windy, they just hang in the barn alley. They COULD all spread out but I still mostly see them hanging in a 10'x12' stall next to the one that was converted into their coop or various parts of the alley.

So while more than 10 sq ft of run per bird isn't a bad thing, I don't think mine would be suffering if they were limited to that a large part of the day and foraged outside in the later afternoon.

When it is hot, mine will hang under the lilacs for the few hours around peak sun, but in the morning and the afternoon they are out and about. They might stay in one spot, but it is a spot they have chosen themselves. All chickens are different, too. I have some who are lazy bums and want to hang near the coop all day, and others who go way farther than I want them to. I have never seen a "ten foot each' run as diverse and interesting as nature, either. Breeds have a lot to do with it as well. I think that as a minimum, they each need 250 square feet, preferably way more, if they are going to be stuck there all day. Very few would agree, most would guffaw and call me an idiot hippie, but just put yourself in their place and try to imagine what it would be like to only have a set amount of livable space, one that never changed. A paddock system or something like it would be different.

 

[Sylvester017]

I have high quality felt and 30-year shingles on the roof with a GAF ridge vent. Same felt and shingles over the nests boxes, sealed with a rubber gasket and flashing against the coop, which will be painted with Sherwin Williams Super Paint and Duration on the trim. There's better roofing on the coop than on my house, (albeit the same quality paint). I don't think I'll be putting a cheap, Harbor Freight Tools tarp over it anytime soon.

Yes, your coop looks well-built. In our area we have horribly hot (sometimes humid) summers and gully-washers the few times it rains. So we find the canopy nice to keep the coop slightly cooler in summer and shelter us from rain when we open the collection door in winter. Our coop's felt roof barely lasted 3 years - it stained, then leaked which is why we resorted to a pop-up canopy cover. Wish the coop had a corrugated metal roof. We plan on a metal roof for the next one. We used tarps in emergency before using our extra pop-up canopy as a coop shelter with a 2nd canopy for backyard shade retreat for the hens. The pop-up canopy metal frames fold out very sturdy and we bury them about a foot in the ground to keep from parasailing. Each year we get a new tarp cover rather than a replacement canopy and ball-tie and clip the tarp to the top - there are many sizes, colors, and even camou's. That way we can buy whatever size tarp we need to cover the roof-frame plus extend the cover down one side to shade from the sun. The neighbors like our idea of not wasting money on the expensive replacement canopy covers and the tarps don't look bad at all if using ball ties - they're now re-covering their summer-worn frames with tarps and ball-ties too. Whether buying new canopy covers or tarps they only give about a year's worth of use before needing replacement - so we buy the less expensive tarps as roof canopy and have fun changing the color or pattern each year. If you go to Harbor Freight for tarps don't expect much of a lifespan on a lot of their items. We don't like their tarps either. We did manage to get 9 months life out of one of their heavier duty tarps which we didn't think was TOO bad for HF. Hard to find any tarps anywhere these days not made in China? A good tarp can cost between $20-30 but still cheaper than $70-150 for an actual canopy replacement cover with sidewalls costing an extra $100. In the end as long as the hens are happy so are we

 

[Sylvester017]

How much additional "bit of yard" is enough? I don't disagree with you, chickens can't have "too much" space but my ten 2.5 Y/O chickens self limit to a little over an acre (not including the ~700 sq ft of barn that is their "indoor run" and where the coop is located). They get out every day, all day and they are RIGHT at the barn door when I open it every morning. Some of that is "what have you got for us today?" begging

That said, a goodly part of any day will find them all under a lilac bush in the front or the one in the back, under the deck or the tree by the barn. There is a huge ancient maple tree in the front and a very large spruce. There is also a large spruce in the back by the deck and aforementioned lilac bush but they all hang in maybe 15 sq ft TOTAL of more "enclosed" space a lot of the time. They forage around in the morning after they leave the barn and again later in the afternoon when people who aren't home all day could let their chickens out. This is all spring/summer/fall activity. When it gets cold and windy, they just hang in the barn alley. They COULD all spread out but I still mostly see them hanging in a 10'x12' stall next to the one that was converted into their coop or various parts of the alley.

