post your chicken coop pictures here!

[LoveTheBeach]

While I appreciate the concern. It's a done project and it took a lot of hard work and a good chunk of $ to complete. I just wanted to share my DIY project with you nice folks. If anyone has any questions about the building, materials or DIY questions I will be happy to answer.
I won't be worrying about predators ripping through the heavy duty mesh screen roof. I will enjoy peace of mind knowing the area is enclosed and my chickens are safe.
Have a good one all!

 

[rottlady]

and some of that depends where you . We currently live on a mountain top surrounded by 2000+ acres of wilderness and have all predators from weasel to Blackbear in our yard nightly. Anything less than our best effort will result in all chickens dead. Even hardware cloth won't stop bear, but hardware cloth stops the widest range of predators. Our plan was to surround our coops with electric netting to help dissuade the big predators trying (but now we have to move so matters not)

Our front storm door. Black bear footprint

 

[LoveTheBeach]

Absolutely where you reside should always go into account of what materials you use. But there is no one solution for everyone and just stating that what I made is not good enough is not very constructive and comes off as somewhat egotistic.
I live in centra east Florida, in a moderately populated area.

Many people I know where I live don't even have their backyard chickens enclosed at all and they never lost any.
The bottom 5 feet of the enclosure is made from metal fencing and doubled up with chicken wire since small chicks can still squeeze through the metal fence without the chicken wire there.
I was more concerned about the chickens jumping over the 5 foot fence then them being attacked by wild animals. And they have jumped it several times, but never wandered off. This is what mainly encouraged me to make this enclosure.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Wow, what a great backyard! love the river front access! Do you fish in it?

I didnt even notice the river. Reminds me of somesome KOA campgrounds we've stayed at

Yep just ask around, 5 gallon buckets are easy to come by for free. Don't be shy to ask, chances are if they can't get rid of them they will end up in your local landfill.   


I don't have a bucket waterer, mine is from pvc. I'm just trying to point out that there are a lot of options and if your a bit of a DIY type person you can save a bunch of money.

They throw them away!? A shame!!! But yeah, I don't like talking to people lol

And oh yeah, I knew exactly what you meant and you're right

just go to Amazon.com and search for "poultry water nipples"
Hers the link to the ones I'm getting ready to order:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/s/ref=is_s?k=poultry+water+nipples

Those are saddle nipples not horizontal nipples which likely explains the price difference. All will work though.

From looking at the link you shared those are vertical nipples. The one I shared is for horizontal nipples. Perhaps that's the reason for the price difference. I went with the horizontal ones because from what I've read they have less tendency to freeze up.

Exactly and exactly why I went with horizontal too. However, believe or not, there are actually THREE kinds of nipples!!! Lol those are saddle nipples. They snap onto PVC pipe or something similar and are good for those kinds of waterers. Similar to vertical but also different cause they're more limited.

Then there's vertical.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/harris-farms-poultry-watering-nipples-pack-of-4

http://www.qcsupply.com/420005-fixe...FKnVql4tKcYpwKxVK4-jle8fHj_fRf8-WgaAp4m8P8HAQ

And horizontal as we all know.

http://www.amazon.com/Horizontal-Side-Mount-Poultry-Nipples/dp/B00JXUAD0K

http://m.ebay.com/itm/10-Horizontal-Side-Mount-Poultry-Chicken-Watering-Nipples-/161294582526

Then saddle.

http://www.amazon.com/Poultry-Nipples-Sanitary-Chickens-Turkeys/dp/B0089DFTGU

PLUS.

Upon the Google search I remembered there are also push in vertical nipples (and maybe horizontal too? Have yet to find those) so actually I guess there are FOUR types of nipples. Lol it all gets so confusing.

Here's the push in ones.

http://www.qcsupply.com/420011-push...tt-LqPki1xFgUEUQb374Rww73z2jHIQBZsaAr-48P8HAQ

When I first got mine I all got all the kinds except push in cause I didn't know that existed. But I got TONS of vertical, a 25 pack and a 10 pack (I wasn't sure if they were the same exact product. Different name. Same exact thing AND BUILDING it turns out.) Cause I thought I read vertical froze less. Turns out I remembered wrong and horizontal froze less. Ordered a 5 pack of those next. THEN. I read about the PVC pipe and Igloo cooler drinkers and thought "gee, that's a great idea" and ordered a 10 pack of those next. This time I gor an extension cord cover, stock tank heater, thermo cube, and nutri drench too. Settled on horizontal nipples but I think I put it in the bucket too tight and might be leaking. But. Soooo... if anyone needs watering nipples LOL

 

[countryladyNH]

We are historical reenactors living in a little 240 yr. old house that has been a DIY labor of love to restore for over 17 years. We JUST got chickens for the first time---4 English buff orpingtons, and put up a coop. We have just finished building our own fence of trees we cut down, and have 'tricked out' our coop with period style hardware and 'leaded' windows to go with our old New Hampshire house. My husband thought our fence was reminiscent of the stockade fences at Plimoth Plantation, etc., and we had a piece of highly weathered 18thc. board, and a 17thc. 'Brit' flag---since we do that type of reenacting. Hubby has a degree in illustration and design, and is creative and quirky. He said the fence reminded him of an old fort...SO...what did we do???
Well, created one, of course! We made our flag pole from a tree we cut down, and hubby hand painted 'FORT ORPINGTON' in 17thc. font on the old board, which we affixed to the fence around our coop and run! We think it looks just grand with our home and the old-time lifestyle we live---(Yes, that is us in the avatar photo!)


******UPDATE MAY 2~ THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO GAVE US OVATIONS AND LEFT US GREAT COMMENTS! WE ESPECIALLY LOVED THE ONE ABOUT NEEDING A CANNON SO WE COULD SCARE THE HELL OUT OF RACOONS!!! LOL!

