post your chicken coop pictures here!

[jerrey]

that is so pretty I just love all of pictures I know you are proud of chicken coop ,have a good day Jerrey Mae

 

[townhen]

This 5x10' run and 4x5' coop was built for 4 chickens (but we ended up with 5). Hopefully it is not too tight of quarters for them. We had planned on letting them free range in our fenced-in city yard, but the preponderance of raccoons in the area makes me too nervous to allow them out unless closely supervised.

 

[Latestarter]

Typically, raccoons are nocturnal and should not be an issue for your chickens free ranging during the day. If you see a raccoon running around during the day, there's a real good chance there's something wrong with it... like rabies... More common day time chicken threats are neighbor's (or your own) dogs, cats, and aerial predators like hawks. 20 square feet of coop space is adequate for 5 full sized chickens. Looks good!

 

[MeepBeep]

Typically, raccoons are nocturnal and should not be an issue for your chickens free ranging during the day. If you see a raccoon running around during the day, there's a real good chance there's something wrong with it... like rabies...

In my area it's not uncommon to see them extend their normally nocturnal foraging times well into the morning light or start late afternoon before the sun is fully set when they have babies to care for, especially if they know there is a food source in that area...

 

[Sylvester017]

This 5x10' run and 4x5' coop was built for 4 chickens (but we ended up with 5). Hopefully it is not too tight of quarters for them. We had planned on letting them free range in our fenced-in city yard, but the preponderance of raccoons in the area makes me too nervous to allow them out unless closely supervised.

We are in a suburban neighborhood with a smaller cottage backyard. We were nervous to let our first chickens free-range but clearly they did not like being "cooped" when they saw us in the backyard. So we gradually allowed them time to range while we watched them but that gets old tying up our time. Originally the only plant in the backyard was a climbing rosebush along the fenceline and the rest was all lawn. When we saw that the chickens liked to snooze and hide under the rosebush rather than in the coop we set up a plywood plank on cinderblocks which they used constantly. When we saw them dive under the shelter when a Cooper's Hawk flew into the yard we decided to set up a couple more shelters, 4 large doghouses, a popup canopy, and several more potted plants. Hawks can see our chickens but won't go after hiding hens even though they can see them - darnedest thing. We have had Marans, Leghorns, Silkies, Ameraucana, and Breda and none have ever been attacked by a Hawk even just 5 feet away. Crows don't bother our chickens either but I wouldn't trust chicks or ducklings free-range as these are easy prey. There are huge raccoons in our neighborhood and they crawl out of the street drains at night. They are nocturnal creatures - we have no worries about 'coons or 'possums during the day. Stray dogs that break into the yard are more troublesome so we double gated. As for feral stray cats our little flock will gang up on ohe and chase it out of the yard to never come back! We can leave all day without worrying about the safety of the hens since they are very smart to dive and hide from the Hawk. He will fly over the yard but doesn't bother to stop any more. Our girls - even the 2 little Silkies are very predator-savvy and teach new pullets how to dive and hide! To us that's a good reason to keep older hens as teachers.

 

[chynasparks]

I wish my first flock would have been so talented. I lost all but 2 to predators. We know for sure we had a bobcat in the area. We have Hawks which we are sure got some of them. I had 3 hens and a beautiful rooster and 4 juveniles. I was left with just the roo and one juvenile. I rehomed them. That was tough! Wild Bill was my baby. Anyway, we can't free range so put up a 10x10x6 kennel. We built a door for them to go in and out. Lock them up at night. Eventually another will be on the front of it. They can go front to back both covered. They're doing fine, but they'll do better with the added pen in front. I tried free range it failed miserably. There are free range chickens down the road. Don't know what losses they have but my flock is so small losing one is one too many.
I'm tempted to make a chicken tunnel. Seen pics on line of them. I'd like to have them running in one when I'm home. They'd love it.

 

[Teila]

Because of free ranging neighbourhood dogs and cats, free range of chickens here is under supervision. While we have heaps of places the girls can hide if they feel threatened, apparently nothing beats under the table, on the deck where the people are and "while we are here, might as well beg for some meal worms!"

 

[Granny368W]

Hi Granny! I just built rear rollout boxes, followed a design by Opa, here in the forum. Search his name, he has complete detailed instructions. I believe the slope was 3 1/2" on the front to nothing on the back, distance from front to back was 24". Check him out.

Oh, thank you so much!!!

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
Opa's boxes were rear roll out I believe...... Yep

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/287684/new-rollout-nest-design-picture-heavy-edited-1-21

deb

 

[Sylvester017]

I wish my first flock would have been so talented. I lost all but 2 to predators. We know for sure we had a bobcat in the area. We have Hawks which we are sure got some of them. I had 3 hens and a beautiful rooster and 4 juveniles. I was left with just the roo and one juvenile. I rehomed them. That was tough! Wild Bill was my baby. Anyway, we can't free range so put up a 10x10x6 kennel. We built a door for them to go in and out. Lock them up at night. Eventually another will be on the front of it. They can go front to back both covered. They're doing fine, but they'll do better with the added pen in front. I tried free range it failed miserably. There are free range chickens down the road. Don't know what losses they have but my flock is so small losing one is one too many.
I'm tempted to make a chicken tunnel. Seen pics on line of them. I'd like to have them running in one when I'm home. They'd love it.

Your city neighborhood has Bobcats? They're nasty. I'm so sorry to hear about your losses. My DD lives in the suburb city but her property butts up against a natural local preserve for hiking and trails - it has attracted Coyotes, Lynx, Bobcats, once a Bear, and a couple years ago a Cougar! Not to mention smaller pests like Rattlesnakes, Skunks, Coons, Possums, Wild Rabbits, Deer, loose Dogs, Hawks, etc. They've caught photos of several wildlife critters on their night camera.

I'm further away from the Mountain behind us and have been fortunate not to have critters like Skunks or Snakes - but that doesn't mean there isn't danger from someone's loose Python or Boa pet or the city night critters like Coons and Possums. We all need to assess our property for local predators and build accordingly. The key to our 4 hens' survival in our little cottage backyard has been several scattered shelters, doghouses, and popup canopy and we plan to add stickery evergreen, roses, and berry bushes along the fence line - all for the girls to hide/snooze under during the daytime. We have a giant flock of neighborhood Crows that are wonderful at leaving our chickens alone and chasing off the Cooper's Hawks (chicken hawk). I never cared for Crows until I learned how valuable they were at chasing off predatory birds. The Crows don't even bother our vegetable beds.

I've seen chicken tunnel photos and videos too. Sounds like a neat idea if one can be constructed sturdy enough to keep out digging canines like Coyotes, Foxes, Dogs, etc. We are getting rid of our 60-y/o chainlink fence and replacing with a 6-ft block wall with added privacy fencing to make it even taller. Won't keep out the Hawks but will make it difficult for digging critters to enter!