Texas

[TexasLisa]

Quote:
$1000 tips huh??? The girls do have their own nest boxes and they were using them. All of a sudden they decided the blacksmith shop was better, handier, or maybe they like irritating my 'Designated Hitter'.

I am waiting for them to go broody, then they will be allowed to sit (but not on the forge). Stretch, my australorp, is the broody hen. I am hoping she wants to set again this year. She was a very good mama.

Lisa

 

[Forgetfulfreda]

Home Depot and Lowe's wire is expensive compared to Tractor Supply.

What about North Texas Co-op? Are they cheaper?

 

[Ms Jellybean]

Nice to see all the coop photos.

Janet - that is a neat story. If you like to read history check out Lost in Shangri-la and Frozen in Time by Mitchell Zuckoff.


If I were to build this coop instead of the MetroCoop (can't get plans and I am not an architect - still like it best though) I see it as being way to warm unless I turn the side doors into screen sections that can also open to clean. What are your thoughts on this? You can view more photos via the link. I would still be putting it inside a larger run area as well.

Cold and rainy here today. The house is cold and damp. I'm freezing. This is not a good week for me...

Did I share this recipe? Very yummy. I didn't have coconut oil so I used sunflower oil. I think some freshly grated ginger (not much) would be good in it too. Going to try that next time I make them. I like healthy snacks, especially when I don't feel like eating. I've lost 5 pounds this past week.

 

[jockeyeba]

 

 
Good Morning Fellow Texans!
 

 
Hung, there isn't a smell around here now.  Since you have trapped it, please don't send it back to me! 
 

 
Have a question for you guys.  I have 11 hens laying.  2 of the BR decided to lay in my DH smithy (blacksmith shop).  One lays on the bench and one lays in the forge.  I thought 'okay, no big deal'.  Yesterday there were 5 eggs in the smithy.  DH has an extra large forge with a huge basin.  3 of the eggs were in there.  Should I stop them, if so how do I go about doing it?  Or do I let them continue to lay there?  Part of me thinks, 'I know where they are, why bother".
 

 
Have a great day!

Dear sister,


If the skunk is no longer around, let them lay and make babies.


If you want to stop them from laying, just take the egg and eat. When they see their eggs missing, they will trigger them to go somewhere else and create another nest.

If you want them to set, then you have 2 choices:


One is leaving them alone so they continue laying and proceed with setting. Just tell your Designated Hitter to move his Smith work to the chicken cage next time.


The alternate will be to make a box for their nest and put right where they laying now. They will know that you had moved their eggs into a better nest and continue to lay. Then when they set a few days, at night, move the entire box/nest to your cage.


Those are $1000 tips. And your hens will live happily ever after.


Sincerely

$1000 tips huh???  The girls do have their own nest boxes and they were using them.  All of a sudden they decided the blacksmith shop was better, handier, or maybe they like irritating my 'Designated Hitter'.

I am waiting for them to go broody, then they will be allowed to sit (but not on the forge).  Stretch, my australorp, is the broody hen.  I am hoping she wants to set again this year.  She was a very good mama.

Lisa

( actually funny answer )

 

[jockeyeba]

Nice to see all the coop photos.

Janet - that is a neat story.  If you like to read history check out Lost in Shangri-la and Frozen in Time by Mitchell Zuckoff.  


If I were to build this coop instead of the MetroCoop (can't get plans and I am not an architect - still like it best though) I see it as being way to warm unless I turn the side doors into screen sections that can also open to clean.  What are your thoughts on this?  You can view more photos via the link.  I would still be putting it inside a larger run area as well.

Cold and rainy here today. The house is cold and damp.  I'm freezing. This is not a good week for me...

Did I share this recipe?  Very yummy.  I didn't have coconut oil so I used sunflower oil.  I think some freshly grated ginger (not much) would be good in it too. Going to try that next time I make them.  I like healthy snacks, especially when I don't feel like eating.  I've lost 5 pounds this past week. 

