Wanted -pixs of multi breed coop setups with seperate pens

[chickygirl2]

I am thinking about building pens to keep a few chicken breeds seperate. Anyone willing to share photos of their seperate pen set ups?

 

[mmajw]

I am in the process of doing the same thing. My DH is building a new barn for me and I havent got to the interior yet or I would love to send you pics.

Good luck with yours.

 

[ChickenToes]

I don't have pictures (sorry!) because it's not my coop, but I'll try to explain it.

My neighbor has a coop where she keeps most of her chickens. Attached to the side of the coop are 2 wire pens, covered with tarps, where she keeps her bantams. At night the bantams go inside the coop with the other birds but they are still kept in separate cages.

I hope that was helpful and not too confusing.

 

[punkin]

I'm trying to get my DH to do the same thing, except smaller.
Kind of like the Playhouse Chicken Coop by Dennis under the coop designs pages. I would like a run coming off of each end of the coop. The coop would be a little bigger with a divider in between. Each side would have its own nestbox, poop door, nest access door, feeder, waterer, etc.

 

[MrsCountryChick]

Here's a little 'cottage' of pens. There are 5 pens, separate but still connected with sharing walls & roof. Each pen is 4ft wide & 12 ft long. Hoping hubby will like the idea enough to make a 'cottage' for silkies

 

[chickygirl2]

That is what I was looking for. Thanks!
How many birds do you keep per pen/sq ft per bird? Also, how about wintertime- how bad is it for waterers especially. We are zone 7 here and it gets below freezing often. That worries me. Thanks, Patty : )

 

[MrsCountryChick]

I personally like to have say on average 5hens to a roo together. But I'm not sure what the 'technical' pen/squ ft per bird is.

But I've always tended any birds we had daily, even with an auto chicken waterer that's enough for a few days of water in the summer months... you know check on things, etc. But in the winter we got these rubber bowls from TSC. I think they're actually a newborn calf feed bowl, or a goat grain bowl.? Anyway it's black & thick rubber, so I can easily pull it away from the sides to fully empty any ice & water in their winter bowl & refill with room temperature water. I don't keep a hose connected in the winter, so I have a tall plastic container I fill with water to carry to any coups... It's the white plastic container that Tidy Cat litter comes in. So the top seals closed to I don't have a soaked leg walking.

Plus I also have some with the plastic cut around the top opening, but I leave the handle intact, so I fill it with feed & carry it to any coups. Works great for carrying any animal feed, chicken, turkey, etc. Beats carrying the feeders to the food bin can, or the waterers to the hose, etc.

I also fixed a cover for the auto food feeder so no chickens try to roost on top & poo in the food.

I put a plastic lid from a butter tub, drilled a hole in the middle & attached it around the center wingnut or metal hook. You can use a plastic lid from any container, cool whip, etc. & if you have the kind with a bucket style metal handle to hang or lift, you can just cut notches in the side of the lid to match the metal handle. That way those styles can be covered too.

I also got temporary 30in wide x 36inlong x 18in high rabbit cages for only $19.99 each at a Bargain Outlet called Ollies Bargain Outlet, it's like Big Lots, so their inventory changes often. The cages have no tray, just a cage bottom. But they make nice breeder pens & with bottoms unattached & open to the grass, "supervised" they make a nice yard grass pen for a few hrs. I add bricks around to keep it put....but Only while I'm near & supervising though. But even with the bottom pannel cage bottom on it still lets grass thru so they can munch.

I learned by trial & error to look for easy & economical fixes.

LOVE to see all the WONDERFUL COUPS & cattle panel tractors. The Cattle panel tractor seems Really Nice for yard munching too

 

[chickygirl2]

Well, I love both of your coop ideas.

Do you both keep the breeds seperate to sell the eggs, or are just building up your own stock still?

 

[Wooster Crazy]

thnax for the great info.

 

[wava1vaughn]

Hi from Ga.

This is 4 of our 5 pens Each pen is 5'x12' the last pen has a 20' run on it for our turkeys.