post your chicken coop pictures here!

[bruceha2000]

And oh wow, those weasels seme scary haha don't think we have any here.

Yeah you do, you just haven't seen them because you haven't given them any reason to show themselves. They exist ALL over North America. And they are prey animals, they aren't going to be hanging around out in the open. Pretty much anything that will kill chickens will kill stoats.

 

[perchie.girl]

my coops have been made of chainlink.... Definately hardware cloth where the chickens roost or hang out. A raccoon can reach a good foot through any wire...

I used half inch because the gauge on the wire was heavier...

But with my rebuild I wont need hardware cloth....

coops here in the desert are pretty much wind breaks and a roof...

And yep getting close to doing the rebuild... its been four years now.

deb

That sounds like a good idea. And you haven't had problems with predators or.anything?

This is why I dont have chickens now.... I lost everything about four years ago to Coyote attack... catastrauphic failure on my part. Then I lost my goats to mountain lion.

No my chicken coop will be made of 12.5 gauge aviary wire.... spaced 1/2 x 3 inches.
Anything that can get through that will be edible....

 

[JB-Theropod]

Hens will love the seclusion of the access under the coop but if they ever get comfortable to lay eggs under there you better have a long handle grabber to collect the eggs under there LOL!  Love the color of the coop and the multiple windows.  A couple of our hens like the "window seat."

Ha ha thank you! I actually fit comfortably under the coop. The coop is about 3 feet off the ground

I'll post more pics in spring or when I finish the portion of the run I'm currently building for them.

Here's a picture of their roosts for when they're older.

 

[redfish514]

Ha ha thank you! I actually fit comfortably under the coop. The coop is about 3 feet off the ground

I'll post more pics in spring or when I finish the portion of the run I'm currently building for them.

Here's a picture of their roosts for when they're older.

I think you have an awesome thing going, however I agree with Sylvester017... I too would easily fit under a three foot coop clearance, but what if half your 17 chickens lay eggs under the coop. Personally I would wait till first one lay's egg then block off under coop, till everyone is laying, then you can unblock. Someone else may have a better suggestion.

 

[JB-Theropod]

I think you have an awesome thing going, however I agree with [COLOR=333333]Sylvester017... [/COLOR]I too would easily fit under a three foot coop clearance, but what if half your 17 chickens lay eggs under the coop. Personally I would wait till first one lay's egg then block off under coop, till everyone is laying, then you can unblock. Someone else may have a better suggestion.

Thank you! I will definitely take that into consideration!

 

[perchie.girl]

@redfish514

thankyou for the condolences... I have learned though that Long distance animal husbandry cannot be done without help. My home is 60 miles from where i am now. I have enlisted a cowboy/biker... in the care of my horse but will not be trying to raise chickens till I can move home.

I work from a walker so building things have to be carefully planned out...

deb

 

[ShrekDawg]

Yeah you do, you just haven't seen them because you haven't given them any reason to show themselves. They exist ALL over North America. And they are prey animals, they aren't going to be hanging around out in the open. Pretty much anything that will kill chickens will kill stoats.

Wait really? That's so interesting, never knew we had them here haha maybe they're in certain parts of the state? Or just hide like you said. We do have skunks though and people say fisher cats but I've never seen one. I'd like to set up a game cam but all the good ones are so expensive

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
we have them in the desert... as well. Even Racoons as much as we associate them with water. Though Here I have found no evidence of weaseles.

There is desert fox, coyote, bobcat, mountain lion, They have reintrocuced bears ... long extinct... of course there are all the flying predators.... I prefer not to kill. I prefer to have birds that are wily and good instincts.... for free ranging... and the ones that are not... will never get out of the yard.

deb

 

[bruceha2000]

Ha ha thank you! I actually fit comfortably under the coop. The coop is about 3 feet off the ground

I'll post more pics in spring or when I finish the portion of the run I'm currently building for them.

Here's a picture of their roosts for when they're older.

How much space is there above the top of the roosts? You will want at least 18", probably more since the chickens will be jumping between them jostling for position. Mine STILL do that at nearly 3.5 years of age even though they have spent their entire lives together from the time they were put in the shipping box. And now with the seven 21 week old juves in there (all as big as the adults), there is even more messing about. For some reason they just CAN'T park their fluffy butts and go to sleep.

 

[JB-Theropod]

How much space is there above the top of the roosts? You will want at least 18", probably more since the chickens will be jumping between them jostling for position. Mine STILL do that at nearly 3.5 years of age even though they have spent their entire lives together from the time they were put in the shipping box. And now with the seven 21 week old juves in there (all as big as the adults), there is even more messing about. For some reason they just CAN'T park their fluffy butts and go to sleep.

I'll have to check that to give you exact numbers, but I did design the coop so I can stand in it. When you first enter, its 7 feet tall at the front, then slopes to 6 feet tall at the back from the inside. From the outside, the coop is much, much taller since it stands 3 feet off the ground. But the roosts are 4 feet from the coop floor, so I think there's enough head clearance for the birds to hop around on the roosts.

And I hear you on, they just can't park their butts and go to sleep. I'll watch my chicks sleep for a while and at least one always wakes, stands up and thinks, "oh hey ya know, I think I'll just walk on top of my sisters and wake them up, just so I can lay back down 8 inches from where I was." Ha ha.