Slightly panicked: Starting to build our Coop...just got 13 Chicks!!!

[HENS-and-MARES]

Mine are responding very well to the herding sticks too.

I’m trying to train my chicks. The adults are very good about it.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I’m trying to train my chicks. The adults are very good about it.

Same here, I can herd the chicks a few feet away from the run but then they start flying over them or just running around and screaming. But if I can get them to where the adults are, they'll join in and forage, so it's a matter of trying to get them out there in the first place.

 

[AllenK RGV]

I don't use sticks to herd them I call it the drunk walk. Spread your legs out wide and react to their every attempt at dodging you. I have no idea what the neighbors think of me, but it must look comical. DW calls her version the drunken sailor.

 

[yakitori]

I don't use sticks to herd them I call it the drunk walk. Spread your legs out wide and react to their every attempt at dodging you. I have no idea what the neighbors think of me, but it must look comical. DW calls her version the drunken sailor.

I'd try that next time I need a new covid lock down workout.
I'm currently in energy saving mode...

 

[HENS-and-MARES]

I don't use sticks to herd them I call it the drunk walk. Spread your legs out wide and react to their every attempt at dodging you. I have no idea what the neighbors think of me, but it must look comical. DW calls her version the drunken sailor.

I do that when I don’t have a stick. I broke a broom, and kept the long handle. It’s my go to herding stick. I also have a hockey thing that has a nice curve at the end for grabbing chickens.

 

[CrazyTownChick]

Wow! It looks absolutely stunning! Your coop is practically a chicken resort!

Sorry I didn’t respond earlier - I didn’t get any notifications until today!

My coop is tiny - 4x4x5, a total mess, and nowhere as amazing as yours!
My coop is built into two trees, about 4 ft up from the ground. I tried to keep costs low by using pallets and free recycled wood. In the end, I manage to get most of the material aside from the screw for free, but omg, it took so much effort just taking the pallets apart!

For the run, I got desperate and bought a metal frame coop online... it’s quite ugly, but my birds were almost 8 weeks old at the time when I had barely finished the coop - I needed *something!* and fast! It’s a good thing we don’t have ground predators during the day, so I just needed something to protect the birds from hawks.

annnnnd even now I still need to do the shingles ( I have an ugly tarp over the roof...) but I’ll post it up here for sure when I’m done!

Your husband is amazing, I don’t know how he managed to juggle FT work ***and*** build an entire chicken fort! I’m working part time and barely made something liveable by fowl standards

"My coop is built into two trees, about 4 ft up from the ground. I tried to keep costs low by using pallets and free recycled wood. In the end, I manage to get most of the material aside from the screw for free..."

"For the run, I got desperate and bought a metal frame coop online... it’s quite ugly, but my birds were almost 8 weeks old at the time when I had barely finished the coop - I needed *something!* and fast!"

Hi Yakitori,
I just saw your response here this morning.
Thanks for the kind words! When our daughter saw the pics (she lives in France) she said, that's no chicken coop, it's a mansion!" So I responded, "Good, I'm glad you like it, because it's our new Guest House when you come to visit!"

Actually, I really think that's a brilliant idea, having your coop built into 2 trees, 4 feet up. Chickens LOVE being up in trees, that's built into their nature. That will be a happy place for them! And we almost did the same thing, buying one of those metal frame chicken wire runs.
In fact, we're planning to get one of those and connect it to the current run via tunnel. My nephew & niece did that for daytime play and it's pretty secure. Much more space to roam & peck & be chicks. They've had hawks, but that will keep the hawks from getting in during the day. And at night, they're safely in the coop.
I look forward to seeing pictures when the roof is on. We're seriously thinking about adding a corrugated fiberglass (??) roof to the top of our run. We've had tons of rain in the last week and with the hardware cloth roof on the run, with a sail cloth shade on the top, the rain has made the run floor (ground/dirt/grass) a mess. So we may put some corrugated panels up there too.
Updates appreciated! Thanks!

 

[CrazyTownChick]

Oh and getting them back to the run shouldn’t be too hard. I allow mine to free range where I can see the from the house. I used to let them free range unsupervised, but a few weeks ago, I saw a hawk loitering in the area, obviously eyeing my penned up birds, so unsupervised free ranging is not happening anymore .


To get them back into the run, I simply throw a handful of scratch and they go right in. If need be, I herd then with two long sticks -one in each hand and slowly guide them towards the run - they recognize the run as a safe place, so they naturally gravitate towards it. Now all I need to do is get the sticks out, and they will automatically proceed in the direction of the run!

I do something similar. Before the coop & run were done I had them free ranging outside for 4-6 hours at a time. Problem was I had to be there and supervise the whole time, due to flying predators. Hawks are fast and bold. It was always a fun time to herd them back to the brooder in the garage, I had a broom that I kept in my hands, like a shepherds hook. For some reason, even though I never touched them with the broom, it would encourage them to go in the direction I wanted them to go in.
Now when we free range for a hour, I take the broom with me, and have a couple of chairs that I place for boundaries of the free range area. Then I have a small plate of treats that I've prepared and get that out. Usually all I have to do is tap on the plate and walking into the run, and they follow.

 

[CrazyTownChick]

I would like to suggest you move them to more shade if possible. I live in hades and my chicken rarely venture out in to full sun.

Fortunately it's not all that hot here. It's gets up to low 90s for a couple days at a time.
We are working on providing more shade to the coop & run by adding new trees, "fast growing trees" that already provide a little shade and will give more as they grow. Also, we have the sail shade over about 16' of the run, so that really helps. They like to lay in the sun most days, and have plenty of shade beneath the coop where their food and sandbox is. Plus the sail shade gives shade.

 

[CrazyTownChick]

Wow! It looks absolutely stunning! Your coop is practically a chicken resort!

Sorry I didn’t respond earlier - I didn’t get any notifications until today!

My coop is tiny - 4x4x5, a total mess, and nowhere as amazing as yours!
My coop is built into two trees, about 4 ft up from the ground. I tried to keep costs low by using pallets and free recycled wood. In the end, I manage to get most of the material aside from the screw for free, but omg, it took so much effort just taking the pallets apart!

For the run, I got desperate and bought a metal frame coop online... it’s quite ugly, but my birds were almost 8 weeks old at the time when I had barely finished the coop - I needed *something!* and fast! It’s a good thing we don’t have ground predators during the day, so I just needed something to protect the birds from hawks.

annnnnd even now I still need to do the shingles ( I have an ugly tarp over the roof...) but I’ll post it up here for sure when I’m done!

Your husband is amazing, I don’t know how he managed to juggle FT work ***and*** build an entire chicken fort! I’m working part time and barely made something liveable by fowl standards

....and you're absolutely right -- my husband is AMAZING! I tell him that every day. I am truly blessed.

 

[CrazyTownChick]

I don't use sticks to herd them I call it the drunk walk. Spread your legs out wide and react to their every attempt at dodging you. I have no idea what the neighbors think of me, but it must look comical. DW calls her version the drunken sailor.

Love that. And I can see how it would work. I guess I do a modified version - the half-drunk swagger.