Tacky Coop and Run Contest 2011: Winners Announced!

[kuntrygirl]

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[The Chicken Lady]

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Ha ha ha ha ha!

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

Those aren't TACKY, they're Chicken Mansions here in the south!

 

[bethany83]

I love this thread!! We haven't built our coop yet, but it reminds me that it doesn't need to be PERFECT for our chickens to be happy!

A little bit of a stress reliever!!!

 

[galanie]

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It's in the old building. Just behind the junk in the front is the wire front to the coop. There's no solid wall in front, just wire. It gets too hot here in summer for that.

 

[CrazyerThanAverage]

Sadly, I believe all three of my coops should be in this contest. (I just hope they don't win!) So...

Coop # 1: The Aviary. It was built a LONG time ago by someone else. It looks like it originally held two brood mare stalls. By the time we bought the property (12 yrs ago) it had been converted into an aviary for parrots. Last May, when I decided to get chickens, I cleared it out and scrounged together what I thought chickens needed. I have been making "improvements" ever since.

Fun Facts:
It is constructed from a metal Quonset hut and is sandwiched between a barn and an outbuilding. It used to have 'air-lock' style doors...many years ago. The plywood on the ground is part of the run roof shade that blew off during high winds over the weekend.

The board leaning against the wall is used to cover the window when it gets cold. The totes hold feed, etc.

Everything inside was constructed (to use the term loosely) with "found" materials. The metal buckets on the far left feeding trough are the current favorite nesting "boxes."

The wet/dry shop vac was my birthday present to myself. It makes cleaning up fast and easy!

This is the side that faces the street. There is no access, the door is wired over, but the light switch is on the outside of the window wiring.

Entry # 2: The Isolation Annex. Constructed in December 2010.

Fun Facts: It is located inside the Aviary. I had to put it together when a couple of new chickens started to show signs of illness and I didn't have anywhere else to put them. (Wish I had known then to quarantine new arrivals!) The metal plates on top are to prevent the outside chickens from pecking the inside chickens when they are on their roost.

Entry # 3: The Hospital Ward. Constructed in January 2011.

Fun Facts: When the number of sick new arrival exceeded the capacity of the Isolation Annex, I had to get inventive. I cleared out a stall in the barn. The gap at the ceiling and the spacing of the bars makes the stall not predator proof, but OK for a hidden daytime run.

With a nice built is nesting box! Which, after a month, someone is finally using.

To solve the night time predator problem I brought in an old wire rabbit cage and built a roost in it. The stick is to help me reach the ladies who want to roost on top in the far back corner instead of inside.

The door only has two small hooks to keep it closed, so I wire it shut each night to make sure nothing can get to them. Hopefully, they will get better soon!

When it gets to cold for my sick ladies I pull the tarp down and turn on the heater. They LOVE it!

 

[kuntrygirl]

Time is winding down. Get those entries in.

 

[Kwartel]

So here is my entry:

Coop Name: The Desperate Measure

Construction Date: Run - Sept 2010. Coop - Nov 2010.

Fun Facts: I did this all by myself while my DH has been overseas. I made the run as a grow out pen for some quail, then used it as a quarantine pen. I bought some EE and Black Australorp hens and had hoped to house them together. Unfortunately, the EEs ended up with plucked tails so I needed a place to keep them by themselves. That's when I found the "coop" on sale and brought it home. I put cardboard up for additional insulation and gave the girls a boyfriend to hang out with them while they free range during the day. My DH has promised to help build me a bigger EE coop when he gets home. Of course, his condition is that he gets to decide what happens to this one. I think I can imagine what he has in mind...

 

[kuntrygirl]

I must say that although our coops do not look like the Trump Towers or the 4 Seasons Hotel, our chickens look so healthy and happy and that is all that matters. Now back to seeing more Tacky Coops.

 

[aggie9296]

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Awwww, so cute. Is that a little step for them to step on going into the dog house. It's so tiny and sooo cute! I love it!!! Is that an egg I see in the corner? I have to say that I love it. It's so cozy. You did a great job. It's also so neat and clean. Good job !

Thanks. Yes, that is a little step to get into the dog house. They have a limb for a roost inside. Fits the two older hens perfectly. That is actually a golf ball in the corner. She won't nest in a laying box anywhere. So I put the golf ball there as my "nest egg" to remind her to lay there. And she does.