The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[SallyinIndiana]

Been busy around here. -18 on...was it Friday...in the morning when I went out w/water and feed. They would walk around a bit then hunker down on the floor which is covered with dirt, wood shavings, and hay. This is inside the barn. I can't even get the sliding door open at this point due to the deep snow.

Went up to almost 30 yesterday but the forecast is back down to the single digits next week.

The barn has been making things much easier this winter but I'll sure be glad for spring.

Same here, the barn has helped a lot but I can see the chickens needing their sun and grass.

 

[vpatt]

Same here, the barn has helped a lot but I can see the chickens needing their sun and grass.

Did you all build your own barns? I would love to build some sort of walk-in coop......I was thinking a dirt floor with hardware cloth....there has to be an inexpensive way to build a chicken coop.

 

[chicalot]

I don't keep my chickens in the barn. One of my chicken coops started out from a porch deck that was given to us to get it out of the way. S p ent probably 250-300 mostly in metal siding to fix it up. The second was a large wood shipping crate and probably have 50 bucks or so in it. I also use a section of a dog pen that we have when needed. Right now there are ducks there. I'd love to have one small to medium barn for my chickens and small animals but it's not in the cards at the time.

 

[lalaland]

vpat, there are a ton of inexpensive ways to get/make a coop. I think most of the very best ideas are already here on byc....depends on what you already have access to in your neck of the woods: pallets? fishing shacks? truck toppers? cattle or hog panels? when you are bored, search byc, you will find amazing ideas.

 

[COChix]

Vpatt, I personally would love an open air coop. I have seen people convert sheds they have picked up cheap on Craigslist. @JackE here on BYC has a beautiful open air coop designed after the Woods coop design. Maybe they will come share some pics. Here is a shot...

 

[COChix]

Sorry this shot is just from the Internet, not a pic of JackE's coop

 

[vpatt]

That is nice cochix! Maybe I should just be happy with what I have, lol. It is a very sturdy coop ....I just dream of a walk-in. But I am going to keep looking thru the BYC site. The problem is that I cant build it myself......my son said he would add on to my coop which he built last year.....it is above the ground. And that is probably what I will do......but I can dream...

 

[vpatt]

Vpatt, I personally would love an open air coop. I have seen people convert sheds they have picked up cheap on Craigslist. @JackE here on BYC has a beautiful open air coop designed after the Woods coop design. Maybe they will come share some pics. Here is a shot...

Oh yes...I have looked at that style too....aren't they great!?

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote: We have a pole barn that was here when we bought the property. We did not build it. I would not attempt to make a homemade pole barn. BUT if I choose to, I can walk into every coop or pen I have for the chickens and goats. And of course the barn is has more than enough room to walk in.

Here is a method i recommend for a beginning coop. Find a used shed, add nests and bars if you feel so inclined, make the shed sectioned off for people and chickens. Venting is typically needed to or the door will need to be left open.
Here is a link to a used shed in Indiana that costs much less than a coop of similar size.
http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/grq/4903280608.html

 

[Leahs Mom]

My original hen shed is...well...a garden shed that we converted to a chicken shed. Got the shed for $250 if we moved it ourselves from Habitat for Humanity.