post your chicken coop pictures here!

[TJordan]

Tika75 - One BYC post said they hang socks filled with mothballs around the outside of their coop and it keeps the snakes away.  Couldn't hurt to try it?

Hey

thanks for that plug

Yes. The mothballs keep snakes away. If rats are a problem try putting a little peppermint oil in a spray bottle and spritzing the outside of your coop.

I am going to plant some mint around the outside of my coop where the birds can't reach it. This will aid in the rats and I'll have mint herbs for cooking. I might even do an entire herb garden set up.

 

[Chicken Egg 17]

We left a gap 3" wide between the boards and put down hardware cloth for good ventilation. We will add 1"x2" floor strips on either side to secure from predators and keep toes from pulling it up. I will put hardware cloth around the bottom as well and have a place to put snake replant where the birds can't get to it. The frame on sides pictures will be forth coming soon.

They sell snake traps sorta like those sticky mouse traps. Looks like u can't do deep liter

 

[Chicken Egg 17]

Hey

thanks for that plug

Yes. The mothballs keep snakes away. If rats are a problem try putting a little peppermint oil in a spray bottle and spritzing the outside of your coop.

I am going to plant some mint around the outside of my coop where the birds can't reach it. This will aid in the rats and I'll have mint herbs for cooking. I might even do an entire herb garden set up.

U can get or build one of those fodder things and plant herbs In

 

[ShrekDawg]

Started building the new coop the other day.

This is what we got done the first day.

And yesterday.

Hoping to work on it again today but it's raining now :/ hopefully it will stop by the time my dad's home from work but not likely.

The first day was a weekend so we got to work for a while then yesterday and the rest of this week we work on it after work.

Still need to add the large clean out door to the back, pop door in the front, the roof, the nest boxes and storage on that extra bit on the side, and maybe a real roost instead of the rafters. And more ventilation. Plus the run. But it's coming together pretty quickly I think.

 

[TJordan]

They sell snake traps sorta like those sticky mouse traps. Looks like u can't do deep liter

No deep litter. We will make the roof where I can safely walk into it. Plenty of floor support. I am thinking I might try setting up a poop tray and adding sand and sweet pdz. I've been reading that you can use a kitty scooper and clean it fast. I'll use hay in the nest boxes and maybe wood chips or hay in the bottom.

 

[bruceha2000]

u could put the roost up against the wall up to the roost so it don't take up much floor space

If the roost is against the wall, how are the chickens going to roost on it? It should be a minimum of 12" from a parallel wall for large fowl.

It's definitely possible I got a bad one, not sure. I got the teenage idea from someone that told me it so I'm not sure. As for her getting close to my face, the gum thing happened when I was bending down to reach under the coop to I think get their feeder and she got me. The eye thing she flew onto my leg then my shoulder and I was feeding her and she pecked me. She also rolled onto my back and wouldn't get off when I was trying to get out. I sometimes hold the others but when they look curious about my face turn away or stop them. I just wasn't careful about them. I'm not going to allow them to climb all over me anymore though

See? There is always a reasonable explanation

I figured you were holding them up to your face and took the hits.

In my opinion, if a chicken is too "assertive" with humans, it is aggression, not "Hi BFF!". I have one Ancona I'm not real sure about. If I squat down to do something she sometimes gets up on my shoulder. When I stand or brush her off she does the "I'm a pancake" squat so I know that SHE knows that I am higher in the pecking order. But lots of my chickens haven't yet figured out that freckles are not food, nor are small holes in hats, etc so I'm not about to let one sit on my shoulder and "hunt" for "food" on my face

It is bad enough in the summer when they think those dark things on my arm might be food. Of course, if I had a tick, they would be most welcome to them. Fortunately, I have never had a tick.

I've got the ladies eating out of the palm of my hand! Boss with some meal worms mixed in.

