post your chicken coop pictures here!

[the poppster]

I think they make those waterer nipples red to attract the birds....I have a red low watt light in my coop...it makes it so they can see...in case of invaders...but if anyone has a slight wound and possible blood....the red light hides it, so the others are likely to ignore it....so far it's worked. Not that my birds have a bunch of bleeding wounds! It's just in case! Don't want a bloody pin feather spot to end up as an all out cannibal frenzy! Yes it's the nature of the Beast!

 

[MeepBeep]

Im thinking the nipples are bright red to get their attention so they peck, discover water and go back for more.

Red along with yellow are appealing colors to chickens and most birds likely because they are common 'flower' or 'fruit' colors...

I recently read a study where they concluded that yellow nesting boxes were preferred by chickens over other colors...

 

[the poppster]

Red along with yellow are appealing colors to chickens and most birds likely because they are common 'flower' or 'fruit' colors...

I recently read a study where they concluded that yellow nesting boxes were preferred by chickens over other colors...

Cool! Thank you for the information! Yellow...my girls have wood colored nest boxes.

 

[TJordan]

If you're able to add new Ams or EEs every year, whatever your preference for birds, then you'll at least get a good supply of colored eggs before a 2-yr-old slows down production.  With the 2-yr-olds slowing down, you can have a new group of pullets to keep you supplied with colored eggs.  The only thing is that when the 2-yr-olds become 3-yr-old layers, the 2-yr-olds behind them will be laying less too.  So what do you do then? add yet more new pullets again?  Too many birds for me to keep as pets just to have a few blue-green eggs in production for only a couple/three months each year.  Meanwhile, I had a White Leghorn that was laying 4 to 6 XL eggs a week in her 3rd year and only stopped for about 2[SUP]1/2[/SUP] months to molt and regrow new feathers.  That kind of layer spoils you for eggs compared to an Am or EE that can't even produce as often as a little Silkie!  I do credit the Ams and EEs for their XL+ size eggs but not reliable layers after their pullet year - JMO.  Great gentle pets if your neighbors don't mind hearing their noisy cackles.  If I could tolerate the more assertive behaviors of the large or heavy production birds like Legs, RIRs, BRs, Orps, Lorps, Wyans, Marans, etc, I'd be overrun in eggs for a few years and happy.  What doesn't make me happy about those breeds is their bigger appetites and flock dramas so I made the choice to keep the gentler smaller breeds which usually means smaller or less eggs.  It was a trade-off on my part.  Our coop is only 4x5 floor space for roosting and egg laying so the 4 smaller breeds work for us - the rest of the day they free range the yard.  I cycled through 13 chickens in 5 years to get down to the compatible 4 we have now.


For Heaven's Sake!  You've been through enough calamity and experience to be a pro in THEIR EYES!  Now you'll have family members to chat up about chickens and coops every time you get together!  TOO FUN!

Yep. They started talking chicken wire and I put a STOP!!! To that fast. Then they asked about heat.

I almost shouted NO when they said that.

 

[MeepBeep]

Red along with yellow are appealing colors to chickens and most birds likely because they are common 'flower' or 'fruit' colors...

I recently read a study where they concluded that yellow nesting boxes were preferred by chickens over other colors...

Cool! Thank you for the information! Yellow...my girls have wood colored nest boxes.

Here is a quick blurp about chickens and color appeal...

http://heiferinyourtank.typepad.com...t-just-for-bulls-or-do-chicks-dig-it-too.html

As it turns out, despite the commercial pressures which say otherwise, red is not a chicken's preferred colour. One experiment involving different coloured nest boxes showed that 50.5% of chickens showed preference to yellow for nesting. Also, blue and green stimulate the hypothalamus of a chicken the most. However, although red is not the most attractive colour to chickens, the light wavelengths penetrate the skull and feathers more effectively and stimulate the hypothalamus. Studies have shown that this stimulation can lead to decreased aggression, decreased consumption, and increased production. Hence the abundance of red chicken squiptment found with suppliers. Jim Weiss, a farmer by Mundare Alberta explains, "Red light sources are used in chicken coops for three months. The red light prevents the chickens from pecking each other which increases productivity. Also, the red light sources are needed longer for laying hens."

One man even develiped red contacts for chickens, a venture which failed since it was found that the chickens struggled to put them in, also, the dust and other particles floating around in a barn would get in the contacts damaging the chicken's eys.

In conclusion, red may not be as popular as blue, green or yellow which chickens, however, the significant effects of the red wavelengths dominate the chicken's preferences to you and your wallet!

 

[Sylvester017]

Yep. They started talking chicken wire and I put a STOP!!! To that fast. Then they asked about heat.

I almost shouted NO when they said that.

OMG! No! -- too funny. I hope they're heeding your input.

 

[Sylvester017]

Here is the black hen that lays beautiful green, jumbo eggs every day.
.

What a lovely girl! You must post her eggs for us to see. Apparently she's got a blue-egg parent. She looks somewhat Australorp or maybe Marans in her? You don't expect green eggs from a bird that looks like her - lovely!

 

[NanaNeen]

We have to have our HVAC completely redone. They were pulling out all the old stuff and loading it up to haul off when I saw IT! It had a beautiful glow around it. Imagine the shock when I hollered NO! I WANT THAT! My new chicken eyes had fallen upon the most beautiful perfect poop pan in the world. Yes those square legs pop off and the electric device pops right off also. I'm in future coop nirvana! The exact width for the coop add on and long enough also. It's 34 inches wide and almost 6 feet long and almost 2 inches deep!

 

[NanaNeen]

My girls are getting bigger now at 11 weeks and their lettuce and spinach garden is keeping up with them very well. I planted the lettuce and spinach as dividers for my herbs. I get the herbs, the girls get the greens. A big bunch every day. They love it! We are going to have to get that extended run built pretty soon though!

 

[perchie.girl]

We have to have our HVAC completely redone. They were pulling out all the old stuff and loading it up to haul off when I saw IT! It had a beautiful glow around it. Imagine the shock when I hollered NO! I WANT THAT! My new chicken eyes had fallen upon the most beautiful perfect poop pan in the world. Yes those square legs pop off and the electric device pops right off also. I'm in future coop nirvana! The exact width for the coop add on and long enough also. It's 34 inches wide and almost 6 feet long and almost 2 inches deep!

Awesoime I love repuposing stuff. As a sheet metal person I know those edges are going to be sharp. do yourself a favor and run a trim of wood around the inside thats just a bit taller than the metal. Because you know chickens are going to walk in it, and possibly on the edges. You dont even have to use nails just gorilla glue or liquid nails. the trim would not be structural.

deb "who will go back into lurkdome now"