"this coop" very cool looking

 

[ClovisMan]

Coop supplies!

Now I'm about 320.00 into it. Only need some hardware cloth for the floor and windows and I think I have everything to build.

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

Good Morning Fellow Texans!

Hung, there isn't a smell around here now.  Since you have trapped it, please don't send it back to me! 

Have a question for you guys.  I have 11 hens laying.  2 of the BR decided to lay in my DH smithy (blacksmith shop).  One lays on the bench and one lays in the forge.  I thought 'okay, no big deal'.  Yesterday there were 5 eggs in the smithy.  DH has an extra large forge with a huge basin.  3 of the eggs were in there.  Should I stop them, if so how do I go about doing it?  Or do I let them continue to lay there?  Part of me thinks, 'I know where they are, why bother".

Have a great day!

Do you use the blacksmith shop? If you were to use it, it would make the girls and eggs rather warm. Take some pic. It would be interesting to see.

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

Depends on exactly how your coop is situated and how the wind swirls in as to what you'd want for tarps all the way up on the wire in winter. 

I use 3 ft tall heavier mil painter's plastic on the runs, so that the wind at their ground level is cut but light and air can still get through.  Unless you get a clear tarp, you're going to cut the light coming into the area which isn't great because you'll want to maximize light coming in during the winter to take the chill off, help thaw lightly frozen water, help them want to lay a bit during the winter.  Also, putting plastic/tarp all the way up could cause a problem with condensation and frostbite in the winter.  If you did put it up higher because they were getting hit with too much wind while roosting, you could just not take it all the way up to help decrease the risk of condensation in there.

I have not had a problem with the birds in open air pens roosting with southern/southeastern winds coming into the pen while they are roosting.  They are protected on the north side and partially on the east and west sides that connect to their roost space, but that does not extend the entire length of the structure, only about 4 ft where their roost is (we have multiple pens, not a large pen like you're working on). 

One thing that I have seen recommended is to leave it open and simply hang a piece of canvas - like a painter's fabric drop cloth, in front of the roost area to block wind, but otherwise leave the rest of it open.  That would help cut wind but not hold quite as much moisture from their breath while roosting, and cut down on risk of condensation.

Good advise. Cold is not a problem for most chickens, unless you have frizzle, small bantam chickens or ones with huge sing combs. The draft is a problem. Chicken live in below Zero, (usually combination pea, rose and cushion cobs combined with heavy weight birds). In Minnesota I have seen chickens covered with snow, get up and shake it off. The comb is an indication as to cold hardy or heat tolerance. No such thing to draft and condensation tolerant.

 

[hungnguyen]

Quote:
I like to use the Treated Wood for the outer frame. This will worth the trouble 4-5 yrs from now. Keep taking pictures of your progress so we can monitor this and know that .... you don't stop.

 

[Brookshire11]

Nice to see all the coop photos.

Janet - that is a neat story. If you like to read history check out Lost in Shangri-la and Frozen in Time by Mitchell Zuckoff.


If I were to build this coop instead of the MetroCoop (can't get plans and I am not an architect - still like it best though) I see it as being way to warm unless I turn the side doors into screen sections that can also open to clean. What are your thoughts on this? You can view more photos via the link. I would still be putting it inside a larger run area as well.

Cold and rainy here today. The house is cold and damp. I'm freezing. This is not a good week for me...

Did I share this recipe? Very yummy. I didn't have coconut oil so I used sunflower oil. I think some freshly grated ginger (not much) would be good in it too. Going to try that next time I make them. I like healthy snacks, especially when I don't feel like eating. I've lost 5 pounds this past week.

I think I took those 5 lbs... I made mini reeses cheesecakes last night and ate about 4! Yum...
Plumping up for family pictures tomorrow

"this coop" very cool looking

I agree, I LOVE that white one...I don't think I'm that..skilled though. It looks complicated