Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Shadrach]

and sometimes during it, and coming to the end of it too, here. Would this be Sylph's first proper moult?

It would.

 

[Shadrach]

Two hours in filthy weather. Pissing down with rain most of the time. A cold wind and a dark grey sky one could reach up and touch. We didn't get out much.
Sylph is moulting. She's off her food and trying to keep her distance from Mow and Glais.

Glais with his beak in the food as usual.

 

[Shadrach]

About this Nestera coop.
The door, it's way too wide at the bottom. This makes it difficult to graft on an alternative opening and virtually impossible to protect the opening cord from rats or even worse, something smart enough to work out if they put say a paw on the cord, the door will open enough to get a nose or paw in the gap that will appear.

The adjustable vents. A weasel or rat could get through these gaps. The Solway has a similar problem and I put mesh behind to prevent this. Perris mentioned that they took the rotating part off and covered the opening with hardware cloth, mainly because it's a great place for red mites to hide.
Nestera.

Solway.

The roosting bar. It wanders around in the mounting and protrudes into the nest box.

The nest box edge and depth.

All these patches of light are where things don't fit properly. There are lots on all sides. At the field there would be drafts howling through these gaps.
Notice in the top left hand corner where there's a gap between the underside of the roof and the wall. It's been too wet to take pictures but the ventilation arrangement would also allow a rat to get in.

The floor is shiny and slippery, a skid pan with muddy feet.

I'll take some more pictures showing the ventilation arrangement on a drier day.

 

[fuzzi]

About this Nestera coop.
The door, it's way too wide at the bottom. This makes it difficult to graft on an alternative opening and virtually impossible to protect the opening cord from rats or even worse, something smart enough to work out if they put say a paw on the cord, the door will open enough to get a nose or paw in the gap that will appear.
View attachment 4239248

The adjustable vents. A weasel or rat could get through these gaps. The Solway has a similar problem and I put mesh behind to prevent this. Perris mentioned that they took the rotating part off, mainly because it's a great place for red mites to hide.
Nestera.
View attachment 4239246
Solway.
View attachment 4239247

The roosting bar. It wanders around in the mounting and protrudes into the nest box.View attachment 4239242View attachment 4239243

The nest box edge and depth.
View attachment 4239244
All these patches of light are where things don't fit properly. There are lots on all sides. At the field there would be drafts howling through these gaps.
Notice in the top left hand corner where there's a gap between the underside of the roof and the wall. It's been too wet to take pictures but the ventilation arrangement would also allow a rat to get in.
View attachment 4239245
The floor is shiny and slippery, a skid pan with muddy feet.

I'll take some more pictures showing the ventilation arrangement on a drier day.

Well, that stinks. I'm sorry it's not working out.

 

[Shadrach]

Well, that stinks. I'm sorry it's not working out.

Bear in mind I had to make a few alterations to the Solway coop before I was happy with it and it still has a couple of problems so this isn't a bash Nestera post, it's more the people who design these coops have some great ideas but don't know shite about chicken keeping in the real world.

 

[BDutch]

the people who design these coops have some great ideas but don't know shite about chicken keeping in the real world.

Chicken keeping is different for everyone. Depends on the owner, the chickens size, temperament, the rodents, predators, climate and probably a lot more.
In general the prefab coops (plastic and wood) don't have an adequate size, ventilation and proper roosts. Therefore a coop (or shed) that can be adjusted for ones needs is the way to go if you don’t want to build from scratch.

For me the extra children’s playhouse I bought last year is okay because it was easy to make it safer and alter a few things. I only costed me about € 120. I like it that’s its made of wood. But I cant take it apart to wash it if I ever get red mites in it.

It would also be a nuisance if I had to clean the floor every day. Just adding more bedding weekly until its starts to smell. I have no food inside. Only a nipple bottle with water in case they are thirsty in the morning before the auto pop door to the run opens.

