The Chicken Shack - Construction

[iBoodle]

Congrats! It feels great to get those first eggs, doesn't it?

 

[shesaredroan]

Welcome to the chicken world jmbinfo. Chickens will change your life!!!

Your coop/run look very nice and lovingly built.

I live a little south of Cleburne and started with chickens 11 years ago. I started with about 8 chicks purchased from the local feed store, and now have about 60 to 70 birds. They really are like potato chips, ya just keep wanting more.

Every year I learn new things from my flock.....and about the predators that are attracted. After dealing with coyotes till I was blue in the face, 2 years ago I added 2 great Pyrenees pups to my family. Learned the hard way that chicken wire doesn't keep out hungry 'yotes, they just chew right through it.

The pyrs are now grown and doing a super job of keeping those pesky coyotes, et al, at bay.
So now that you'll are chicken farmers, get ready for a lot of fun and a lot of learning, and enjoying those FRESH eggs.

 

[Moogie]

Great job - love the coop and the weather vane. And it looks like your son really enjoys being a farmer!

We have Americaunas, Black Copper Marans, and Barred Rock - 13 total, for now...

- these are all great breeds to have around kids - extremely docile, easily handled, and even friendly and all (but one) of mine lay 6 out of 7 days. And they're quiet -- well, except when they lay eggs and they're very vocal with their egg song!

I got them from our local Craigslist and have been very pleased at how healthy they are and they're great egg producers. One of our Americaunas lays jumbo to mega (over 2.74 ounces) eggs - a beautiful pastel blue. The Marans lay #4 to #5 color, which I just love. http://blackcoppermarans.org/a/13

We live in the D/FW area and you're right about the brutal summer. One thing you might want to include would be a misting system in your run. It really helped with our chickens - we used it with a box fan, as well, and they all did fine. (but I had friends who lost half their flock to the heat)

Good luck with your chickens and welcome to BYC!

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[jmbinfo]

Thanks everyone! Merry Christmas!

 

[jmbinfo]

Consistently getting 3 eggs a day! Awesome!

 

[lesgo54]

congrats, the coop does look real good. have u had any problems with predators

 

[jmbinfo]

No problems with predators so far. We have alot of coyotes and I've seen them pass the coop but they haven't tried to get in....at least while I've been watching. What I did is instead of digging down 12-18 inches I put chicken wire horizontally all the way around the run. It sticks out about 3 feet so predators would have to know to go out 3 feet and tunnel under to get inside. I don't think they are that smart. Though, now that I say that hopefully they aren't reading this.

Friends just can't get over how much better these eggs taste than the store bought commercial eggs. Makes you wonder what we are eating.

 

[lesgo54]

thats some useful info jim, about laying the wire on the ground. it would save ma alot of digging and back acke.