post your chicken coop pictures here!

[GTR ranch]

what is the flooring?

 

[Sylvester017]

Affirmative, I cut the siding and mounted them to the wall so that the doors could be accessed from outside. I built the coop with the intention to not have to access but once a week/month for cleaning.

Very nice! Also would be nice if you list your city or at least State in your profile/avatar. It helps us identify the kind of region/climate you reside in. Thx!

 

[GTR ranch]

Very  nice!   Also would be nice if you list your city or at least State in your profile/avatar.  It helps us identify the kind of region/climate you reside in. Thx!

Central coast of California. Paso Robles area

 

[mandidevore]

Thank you, this is some of the more helpful advice I've gotten thus far.

Mine got the same response. I live in central Wyoming. Mine has quite a bit of ventilation, is rather large, with a huge run. I decided to take the advice about more ventilation and hold onto it to see how my coop humidity was. Thus far, no issues, and I've checked my coop in the middle of the night on our coldest night yet. We've got colder temps coming of course, so I'll check it then too. If I need to add more ventilation, no problem! I say do what you feel is right, remember the advice you got, and apply it as needed. Great looking coop, and I hope it works great for you!!

I went back pages and pages and none of the coops have gotten the reaction that mine has, so you can imagine my distress.

When finished, the ladies will have the PVC pipe feeders and a hanging waterer, so basically every sq ft will be usable to them.

For those who mentioned being defensive, I really haven't. I have just been trying to explain my set up and ask the proper questions.

Someone mentioned a pop door. The pop door is in the back which leads out to their fenced run. A lot of the time they will be free ranging in our backyard (which is also fenced, just a lot larger) though.

I am not new to chickens. I have raised hundreds. From the time I was a tiny child until I got married, it's just been several years. I took chickens as 4H and FFA projects for many years. I am new, however, to these more advanced techniques. Our chickens lived in the metal building with the dirt floor, as I mentioned, and free ranged during the day. That was pretty much the extent of it. All the new techniques are a bit overwhelming to say the least.

 

[kblod66]

Thank-you, a little bit at a time.

 

[Sylvester017]

I am not new to chickens. I have raised hundreds. From the time I was a tiny child until I got married, it's just been several years. I took chickens as 4H and FFA projects for many years. I am new, however, to these more advanced techniques. Our chickens lived in the metal building with the dirt floor, as I mentioned, and free ranged during the day. That was pretty much the extent of it. All the new techniques are a bit overwhelming to say the least.

Yep, poultry has changed a lot in my 70+ years. My folks' chickens were in a huge outdoor pen with lean-to's for shelters back in the old California days. Now there are fancy coops, fancy diets, diseases I never knew existed, vaccinations, and breeds just for ornamentals rather than utility. Chickens have come a long way, baby, as they say!

 

[pennyJo1960]

changed allot in my 56 years also but go with flow right
wake up I was raised with white and red birds leghorn
rode island reds those where the two kinds no others
Now oh my heavens

 

[Sylvester017]

changed allot in my 56 years also but go with flow right
wake up I was raised with white and red birds leghorn
rode island reds those where the two kinds no others
Now oh my heavens

Yep, 70+ years ago it was white, red, and striped chickens only

 

[urbanchick1950]

we have raised the coop on concrete blocks to give our two RIR even more room. And have had a permanent roof installed on the dog run.

four foot welded wire roof and six feet of twox6 raised and cover ed with metal panels. We can still tarp the bottom 4 feet sll the way around to keep the feral cats from staring at the chickens and intimidating them. The chickens can't see them hence they aren't there.we have our large heavy duty tarps if the weather gets cold or wet enough to shelter them more but we think the real roof will work fine otherwise.

 

[Intheswamp]

urbanchick1950, a couple of things here.

The idea of raising the coop up to give the chickens more room in the run (and a little extra shade) is a good idea. But, if you get any high winds I'm not too sure how stable your coop will be with the cement blocks standing up on end as they are...that is a small foundation footprint for that elevated height. Stacked blocks lain horizontally would be much more solid.

Also, in regards to the lower perimeter of the run... If you have raccoons in your area then you need something to protect the lower 2-3 feet of fencing so that the coons can't reach through and grab a chicken...they'll pull whatever part of the chickens' bodys they can grab to or through the fence and eat it. Many headless chickens have been found right inside runs right up against the fences. The standard recommendation is to use 1/2" hardware cloth (small mesh fencing) attached to the lower 2-3 feet of the primary run fence....the coons arms can't go through this small of an opening.

On the topic of the lower area of the fencing. The tarp might keep the feral cats from reaching through the fence but I don't think the cats will really intimidate the chickens "mentally". In the Texas environment I feel that keeping your chickens cool will be an important thing. The tarp being around the lower portion of the fence at chicken-level will block a lot of cooling breezes that will help keep them cool.

I'd go with 1/2" mesh fencing around that lower fence area...many benefits of using it, although a bit of an expense.

On a different topic, I read where you were planning on getting a couple of more hens. With the size of your coop I would limit that to one more. BUT, I would definitely get one more. Should something happen to one of the chickens you don't won't to end up with a lone chicken...they are "flock" creatures and like company. Having a third chicken would insure some companionship should one die or go missing. I would go ahead and get that chicken, too, so that the introduction might not be too difficult as it might be in a few more weeks.

Is your yard enclosed in a privacy fence or anything so that you can let your chickens out for a little free ranging?

Best wishes and enjoy the hens (and eggs) !!!!
Ed