So while more than 10 sq ft of run per bird isn't a bad thing, I don't think mine would be suffering if they were limited to that a large part of the day and foraged outside in the later afternoon.

Hi bruceha2000 - I've seen pics of your lovely yard and wish I had that space! You have some lucky chickens! And yes, chickens are silly creatures and have their little quirks about when and where they choose to hang out. Everytime we garden and change around the portable fence line or relocate their doghouse shelters they have to re-situate their hang-out areas. I would love to give our girls more room on the property but our backyard is just so-so and half the space is utilized by garden beds growing veggies for them and ourselves. One thing remains permanent for them - the coop is always in the same place for them rain or shine! Chickens are survivors and will acclimate to whatever space humans give them - probably one reason poultry industries discovered they could abuse and cram several layers into one cage! Thank goodness our State has passed a law regarding more space requirements for each chicken in the poultry industry! Western and Eastern Europe and the U.K. have passed standards way ahead of the U.S.

 

[Sylvester017]

I finally have a coop! It was delivered and set up by the guys from THE CHICKEN GARDENER on Sunday. I'm sure I'll make a few alterations down the road (more ventilation and adding external nesting boxes), but for now I'm just happy the giant chicks are out of the house and have dirt to scratch in. I already made the ladder into a ramp with an easier grade for them.

I love the BBS hens - what breed are they?
You said you modified your ramp? We had to make a new one for our coop also because ours was too narrow. However we thought that 3 inches between the steps on the ramp was too close so we built the new one with 4 inch spacing. Wish we had stayed with the 3 inch spacing. The hens don't like using the 4 inches going up very much but use it more for the climb down. We're noticing the steeper the ramp the closer together the steps should be placed. We are ordering a coop that has a steep ramp with steps that look about 5-6 inches apart. We'll definitely be modifying it with 3 inch steps.
For fun your girls might enjoy a swing in the coop, or a tree stump, or a long branch to perch on. You probably have a lot of modification plans!
Nice Wichita-style coop! Our coop is much smaller but has the 3 open wire walls. We got plywood planks to cover a couple walls during inclement weather and have a pop-up canopy overhead. I love the security features of your coop - hardwire cloth, paver stone base, easy-clean, etc.

 

[mingomad22]

i have 9 chickens .

 

[RoswellOrganic]

Hi, I having been reading and lurking on byc trying to come up with a plan for a chicken tractor. I will be a first time chicken owner this spring! Yay!
I am in Roswell GA - hot summers, lots of rain and winds at times. Must have a moveable coop (Roswell regs), also looking for a moveable tractor so the ladies can help with the gardening, weeding, bugs. Planning on starting with 3 hens but having space to go up to 5 or 6 over time. So I can bring in new chickens every couple of years as I am not planning on culling for egg production. They will be pets
Have decided on a 2 part tractor, one with wheels and fully enclosed in 1/4" hardware cloth / wood for predator control, hoops for runs that are easily moved onto raised beds and attached to the main coop and are used only during the day. I am thinking of adding an electric fence / hot wire around the hoops and main coop, thoughts?

So, here are my sketches, I hope it makes sense and I would love some feedback please. The main coop will be 3'x5', a size that I can maneuver in the raised bed veggie garden and pass through gates.

I am planning on having a plexiglass cover for the front to add in for the very cold days, think for most of the year it will be open.
I think I don't need covers for the triangular windows, even if it is 9F outside? so it can be vented? The roosts are on the closed part by the nest box.


I have a dropping pan for under the roosts that I can remove to clean easily, so thinking the floor will be open other than the supports for the dropping pan on one side, and a removable board for the trap door side.

I am planning on having the lower level all in 1/4 hardware cloth, even the floor, to keep the mice and predators out. I have a dropping pan to add on the right side and can add bedding so they don't have to walk on the hardware cloth. I would like to have a main door with automatic door closing, but haven't figured exactly how I am doing that. Also think I need flexibility on the location of the door, so I can turn the house to face shade or sun depending on the season? maybe it would be ok to have only one door on one of the larger sides?




