post your chicken coop pictures here!

[gpeters3]

I have another group who thinks they're turtles and bury their eggs, thankfully, generally in the same place.

Maybe they are related to turkeys. Im told turkeys typically lay on the ground. My grandson calls them turtles (I have 4). Maybe more to this than i thought

 

[gpeters3]

The rafters have a gap between the walls about 2" running the length of the coop on either side where they connect. I have a 4" hole saw and I plan on cutting a vent on the highest part of the coop on the short wall on both sides and probably a low one on the back that I will cover with chicken wire and possibly cover in the winter. As for the 2x4 roosts I put them that way because I saw many people using logs and sticks as roosts. Perhaps I could add another one running alongside it to make a makeshift 4x4 before winter so they don't get frostbite on their feet. That's a good idea. I'm still learning and taking all of the advice I can get. Thanks for the pointers!

I did change mine to flat 2x4s but had 3/4 inch metal pipe for perches which they all roosted on for 4 years and only noticed a couple with missing toes so it may be better to use wood and even better to use wide wood but ive noticed mine slip and slide when moving around on them, especially when they are trying to mingle, because they cant grip the wide perch. They do recover better than i would have thought when they fall off. I watched a buff hang upside down on the perch for dear life untill she flapped and struggled and recovered her footing to sit upright. I have some that like to walk over the top of the other roosting birds to get to a certain spot.

If i get around to it i may try using a router to narrow and radius the boards to 3 inches and see if that helps. I can see the benefit of having some flat to the perch, not sure how much is best. Im thinking some kind of compromise is best. In nature the only roost they have would be round but larger sizes would probably be best, according to the size of their feet, of course.

 

[gpeters3]

Now if I can get them to use the nesting boxes and jdthe roost in the coop instead of the floor.

I see some metal perches in front of the nest boxes but they are too close for them to fly or even hop up to. Ive found that a perch slightly below the lip of the box and about 12 inches in front works pretty well. They will naturally try to use the boxes, you dont need to worry but they need to have room to perch in front and then step or hop in.

 

[Chicken Egg 17]

I personally like to use the rounded edged 2x2 railing boards

 

[MeepBeep]

I can see the benefit of having some flat to the perch, not sure how much is best. Im thinking some kind of compromise is best. In nature the only roost they have would be round but larger sizes would probably be best, according to the size of their feet, of course.

Here is a study on that topic, pay attention to the fact that chickens don't actually perch fully on their feet like true perching birds do... http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/content/90/4/715.long

The perch design they found the best, was basically a squishy 48mm foam rubber sleeve over a 27mm steel perch, that allowed the foam rubber sleeve to distort to best fit the bird...

It looked like this, a 4mm foam rubber sleeve slid over a 27mm steel pipe and secured only the bottom of the pipe, creating a 20mm vertical air gap on top and whatever on the side...

 

[Jesusfreak101]

Would the hens just eat the foam? Anything man made that it seems to me that hens are prone to taste it however natural things they are more cautious about.

 

[MeepBeep]

Would the hens just eat the foam? Anything man made that it seems to me that hens are prone to taste it however natural things they are more cautious about.

I suspect not if it's rubbery enough that it's peck resistant... I'm thinking their design is probably more along the lines of vinyl dog chew toy foam rubber, not a 'foam' per say but more of a rubber... The study suggest it's patent pending so there is probably plenty of details to be found if you can locate the patent application...

 

[Sylvester017]

Close to done, just a little more work to do, based on the wichita design (didn't know that, I just picked one I liked from google images and kind of winged it)

I've always like the open airy design of the "Witchita" clones. Had I decided to have one built I would've extended more roof cover over the nestboxes to protect from rain. Since 3 of my 4 hens use the nestboxes to sleep for the night I want to make sure the nestboxes don't leak in a storm plus it protects my head when I collect eggs in the rain. We have to collect our eggs ASAP rain or shine or our 2 Silkies will go broody over anybody's eggs almost instantly.

 

[Sylvester017]

I suspect not if it's rubbery enough that it's peck resistant... I'm thinking their design is probably more along the lines of vinyl dog chew toy foam rubber, not a 'foam' per say but more of a rubber... The study suggest it's patent pending so there is probably plenty of details to be found if you can locate the patent application...

So you're saying this is something that can be coming available soon to chicken owners? Wouldn't that be fabulous! I would love to use it over our 2x2 rounded edge perch which one of my girls seems to prefer over the 2x4 we finally removed.

 

[MeepBeep]

So you're saying this is something that can be coming available soon to chicken owners?  Wouldn't that be fabulous!  I would love to use it over our 2x2 rounded edge perch which one of my girls seems to prefer over the 2x4 we finally removed.

I have no idea, the study is linked in my post and the author claims the perch design they found ideal is patent pending, but that was 6 years ago and I have no further info beyond what is in the article...