Showing a little love to cconly.com

[Jennyfrmthblock]

BTW, we live in New Hampshire and will let you know how the cold weather treats the coop when the time comes.

 

[Whovian]

I ordered my coop and am waiting for delivery. It is a bigger size (CC78-H-R2). I appreciate all the advise. We plan to seal it after assembly and caulk everything. We are planning to have a heat lamp and water heater in the coop during the winter months. I'll let you know how it all goes after assembly!

 

[jonheffley]

@Whovian:
Ventilation is key. Make sure whatever you caulk doesn't interfere with that. They aren't supposed to be airtight.

 

[taffers]

Did any of you alter the roosting poles and put them higher (above the nesting boxes)? thanks!

 

[jonheffley]

In the model I reviewed there is only one place the roosting bars can go.

 

[taffers]

Yes ours too- we have the CC-78-R2-H, but we were thinking of adding another one at the top of the coop. Do your chickens sleep/roost on the roosting poles, or do they tend to sleep n their nesting boxes since the roosts are lower than the nesting boxes?

 

[jonheffley]

You know, I hadn't put 2+2 together on that. Yes, they sleep in their nesting boxes. I've heard my daughter report that sometimes (or maybe just when they were smaller) they piled in 3 per box, even though there was room in the other boxes.

 

[taffers]

Thanks for the reply! you just made more work for my husband!

 

[Whovian]

We wound up moving the roosting bars above the nesting boxes, going in the opposite direction. They wouldn't use the roosts when they were low. They love them higher up now. Where do you all keep the food and water. I hate that there is no good place to hang the water and food.

 

[jonheffley]

I originally screwed a hook into the ceiling and hung the food dish from it, but we eventually decided to hang it from the roof of the run. It is reasonable protected from the rain underneath one of the built-in shades. The water is under a second one of the shades, raised up on a paving brick. They still make a poopy mess of it.

Even though I have a reasonably favorable opinion of the coop, the run space is not sufficient. We keep our chickens out in the yard all day long every day (except certain very cold winter days), so they have less chance to poop in the water.