Hoping that having food, water and dust box in the bottom will help keep it from toppling over in the wind. I just scored 2x2 cypress boards on craigslist, so thinking of using it for the frames. Not sure if I should go ahead and get cedar for the sides or plywood. Think the cedar will be lighter and help with bugs? Got decking screws and lath screws for construction.
Thank you in advance for any suggestions and comments, I am hoping to start building this weekend!

 

[HighStreetCoop]

I love the BBS hens - what breed are they?

You said you modified your ramp? We had to make a new one for our coop also because ours was too narrow. However we thought that 3 inches between the steps on the ramp was too close so we built the new one with 4 inch spacing. Wish we had stayed with the 3 inch spacing. The hens don't like using the 4 inches going up very much but use it more for the climb down. We're noticing the steeper the ramp the closer together the steps should be placed. We are ordering a coop that has a steep ramp with steps that look about 5-6 inches apart. We'll definitely be modifying it with 3 inch steps.

For fun your girls might enjoy a swing in the coop, or a tree stump, or a long branch to perch on. You probably have a lot of modification plans!

Nice Wichita-style coop! Our coop is much smaller but has the 3 open wire walls. We got plywood planks to cover a couple walls during inclement weather and have a pop-up canopy overhead. I love the security features of your coop - hardwire cloth, paver stone base, easy-clean, etc.

They're BBS Oringtons from @Papa Brooder .

The ramp was a ladder when it arrived, and I was advised by a few people that the large, heavy breeds do better with a ladder, so I put a fence board on the bottom side and propped the bottom up on a paver so the incline isn't as steep. They took to it right away.

I have a great branch all ready to go, and then my gardener threw it out. I guess it did look like yard debris if you didn't KNOW it had a purpose. Hauled it all the way down from my friend's cabin up by Yosemite. *sigh* My Parents' neighbors just removed several trees from their backyard. I'm going to grab some stumps for the run and the yard when I go down in a week.

Once I get the Chicken Fountain installed (the weekend), I can start playing with ideas for outside roosts. Right now they all line up on the ramp and sun themselves.

 

[Free Feather]

Hi, I having been reading and lurking on byc trying to come up with a plan for a chicken tractor. I will be a first time chicken owner this spring! Yay!
I am in Roswell GA - hot summers, lots of rain and winds at times. Must have a moveable coop (Roswell regs), also looking for a moveable tractor so the ladies can help with the gardening, weeding, bugs. Planning on starting with 3 hens but having space to go up to 5 or 6 over time. So I can bring in new chickens every couple of years as I am not planning on culling for egg production. They will be pets
Have decided on a 2 part tractor, one with wheels and fully enclosed in 1/4" hardware cloth / wood for predator control, hoops for runs that are easily moved onto raised beds and attached to the main coop and are used only during the day. I am thinking of adding an electric fence / hot wire around the hoops and main coop, thoughts?

So, here are my sketches, I hope it makes sense and I would love some feedback please. The main coop will be 3'x5', a size that I can maneuver in the raised bed veggie garden and pass through gates.

I am planning on having a plexiglass cover for the front to add in for the very cold days, think for most of the year it will be open.
I think I don't need covers for the triangular windows, even if it is 9F outside? so it can be vented? The roosts are on the closed part by the nest box.


I have a dropping pan for under the roosts that I can remove to clean easily, so thinking the floor will be open other than the supports for the dropping pan on one side, and a removable board for the trap door side.

I am planning on having the lower level all in 1/4 hardware cloth, even the floor, to keep the mice and predators out. I have a dropping pan to add on the right side and can add bedding so they don't have to walk on the hardware cloth. I would like to have a main door with automatic door closing, but haven't figured exactly how I am doing that. Also think I need flexibility on the location of the door, so I can turn the house to face shade or sun depending on the season? maybe it would be ok to have only one door on one of the larger sides?




Hoping that having food, water and dust box in the bottom will help keep it from toppling over in the wind. I just scored 2x2 cypress boards on craigslist, so thinking of using it for the frames. Not sure if I should go ahead and get cedar for the sides or plywood. Think the cedar will be lighter and help with bugs? Got decking screws and lath screws for construction.
Thank you in advance for any suggestions and comments, I am hoping to start building this weekend!

You might want to make it bigger than 3 by 5 if you want more hens. Otherwise, looks good.

