Things you've learned while building your coop...

[flowergirl60]

I
Quote:
I agree with that LOL. That has happened to me b4.

 

[Minniechickmama]

Do Not place directly on the ground unless you want rodents coming in and eating the feed and leaving an opening to allow a weasel to come visit and dine.

 

[brianp]

Paint before you put chicken wire or hardware cloth around the run.

 

[georgiagail]

Marry a roof and floor truss design engineer!

Gail

 

[pips&peeps]

Even though the best notion is to put the doors on the coops to open inward so you have no escapes, it is not a good idea. The doors just get hung up in the shavings.....

Just be careful and open the doors outward and shut behind yourself.

 

[Agent1611]

Whew! Just finished reading this whole thread! Great info!
Does anyone have comments about whether or not to use pressure treated wood?

 

[pinguin]

pips&peeps :

Even though the best notion is to put the doors on the coops to open inward so you have no escapes, it is not a good idea. The doors just get hung up in the shavings.....

Just be careful and open the doors outward and shut behind yourself.

Easy to remedy that. We have plywood baffles in front of all the coop doors, including pop doors. Because the main coops are dirt/limestone chat base, plywood edges that touch the ground are protected from moisture by metal channels (re-purposed "junk" metal).​

 

[gfcm]

Knittycat: I found out those things for sure! And my brooder pen looks Seuss-like, as well

But it's pretty darn secure and roomy (for the time being...)
We wound up buying and moving a used shed (thanks to Clist)! Got a 10x12 shed for $500 plus $300 to move it. Waay better price than the plans I was working on. Still needs some modifications, but I have my chickies NOW! lol I actually wound up getting them 2 days before the shed, but only because the weather delayed the delivery. I used giant totes that I had had to house them temporarily. And I wound up getting three age groups. 1 1/2 week old chicks (22 of various kinds), 3 2 1/2 week old RR's, and 6 that are about 8 months old. 5 Black Sex Links and 1 Americana. The chicks are RR's, Barred Rock, Cuckoo Maran, Columbian Wyandotte, and a barnyard mix. Mostly RR, Barred Rock, and the Buff Orpington. Very, very cute, though!

I didn't plan on getting that many. I was thinking more like 15 total. But I wanted eggs now, chicks because they are cheaper and so danged cute, and well, you know. The hens were in with a rooster, so I'm sure the eggs are fertile. So of course, I had to try and build a homemade incubator! lol We'll see how that goes. It's on a final test run now. Hopefully, it will work okay and I'll get more babies!

I've uploaded some pics to my picture account at photobucket.

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v409/GawdinFever/Family/New Babies/#!cpZZ1QQtppZZ32


I've been running ragged trying to get things done, but it's caught up with me today. I'm going down for a short nap soon!

 

[so lucky]

Boy have I gotten some great ideas here on this thread! I am frustrated now because our local ReStore is closed for moving and will be closed for two more weeks before reopening! My chicks will be so huge by then. I was hoping to save money on supplies at the ReStore, but guess I'll have to figure out some other way to get the stuff I need.

 

[Yetti]

Quote:
saw this and don't know if your still having issues with wasps. I have the Bald Face, White face, Mud dobbbers and Euro wasps here and they are a pain. the mud dobbers are the most energetic about nest building. I have been using a hose end sprayer with Dawn Dish soap for the wasps on the building and the one that get in the barn I use my shop vac. I put a 10' length of pvc pipe on as an extension and set it up where they come and go along the eve line. in a day or two of running time you will wipe out most of them as they can't help but get near the opening. also when the nests start you can use the extension to rip them down.