post your chicken coop pictures here!

[perchie.girl]

It PASSED!

I bring you Oodalolly Egghouse ! The run is next!

Woods style, open air poultry house. 8x12 feet
3 nests, wrap around 2x3 roosts with 24" wide poop board. Blackjack floor.
3 coats of storm paint, inside and out, Valspar colour True Teal and bright white, semi gloss.

More photos later of run and interior.

Thanks everyone!

I cant wait to see pix of the interior

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

Chicken Tractor? have you test driven it yet???

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

Update on our new chickie coop. The trim work is finished and on. Just need to paint the door now. Still working on the inside. Just wanted to share.

OOH I like the trim color....

deb

 

[Sylvester017]

Thank you very much for your thoughtful response. . I like your idea of having them on a pad, but would like if they could have a run to peck the ground and what-not. I am going to plant a wall of Amaranth to keep them shaded and busy and probably will have builders cloth over the whole enclosure. I LOVE the idea of a run -Chunnel as a fence for the garden - we have raccoons, snakes, cats, dogs, Hawks, Falcons, rats probably too! I definitely won't let them in the chicken wire areas unless I'm out with them! So many ideas! right now I need to build a warm area for the chicks. I can't find any half grown so ya.... $4.50 each! I already figured out the meat & eggs we get won't pay us back very soon. Lol But I khow to ferment the feed & what materials to use in the pen- how to build a nipple feeder for water and how to keep it from freezing in the winter. And I know I want 5 chickens to begin with and we will cull two for eating, keeping 3 for layers. I'm concerned about vaccinations and am wondering if we need to deworming yearly. So sorry wow that's a lot. I'm going to have to return to the learning section once again! Thank you so much for taking the time to read my excitement.

Our first little coop 4x6 started w/just 2 Silkies, then added a White Leghorn, then re-homed one of the Silkies that turned out male, then added a Marans, then added another Silkie pullet, then rehomed the vicious Marans, then added an Ameraucana and a Buff Leghorn, lost a Dominique chick and an Ameraucana chick. Then rehomed the two Leghorns who were too aggressive for the rest of the gentle breeds. Currently down to 3 hens and expecting a shipment of one more Ameraucana and a Breda to bring my total up to 5 allowed hens. We don't eat our pets but sure enjoy their eggs.

When we got the first coop we couldn't afford much and used a tarp to cover from wind a pop-up canopy over it to shelter it from sun and rain. A few years later and we think we can now afford a permanent patio roof over the new coop we saved 3 years for. I'll post photos after all the parts get assembled. Between a new coop and roof over it the hens will never lay enough eggs to pay for it but then a dog would cost nearly as much with licenses, shots, vet visits, medicines, feed, housing, toys, etc and you can't use dog poops for the garden!

We use organic Manna Pro Poultry Spray for lice/mite prevention treatments once a month on hens and coop crevices/perches/nestboxes. And 3x a year we worm by using Ivermectin paste topically under the wing skin of each hen (but not while they're molting). I decided against using DE after doing a 3-month research which is a controversial subject so w/that much warnings and controversary I decided to not use it. Regular dirt baths work fine and fun for the hens au naturale! Everyone decides what works best for their space and breeds and $$$. The main thing is to be predator-proof and the pen/run will be the most expensive part of the coop to fortify.

I do love the nipple valve waterers - I bought 3 portable BriteTap nipple valve waterer combo pkgs and the water stays so clean and keeps the wild birds away from messing up waterers with their dirty poops.

I was nervous about allowing the hens out of the coop to range in the backyard but after the first month of having chickens and seeing how predator savvy my group was I let them free-range for 4 yrs now and they put themselves away in the coop at night and we just close the pop door. For hawk protection we have a pop-up canopy in the backyard, a couple lean-to shelters, a couple large doghouses, an old wheelbarrow, some plants spaced around the yard so the hens can hide when the Cooper's Hawk shows up -- s/he won't go after the hiding hens even when its only 5 ft away from a hiding hen - darnedest thing.

As far as I'm aware none of my breeds are vaccinated. There are only a couple vaccines that work for specified diseases but most poultry diseases don't have vaccinations and the poor poultry is at the mercy of many incurable maladies. I did line up a veterinarian that will see my chickens as not all vets will see poultry for those times when I don't feel qualified to diagnose (or misdiagnose) an illness. So many illnesses will display the same exact symptoms in chickens that it takes a qualified vet for proper treatment. I have one Silkie that went to the vet 4x in one year so we figured in vet visits alone her little Cadbury-size eggs costs us about $5 apiece for the year! Chickens are a non-profit hobby but they sure are fun and therapeutic. The Silkies are especially fun although they do require a little extra maintenance because of all the crests/beards/feathered feet/and overly fluffy fur they have.