Yep, that will do it for most chickens. Some of mine are still not real sure about hand feeding but they are right there to get some if I throw it for them. Want to watch something funny? Throw some treats to one side of the chickens, then throw some the other way and watch the scramble. "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" is not a concept chickens seem to understand

I got all my wire up today and thought id see if the chicks wanted out so i opened the lid and stood back. A couple jumped up on the feed bar and looked around then jumped right back in the pen. It was windy all day. I think they still like their heat lamp. Supposed to warm up tomorrow so ill try again. I'm going to add the tunnels tomorrow and open them up to see what they do. I'll get some pics tomorrow. All i have left to do is run the dig proofing hardware cloth and eventually the barn door. I'm ready for a break

It is not at all unusual for them to be nervous about new things. Just leave the lid open and the more adventurous will come out. The others will follow.

We left a gap 3" wide between the boards and put down hardware cloth for good ventilation. We will add 1"x2" floor strips on either side to secure from predators and keep toes from pulling it up. I will put hardware cloth around the bottom as well and have a place to put snake replant where the birds can't get to it.

The frame on sides pictures will be forth coming soon.

1. Make sure you coat that chipboard really well with blackjack or some other sealer
2. I don't understand the 3" gap. Once you have any sort of litter in there, it will be covered and do nothing. Better to have hardware covered gaps low in the walls high enough to be above the litter.

 

[TJordan]

If the roost is against the wall, how are the chickens going to roost on it?  It should be a minimum of 12" from a parallel wall for large fowl.


See? There is always a reasonable explanation   I figured you were holding them up to your face and took the hits.

In my opinion, if a chicken is too "assertive" with humans, it is aggression, not "Hi BFF!". I have one Ancona I'm not real sure about. If I squat down to do something she sometimes gets up on my shoulder. When I stand or brush her off she does the "I'm a pancake" squat so I know that SHE knows that I am higher in the pecking order. But lots of my chickens haven't yet figured out that freckles are not food, nor are small holes in hats, etc so I'm not about to let one sit on my shoulder and "hunt" for "food" on my face   It is bad enough in the summer when they think those dark things on my arm might be food. Of course, if I had a tick, they would be most welcome to them. Fortunately, I have never had a tick. 


Yep, that will do it for most chickens. Some of mine are still not real sure about hand feeding but they are right there to get some if I throw it for them. Want to watch something funny? Throw some treats to one side of the chickens, then throw some the other way and watch the scramble. "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" is not a concept chickens seem to understand 


It is not at all unusual for them to be nervous about new things. Just leave the lid open and the more adventurous will come out. The others will follow.

1. Make sure you coat that chipboard really well with blackjack or some other sealer
2. I don't understand the 3" gap. Once you have any sort of litter in there, it will be covered and do nothing. Better to have hardware covered gaps low in the walls high enough to be above the litter.

My husband though of it.... Go figure.

 

[Latestarter]

Hey TJ, seconding what Bruce said, particle board (glued sawdust) or OSB (chip board) is really a no-no for flooring in an outdoor environment. Even if you coat the inside with a sealant like Blackjack (I used on my plywood floors), it will not stop that OSB from absorbing moisture from the ground beneath, swelling, and disintegrating. You'll be very lucky to get more than a year out of it. Though hubby won't like it, fat better to remove and replace it now than later when it's all built and done. Will be much harder then.

 

[TJordan]

Hey TJ, seconding what Bruce said, particle board (glued sawdust) or OSB (chip board) is really a no-no for flooring in an outdoor environment. Even if you coat the inside with a sealant like Blackjack (I used on my plywood floors), it will not stop that OSB from absorbing moisture from the ground beneath, swelling, and disintegrating. You'll be very lucky to get more than a year out of it. Though hubby won't like it, fat better to remove and replace it now than later when it's all built and done. Will be much harder then.

I was worried about that as well. Mr. I Know Everything says it's fine. He even has it for the walls. Sigh. It's going to rain all week so maybe it will start showing separation or warping and he will change it fast.

 

[cabinchicky]

T Jordan, if you can replace it ask fir a marine type plywood. We used that but sealed both sides before installing on floors of both coops. No issues yet from my 3 yr old coop floor that sits ten inches at least off the ground. Used an exterior sealant but I don't recall which. No problems yet with it and deep litter in 3 winters either. Just turn it and throw more bedding in one a week. Good luck and I hope this helps.