post your chicken coop pictures here!

[beautifulpirate]

I have only been on byc for a couple months now but there are some running jokes that I get now, which I didn't in the beginning. One being that when we mention the chicken coop being "finished" (note the quotation marks add sarcasm), we are never truly finished.

BUT, we have been working on this build for 6 weeks now and it has reached completion as far as being functional. There is still a lot we will likely tweak for function and form but as of now, I feel like I can take a deep breath and relax for a little bit. The chickens have plenty of space indoors and out, food protected from rodents and the elements, water daily and a predator resistant , if not proofed, home.

There is a lot of the aesthetics stuff that I wanted to do (paint the run to match the coop trim) that in the end, it needed to be put aside for the sake of time. That's not to say, it can't be done later. But for now , it is what it is.

Here is the coop prior to the run being added.

After the run...

Random shots...

Meet Taco Bell, the rooster we think we will keep (we believe we got three, possibly four roos in our six

). Taco Bell is safe from freezer camp as long as he doesn't become a pain. He is the biggest and prettiest of the cockerels.

The waterer will be replaced by a fermented feed tub in a couple days and we will hang a nipple water system. The fermented feed tub and the the wet feed bowl (pictured) are mounted to some scrap 2*4s. The trigger feeder still nerds a couple kinks worked out but overall works great. The run is skirted witha two foot apron of 1/2" hWC buried about an inch under the dirt. The bottom four foot of the run walls are covered in hwc, attached via deck screws and washers. The upper fencing is larger 2"*3" welded wire fencing. The run has so far been tested by a climbing cat and a digging dog during daylight hours.

The run is 10*5 plus 4*6 under the coop giving them 74 square feet. The coop is 4*6. The run is built in walled sections so they can later be moved if needed to add additional run space.

 

[TerryH]

@beautifulpirate

fin·ished

ˈfiniSHt/

adjective

1. (of an action, activity, or piece of work) I have reached a point that the _____ is functional. I am tired of working on it. I will come back at a later date and "finish" it more. I'm sure that I will think of 50 more things to add to the _____ anyway.
   
   
   
   
   
   

 

[perchie.girl]

Well to me I like vicious roosters they are good protecters of the lady's

X2 I love Roos ... even the sweeties will sacrifice them self to protect his hens.

 

[beautifulpirate]

@beautifulpirate
fin·ished
ˈfiniSHt/ adjective

1. 
   (of an action, activity, or piece of work) I have reached a point that the _____ is functional. I am tired of working on it. I will come back at a later date and "finish" it more. I'm sure that I will think of 50 more things to add to the _____ anyway.
   
   
   

 

[cabinchicky]

@beautifulpirate
fin·ished
ˈfiniSHt/ adjective

1. 
   (of an action, activity, or piece of work) I have reached a point that the _____ is functional. I am tired of working on it. I will come back at a later date and "finish" it more. I'm sure that I will think of 50 more things to add to the _____ anyway.
   
   
   

Yeah, its still not finished here either! Want to add my final pen to Stumpy's coop. I want to raise it 30 inches off the floor for chicks or a pair or as an emergency pen. Still need to add the higher roost out in the run, plant around the run, get some gutters on it, and look into more windows for both.If I think I could get my run expanded more I would ask about it as well. Here's ti seeing how the next 3 years go and think where to maybe add cabin coop 3?

 

[bigmrg74]

@beautifulpirate

fin·ished

ˈfiniSHt/

adjective

1. (of an action, activity, or piece of work) I have reached a point that the _____ is functional. I am tired of working on it. I will come back at a later date and "finish" it more. I'm sure that I will think of 50 more things to add to the _____ anyway.
   
   
   
   
   
   

And if a coop is ever truly finished, then that probably means that you're starting in on a new coop. ;-)

 

[beautifulpirate]

And if a coop is ever truly finished, then that probably means that you're starting in on a new coop.  ;-)   

Is it terrible that I already started the sketches and plans for our future coop (probably in 2-3 years) only a few weeks into the current build? Hahahahaha! We'll either still keep this one as a separation pen, grow out pen, brooding pen or some such. But the next one will be much larger to allow for chicken math and will be connected to two large fenced in gardens for rotational grazing.

 

[NanaNeen]

Is it terrible that I already started the sketches and plans for our future coop (probably in 2-3 years) only a few weeks into the current build? Hahahahaha! We'll either still keep this one as a separation pen, grow out pen, brooding pen or some such. But the next one will be much larger to allow for chicken math and will be connected to two large fenced in gardens for rotational grazing.

Garden grazing? Won't they eat what you are growing?

 

[beautifulpirate]

Garden grazing? Won't they eat what you are growing?

They'll be allowed to go into the garden after the growing season is done. That way they can eat down the vegetation and turn the soil to prepare it for the next growing season. Hence the reason for two fenced garden areas. They'll alternate so they are cleaning and fertilizing one patch while we garden in the other.

 

[bruceha2000]

Quote:
Other than sheer convenience, I don't know why one would pay $70 for the BriteTap combo (2 gallon insulated cooler and the 2 nipple water insert "gizmo") when you can buy the "gizmo" for $30 and a 5 gallon Igloo drink cooler at Walmart for $20. Pull the spout off the cooler, shove in the "gizmo" (which you have to do if you buy the combo anyway!!). 3 more gallons of water, for $20 less. If you want only 2 gallons, you can get a 2 gallon Rubbermaid insulated cooler for $10 at Home Depot. Seems like BT is selling a $10 cooler for $40.

BTW that Britetap will freeze solid in the winter and there is no way you will get even very hot water in the cooler to go out and keep the water in the external "reservoir" from doing so. Also, nice as it is to see the water in the "gizmo", it WILL turn green there because the sun can get to it. They actually sell a $13 sun cover for it so now you are up to $83 (plus shipping I presume) to solve a problem you can do yourself for < $15.

Not meaning to dump on the BT but if one is willing to tap some nipples into the side or bottom of a drink cooler:

• it is WAY cheaper
• the nipples can be kept from freezing at very cold temps with the seasonal addition of a stock tank or submersible aquarium heater
• and no algae issues

Quote:
Kelsey was so excited she had egg cartons before she had chicks! Yeah, learn from the experiences of others. Fortunately the cartons are now being used.

Well to me I like vicious roosters they are good protecters of the lady's

If they are "protecting" the ladies from the PEOPLE, they need to be retrained or rehomed. NO rooster should be "protecting" the flock from the people that feed them.

After the run...

I can point you to threads that will VERY QUICKLY lead you to attach a wire from the lever on that latch through the door ending in a loop on the INSIDE of the run. Or, you can find out why you want that all on your own.