My hens get such a varied diet of feed and fresh produce plus free-ranging for bugs and grasses that I decided not to ferment feed. I saw a value to doing it for enclosed poultry but mine run around free all day. Everyone does something different and no one way is wrong. If the chickens are alive, well, happy, and healthy then it must be working!

 

[WthrLady]

Ok. Interior shots. Sorry that took so long. I have not put down the pine shavings in the back portion, the sand pdz mix in the front, nor the pdz in the poop boards yet.

In fact, one more coat of blackjack this next week.

Anyway...here she is. Oh, the pots are for herbs, which aren't up yet. Red tins have oyster and grit. Jars have meal worms and my blend of coopouri in them.

 

[bawgawk bawk]

Chicken Tractor?  have you test driven it yet??? 

deb

I have not driven it yet. It's still in progress and we still have a couple feet of snow. Hope it melts away before April 10th. Chicks will be 7 weeks old and I want my garage space back.

 

[Latestarter]

Ok. Interior shots. Sorry that took so long. I have not put down the pine shavings in the back portion, the sand pdz mix in the front, nor the pdz in the poop boards yet.

In fact, one more coat of blackjack this next week.

Anyway...here she is. Oh, the pots are for herbs, which aren't up yet. Red tins have oyster and grit. Jars have meal worms and my blend of coopouri in them.

Beautiful inside as well as outside!

Just curious... How are you going to handle/deal with wood chips in the sand/pdz mix up front? Once they start scratching, they'll kick those pine chips in every direction. I doubt it will pose as much of an issue with the sand being kicked around (into the chips). As an aside, I (personally) wouldn't want sand on my blackjack as it's an abrasive... You did a MUCH neater application with your blackjack than I did

I just "slapped" mine on and paid no particular attention to being neat

Of course, I didn't paint the inside either

Since it's OSB, I may regret that down the road in 10-15 years, <shrug> Oh well... when the time comes, I can always rip it off and replace it... Or do what a lot of home builders/owners do and just cover it with siding

Really nice! congratulations on a very successful build!

 

[WthrLady]

There's a big separation board between the two sections. It's blackjack coated too. Not worried about the sand.

Funny. My inspector didn't want to go in with his muddy boots. I told him it's not my living room, it's a coop! Practically had to shove him in.

 

[bruceha2000]

Well, our Cove Products Chicken Condos Mobile Barn Coop w/Run arrived today after 4 scheduled but delayed delivery appts by the SAIA shipping company. There was over 700 lbs of pieces on the wooden construction crate (a large 8-ft CRATE - not a dinky pallet) and it took the driver, my DH, and myself (3 people!) to unload the coop pieces one at a time off the truck. My DH tin-snipped the metal straps and he and the driver moved each piece from the crate to the liftgate to dollies to get them into our garage. The coop walls and dog kennel wire panels were especially heavy but will be wonderfully sturdy once assembled. Whew! Lots of damaged and missing pieces and now to go through a claim process for lost/missing pieces. Wish us luck!

As I suspected the outside shed material is sturdy on the coop but the inside lining is particle board so we've got a lot of sealing/painting to do before we can assemble the parts which should be easy once we receive the replacement pieces. Both flimsy chicken ramps arrived broken and unuseable, 7@ roosting bars were not in the crate, one wire kennel panel was dented like a section had been boot-kicked hard, one out of 4 sliding tray support bar hooks was dented, and one Predator Eyes Light is missing. The 2@ chicken treadle feeders are in good condition and we can't wait to train the old hens to adjust to new feeders. Training them to nipple valve waterers took a little over a week so it will be interesting to see how long the treadle feeders take.

Considering the crate came from Colorado and SAIA drove around 4 days with our shipment before finally delivering I guess some damage was expected. Most people who have assembled DIY kits from coop or shed companies all seem to get some pieces damaged or missing so I'm just glad the main coop walls are in good shape. The missing pieces on the other hand will delay our final coop assembly.

I hate to disagree with you Sylvester but I consider that amount of damage and the number of missing pieces to be wholly unacceptable. There is no reason the coop parts couldn't have been packed in such a way as to not get damaged and there just isn't any excuse for missing parts, especially something as big as a roosting bar. And if "most people" who get DIY kits have such issues, the sellers are not being taken to task.