HERE ARE A FEW PHOTOS OF OUR EFFORTS!

 

[bruceha2000]

I got vertical nipples for $4/pair and a bucket for less than $5 at family farm. My problem was that i couldnt get the bucket high enough for the chickens to drink comfortably under the nest boxes where i wanted it so im working on the PVC idea. Going to use the heater posted for bird baths and my $4 nipples im all about clean and easy (never mind the design and installation (i also have an1/8 inch pipe tap and 1/4-28 tap (cant remember what it was now))

Bruceha2000 is right about the freezing and algae, the simpler you make it the better. Any projection from the main tank will not benefit from the heater and any non-moving water exposed to the sun will grow algae. PVC is opaque so not an issue. The heater needs to be relatively close to the nipples to do any good. The further away from the heater in uninsulated container, the colder the water will be. I also notice that my water containers get slimy inside which cant be good so i rinse them out every time i refill. I assume it is from contamination from drinking and other dibris. A closed system with nipples should completely eliminate that problem (i hope)

My system is closed. In the winter there is a PUNY reptile waterfall pump that runs the heated water through the pipe then back to the tank. In the summer I just pull the tubing off the pump and remove the pump, the water goes to the pipe (nearly the same plane) by gravity.

From looking at the link you shared those are vertical nipples. The one I shared is for horizontal nipples. Perhaps that's the reason for the price difference. I went with the horizontal ones because from what I've read they have less tendency to freeze up.

I think I will use the horizontals if I build another system for that reason. I went with the saddle nipples because they fit on 3/4" PVC but there is a long amount of plastic between the "working end" and the pipe. I have the whole thing other than the pins embedded in the bottom of the nest box with rigid foam insulation all around the pipe. I think with the horizontal nipples there is less distance. I would still use a PVC pipe inside an insulated box (NOT an integral part of the nest box) and a pump to keep warm water next to the nipples.

Thanks very much.
It was a fun challenge. I ended up using screen mesh, the same type that goes on pool enclosures. We used zip ties on the PVC pipe framing and staples on the wood framing to install the screen nice a secure and tight.
Living in Florida there are lots of predators around which would love to snack on my chickens so this enclosure really puts my mind at ease.
I don't like closing the chickens in the coop. Now I leave the coop door open at all times.

The whole area is about 200 sqft. And used to be a garden before we decided to have backyard chickens.

Given your follow on posts regarding the wire fencing with chicken wire over that, my only concern is the word "staples". If those are regular T50 staple gun staples, they won't hold against pulling pressure.

 

[TJordan]

We are historical reenactors living in a little 240 yr. old house that has been a DIY labor of love to restore for over 17 years. We JUST got chickens for the first time---4 English buff orpingtons, and put up a coop. We have just finished building our own fence of trees we cut down, and have 'tricked out' our coop with period style hardware and 'leaded' windows to go with our old New Hampshire house. My husband thought our fence was reminiscent of the stockade fences at Plimoth Plantation, etc., and we had a piece of highly weathered 18thc. board, and a 17thc. 'Brit' flag---since we do that type of reenacting. Hubby has a degree in illustration and design, and is creative and quirky. He said the fence reminded him of an old fort...SO...what did we do??? Well, created one, of course! We made our flag pole from a tree we cut down, and hubby hand painted 'FORT ORPINGTON' in 17thc. font on the old board, which we affixed to the fence around our coop and run! We think it looks just grand with our home and the old-time lifestyle we live---(Yes, that is us in the avatar photo!) HERE ARE A FEW PHOTOS OF OUR EFFORTS!

I love Fort Orpington!!!!

 

[bikedave99]

Here's my take on it all:




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[URL=http://s284.photobucket.com/user/bikedave/media/coop/C11B2138-DDCD-4ACE-BCA1-6948C7E552D9_zps4fda4a5t.jpg.html]

[/URL]

 

[Latestarter]

Absolutely where you reside should always go into account of what materials you use. But there is no one solution for everyone and just stating that what I made is not good enough is not very constructive and comes off as somewhat egotistic.
I live in centra east Florida, in a moderately populated area.

Many people I know where I live don't even have their backyard chickens enclosed at all and they never lost any.
The bottom 5 feet of the enclosure is made from metal fencing and doubled up with chicken wire since small chicks can still squeeze through the metal fence without the chicken wire there.
I was more concerned about the chickens jumping over the 5 foot fence then them being attacked by wild animals. And they have jumped it several times, but never wandered off. This is what mainly encouraged me to make this enclosure.

Greetings @LoveTheBeach and welcome to BYC!

Please don't take comments here as "coop bashing" or personal affronts. I assure you they are meant as nothing of the sort! We all share a common interest here and all want nothing but the best for our own as well as other's birds

Many here have years and years of experience and have found things that worked and things that worked not so well... They/we share comments based on what they've/we've experienced with the best of intentions. You'll find differing opinions and outcomes in virtually every thread you read here. A lot of time you kinda have to read between the lines and just take it all in, sift through it, and then apply what seems best for your specific situation. Doesn't mean the counter proposals are "bad", just that they aren't "right" for you! And there is a positive wealth of good information and experience on the site. I hope you'll be able to use it to your benefit over time!

Glad you joined us! Browse around

and jump in where you feel comfortable!

 

[NanaNeen]

From looking at the link you shared those are vertical nipples. The one I shared is for horizontal nipples. Perhaps that's the reason for the price difference. I went with the horizontal ones because from what I've read they have less tendency to freeze up.

yes they are. I didn't even think about that. They have those also ofof course but I can't speak to the price.