post your chicken coop pictures here!

[cbraught]

Thank-you, I am so glad you like my coops! I have worked hard over the years to try and create some functional, well built and attractive coops. I can understand the predator situation, right now we are building metal chicken tractors for a pastured poultry operation here in So Cal. The coyotes love pastured poultry!!!

 

[cwrite]

My new ordered coop & run will have metal roofing and I will have a popup canopy over it for shade in summer and to keep the rain off in winter. I want a popup canopy because the coop will have an outside-the-coop egg collection box that I don't want getting soaked in the rain when the lid is lifted. Hope my girls will adjust to the new coop after living in the old one for 3-1/2 yrs

Congrats on your new coop Sylvester! I know you have been waiting a while for it.

 

[cbraught]

I've been watching your website with interest for a while. Your coops are lovely. You've even made some with pickup truck dimensions for easy transport. Because of Raccoon and 'Possum predators in our urban neighborhood we decided to go with thick dog kennel walls and metal coop/run roofs on our newest coop rather than 1/2" hardwire walls. Your little red coop would fit nicely inside a dog kennel run like Cove Products has but for us it would've been double expense to do so. Your designs are really nice and well thought out! It's nice that you're in SoCal and to have you posting on BYC!

Thank you, I Love BYC! Great ideas here! No better place to get info then from all the people living it.

 

[Sylvester017]

Has anyone had any experience with battery operated chicken door openers? We don't want to run electricity in pipes to the coop, plus we don't feel comfortable running any cords/wires to the coop, so we looked into the battery type openers. We don't trust any type of automatic door openers so want something to use while we're home to keep an eye on its daily function - if it works to give us a couuple extra hours of sleep in the morning we want to try it. Can someone share their experiences or look at the following timer and give me feedback or recommend another brand:
http://www.backyardchickencoops.com.au/coop-accessories/automatic-chicken-door-opener/
TY
Quote:
Originally Posted by bruceha2000


Does it also ring the bells when the door opens?

I wish they had more info on how it works, I see NOTHING that I can use to figure that out. In any case, the only battery operated chicken door opener I have experience with is my PulletShut. I didn't buy their rechargeable battery pack since I had no electricity in the coop May 2 years ago when I put it in and wasn't sure if a west facing solar panel would be enough to charge it. I now suspect it would given the pair of 6V lantern batteries wired in series to get 12V I am using instead last a really long time. The first set were used and lasted about 6 months, replaced with the other 2 from the fluorescent tube "lantern". I figured after 6 months they would likely be pushing dead so I bought 2 new ones. That was last spring and they are still working. Clearly that door doesn't use much power.

There's never much written explanations in either the advertisements or the instructions. Wish more of the these online sellers would use videos to show installation, etc. As always, ty 4 ur input!

 

[Sylvester017]

Congrats on your new coop Sylvester! I know you have been waiting a while for it.

Yes, the new coop is ordered and has to be built to our additional specs so sadly it will be weeks before it arrives. Meanwhile our friends' son wants to inherit our current one to put up on stilts and add an enclosed bottom floor. They live out in a rural location with larger predators in their area and need to make the little coop more secure but I'm tickled someone can use it and wants it. We did manage to keep its OSB wood protected from the elements. My girls will miss the 3 large nestboxes (16"x16"x 21/2 ft tall) with the round hole entrances! This is how it looked when it was new. We placed the bottom on treated wood to raise it off the patio and give a few more inches of head room when we walked in. It's 4'x6'x4'tall and has been a nice airy coop for our hot SoCal climate. We have a popup canopy over it to keep out the sun and rain. There's a huge drop down door at the back of the nestboxes for egg collection and clean-out. The design has been workable except the construction materials used were the CHEAPEST the builder could use - shame on him -- and why a flat roof that collects rain and dew? Also the loose ramp was only 4-in. wide and kept falling down so we had to make a secure 1-foot wide one. What was the builder thinking -- a 7-lb dual purpose hen would never feel secure walking up a flimsy unattached OSB 4-in. ramp! Well after 31/2 years we lived and learned the hard way! I think we earned the new coop that's on order!

 

[Backyard Rebel]

Here is the home of our four feathered ladies.

 

[Chickenmod]

This is built from a couple free pallets used for #1 plants and some scraps from the hardware store. The plan came together as I built it and as I researched BYC.
The coop is on top. It has two levels of run and a door to a "chunnel". The roof is from a truck topper. It leaves room for ventilation and some storage. I hope the girls like it when I move them in.

 

[vehve]

Okay, this is actually meant for bunnies, but with a little modification it would probably work for chickens too. It's not quite finished yet, but I thought I'd share it.






With new materials and two sections of run, the cost is about 60€. At the moment, the total footprint is 3' x 7'. Adding a 28" x 36" section of run made from compost cage panels costs 7.50€.

 

[bruceha2000]

Here is the home of our four feathered ladies.

Love the yard. Not easy to deal with given the slope but the terracing and rock walls are great, as are the compost bins (I will not now show you my compost "bin" which is just a pile).

No one will be surprised when I say "lose the ramp". They don't need it for that "hop up" distance and you don't need to clean poop of an unnecessary "accessory".

I will suggest (as will others) that you need 1/2" hardware cloth up a couple of feet along the (nice size) run walls and buried down and out 18" under ground to keep out digging predators.

This is built from a couple free pallets used for #1 plants and some scraps from the hardware store. The plan came together as I built it and as I researched BYC.
The coop is on top. It has two levels of run and a door to a "chunnel". The roof is from a truck topper. It leaves room for ventilation and some storage. I hope the girls like it when I move them in.

Where are the nest boxes?

Okay, this is actually meant for bunnies, but with a little modification it would probably work for chickens too. It's not quite finished yet, but I thought I'd share it.



With new materials and two sections of run, the cost is about 60€. At the moment, the total footprint is 3' x 7'. Adding a 28" x 36" section of run made from compost cage panels costs 7.50€.

Are building materials so expensive in Finland that a sheet of plywood and some 2x2s cost 45€ ? Ouch.
I was going to ask how the rabbits get up onto the shelf but my wife said rabbits jump REALLY well

 

[Chickenmod]

Love the yard. Not easy to deal with given the slope but the terracing and rock walls are great, as are the compost bins (I will not now show you my compost "bin" which is just a pile).

No one will be surprised when I say "lose the ramp". They don't need it for that "hop up" distance and you don't need to clean poop of an unnecessary "accessory".

I will suggest (as will others) that you need 1/2" hardware cloth up a couple of feet along the (nice size) run walls and buried down and out 18" under ground to keep out digging predators.


Where are the nest boxes?


Are building materials so expensive in Finland that a sheet of plywood and some 2x2s cost 45€ ? Ouch.
I was going to ask how the rabbits get up onto the shelf but my wife said rabbits jump REALLY well

The nest box is behind the top coop door next to the plexiglass window. I have 4 chickens. Right now I have a plastic bucket on its side screwed to the wall. I've wondered if I should put two boxes, but with only 4 hens and knowing they often will use the same box anyway, I thought I'd start with one and see how it goes. Any thoughts?