 

[bruceha2000]

Hi, I having been reading and lurking on byc trying to come up with a plan for a chicken tractor. I will be a first time chicken owner this spring! Yay!
I am in Roswell GA - hot summers, lots of rain and winds at times. Must have a moveable coop (Roswell regs), also looking for a moveable tractor so the ladies can help with the gardening, weeding, bugs. Planning on starting with 3 hens but having space to go up to 5 or 6 over time. So I can bring in new chickens every couple of years as I am not planning on culling for egg production. They will be pets
Have decided on a 2 part tractor, one with wheels and fully enclosed in 1/4" hardware cloth / wood for predator control, hoops for runs that are easily moved onto raised beds and attached to the main coop and are used only during the day. I am thinking of adding an electric fence / hot wire around the hoops and main coop, thoughts?

So, here are my sketches, I hope it makes sense and I would love some feedback please. The main coop will be 3'x5', a size that I can maneuver in the raised bed veggie garden and pass through gates.

I am planning on having a plexiglass cover for the front to add in for the very cold days, think for most of the year it will be open.
I think I don't need covers for the triangular windows, even if it is 9F outside? so it can be vented? The roosts are on the closed part by the nest box.


I have a dropping pan for under the roosts that I can remove to clean easily, so thinking the floor will be open other than the supports for the dropping pan on one side, and a removable board for the trap door side.

I am planning on having the lower level all in 1/4 hardware cloth, even the floor, to keep the mice and predators out. I have a dropping pan to add on the right side and can add bedding so they don't have to walk on the hardware cloth. I would like to have a main door with automatic door closing, but haven't figured exactly how I am doing that. Also think I need flexibility on the location of the door, so I can turn the house to face shade or sun depending on the season? maybe it would be ok to have only one door on one of the larger sides?




Hoping that having food, water and dust box in the bottom will help keep it from toppling over in the wind. I just scored 2x2 cypress boards on craigslist, so thinking of using it for the frames. Not sure if I should go ahead and get cedar for the sides or plywood. Think the cedar will be lighter and help with bugs? Got decking screws and lath screws for construction.
Thank you in advance for any suggestions and comments, I am hoping to start building this weekend!

First - 1/4" hardware cloth is a LOT smaller gauge wire than 1/2" - go with the 1/2" - no rodent can get in. I don't think you need hot wire unless you have a neighborhood dog problem. You don't really want to have to rely on a hot wire and moving it every time you move the coop/run will be a pain; make the coop and run safe.

Second - Sylvester is gonna get on you for not having an overhang over the nest box

Have you engineered the wheel lifting system yet? That will be important so the bottom of the coop is fully on the ground when you aren't moving it.
And what method of propulsion? You? Lawn/garden tractor? Weight will matter a lot more if it is the former. Don't put the wheels way at the back because then you have to lift almost all of the weight. Put them just behind the balance point and the lifting force required will be minimized. Though you might be planning on wheels on all 4 corners? Maybe since you show two wheels on the 5' side. In that case there isn't any lifting force. Either way, don't get cheesy little wheels. They will drag through the grass rather than roll.

Should be no need to cover the vented area, given where you live you are going to want to be able to open that thing up in the summer. Chickens can take cold, they can't take lack of ventilation. Your roost position seems to ensure there won't be wind blowing their feathers open.

I personally don't care much for plywood and would go with the cedar. It probably won't do anything with regard to bugs (you won't be using aromatic cedar) but will last many many years even if you don't put anything on it as long as it is not buried in the ground. Besides, if there ARE bugs in the coop, they won't be there for long. Chickens LOVE bugs. And cedar siding weighs a LOT less than thin sheets of wood veneer held together with glue. If you do cedar siding get stainless steel siding nails. Anything other than stainless will rust, even under paint. Cedar splits easily so unless you pre-drill, you are likely to crack it with screws.

Love the idea of the separate but attachable hoop run. Cover the sides from the ground up a couple of feet with 1/2" hardware cloth even if it is "day only".

The chickens only need one door

not sure how you attach the run if there are doors on different length sides. You might want to consider covering part of the hoop run in shade cloth for the hot summer days.