Were I to rate that company, they would get 1 star, 2 max. If they marked the box "This Side Up" and the shipping company didn't follow that or didn't secure it properly, the shipping company also gets 1 star. If the box wasn't marked, the coop company gets 1/2 star and the shipper goes up to 5 given all the assistance the driver gave you.

The runs are always the most expensive part and time consuming because of the need to make them securely predator-proof. Because of the expense and hours of work we chose to invest in easy-to-assemble powder-coated kennel walls as a separate run plus another powder-coated kennel run attached to the new coop. We would've ordered the powder-coated predator-proof skirting too if we were not already setting the coop on a paver stone patio. This is our last coop. If it doesn't work then shame, shame on us because I'm pooped with the ordeal of a new coop. It holds up to 15 hens but we're only zoned for 5 so this should work. It certainly looks a 1000% better than our first coop. These chickens will never lay enough eggs to pay for their new home!

I couldn't find any mobile coops bigger than a 4x4 on their site Sylvester. No way is that big enough for 15 chickens (which *I* know that YOU know). Heck, even the new regs for battery hen cages demand more square footage per bird. I think your 5 would be max.

I looked at their site again, it says 16 chickens in a 4x4. I just posted this on their "contact us" page:

I saw a reference on BYC that your 4x4 coop can hold 15 chickens. I see on your site that you claim it will comfortably house SIXTEEN!
Sorry but you are WAY WAY WAY off. A single full grown large fowl chicken will take up a full square foot standing cheek by jowl with the others.

Your FAQ says:
" A chicken coop should be large enough for the chickens to walk comfortably without being overcrowded by the other chickens."
Do you not see the oxymoron in "Not enough space to move" and "walk comfortably without being overcrowded"?

Regarding the 20' of roosts in the 4x4 barn coop: The chickens on the top 2 will poop on the ones on the 3 lower roosts. The roosts are too close together and they can peck those on the other roosts. I also note that the roosts are 2x2. A chicken's feet are not meant for perching but standing, thus a 2x4 on the flat is appropriate, 1 1/2" is NOT a comfortable roost for a chicken.

PLEASE do not misinform your customers. A 4x4 coop is big enough for 4, maybe 5, birds at best. You might be able to squeak a few more in if they are NEVER confined to the coop when they are awake.

Hey MaMa...

4-6 birds to a nipple average, so you could technically get a way with just 2 nipples if you wanted. 4 is more than adequate and gives you room for chicken math

Spacing at 8-12 inches is again, adequate. All 12 won't normally be drinking all at the same time and when that does happen, they all tend to want to share the same nipple anyway

silly birds...

Not sure what (size) birds you (will) have, but you should mount the PVC pipe at the proper height for when they are adults (unless you want to keep adjusting it and moving it up as they grow). You can always place some pavers or cinder blocks under for the birds to stand on while they grow. You could also make a two tiered system with a couple of nipples really low for future chick usage. Just as an aside, you should make the end cap removable for flushing of the system occasionally and draining if you are where freezing weather happens...

Yep. I put in a shutoff with a hose barb on the end of mine. I don't drain in the winter though, I have a tiny reptile waterfall pump continuously circulating heated water through the winter to keep the nipples from freezing.

Thank you so much for your generous offer! Unfortunately I am in BC Canada.

You can put your location in your profile. I always like to see where people live when reading their posts.

Please do see if you can find a local handy(wo)man to build your daughter a coop. As you can see there are many designs, some more fancy or complex than others but a basic coop is not at all hard to build. 4 walls, a pitched roof and a floor. If you are going for fast and easy, make it 4x8 - the size if a sheet of plywood. Find a design that has windows and proper ventilation. Make sure all ventilation openings are covered with 1/2" hardware cloth attached with poultry (NOT Arrow staple gun) staples, screws and fender washers or strips of wood screwed or nailed over the wire.


The posts you quoted didn't show up when I quoted yours but they are from 2011 so you may not get any responses.

 

[perchie.girl]

Ok. Interior shots. Sorry that took so long. I have not put down the pine shavings in the back portion, the sand pdz mix in the front, nor the pdz in the poop boards yet.

In fact, one more coat of blackjack this next week.

Anyway...here she is. Oh, the pots are for herbs, which aren't up yet. Red tins have oyster and grit. Jars have meal worms and my blend of coopouri in them.

Oh I love it. ... CoopPouri...?

inquiring minds want to know.

deb