 

[Shadrach]

Chicken keeping is different for everyone. Depends on the owner, the chickens size, temperament, the rodents, predators, climate and probably a lot more.
In general the prefab coops (plastic and wood) don't have an adequate size, ventilation and proper roosts. Therefore a coop (or shed) that can be adjusted for ones needs is the way to go if you don’t want to build from scratch.

For me the extra children’s playhouse I bought last year is okay because it was easy to make it safer and alter a few things. I only costed me about € 120. I like it that’s its made of wood. But I cant take it apart to wash it if I ever get red mites in it.

It would also be a nuisance if I had to clean the floor every day. Just adding more bedding weekly until its starts to smell. I have no food inside. Only a nipple bottle with water in case they are thirsty in the morning before the auto pop door to the run opens.

View attachment 4239294

I don't agree with you. What exactly are you trying to say here? I read this everything is different for everybody a lot on BYC. The evidence suggests there are more similarities than differences. Sure, peopls coops look different but essential the purpose they aim to serve is the same if good husbandry is taken into account.

 

[Perris]

Perris mentioned that they took the rotating part off and covered the opening with hardware cloth

No. I said I took off the rotating part full stop. I have not added hardware cloth or anything else. I do not think the gaps are accessible to rats, weasels etc; they are at the top of a smooth wall, under an overhang. How do you suppose a rat or weasel would get there in the first place?

something smart enough to work out if they put say a paw on the cord, the door will open enough to get a nose or paw in the gap that will appear

They would also need to be big enough to have one paw on the cord and the other, or their nose, at the gap that opened. Rats round here don't grow that big, even if they were that smart.

It wanders around in the mounting and protrudes into the nest box.

Mine don't wander, and the slight protrusion into the nest box has not been a problem for any of the generations of chickens here.

there would be drafts

Again, it has not been a problem here, and we are exposed too, even if we don't get the winds you do. While on the subject, can anybody point me to some literature on chickens and draughts?

also allow a rat to get in

None has here in four coops in 8 years.

The floor is shiny and slippery

Yes, to deter red mites and other parasites. The poop trays cover it.

the people who design these coops have some great ideas but don't know shite about chicken keeping in the real world

The people who designed these coops were chicken keepers initially. "Green Frog Designs' adventure began two decades ago in the hills of Somerset. Brothers Adrian and Marcus Morgan both kept chickens for many years, and enjoyed the company of their feathered friends." (our story, on their website) And their coops have been endorsed by the Chair of the Poultry Club of Great Britain, amongst others with long and deep association with chickens, so that's simply false.

You need to assess the design from the angle of a rat or weasel; the smooth sides mean it couldn't climb to the vents or open the door. And I have experience with them to add to those theoretical considerations.

I need to add that I have no vested interest in Nestera as a company. But I will not see these great coops maligned falsely. I think that they're better than the alternatives.

 

[Perris]

Glais with his beak in the food as usual.

That wasn't a feature of his behaviour here; in fact he was usually one of the first to finish and move on. It suggests that he's not meeting one of his nutritional targets, his protein target probably (he's a growing lad, needs more to synthesize flesh and bones as well as sickle feathers and spurs). Perhaps offer him some sardines first, and then watch for change of behaviour?

 

[Perris]

It occurs to me that people who build their own coop(s) simply assume that they know what's best for their chickens, in all aspects of the construction - roost size, shape and placement; ventilation/ draughts; light levels; door sizes and shapes; substrate etc..

I don't share that assumption, and given what I see and read on many and various BYC threads, I think it is ill-founded. I've lost count of the number of home-made coops that have been invaded by predators, parasites, flood, rot, etc., and that are inhabited by chickens with bumblefoot, respiratory issues, feather-picking, likely vitamin D deficiency etc., as well as mites and lice aplenty.

There is an argument that *all* coops have inadequate size, ventilation etc.. Chickens that prefer to roost out, if they get the opportunity, and take a risk with predation and the weather overnight, could be seen as voting on the issue with their feet.