Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[csridgway115]

Glad you stopped in Chris I am sorry that coop really is not meant for more than two birds as a real home and chicks are like a two year old you place them from here to here and there to there till they learn being in the grass like that is great I can see why they are so chirpy

Thanks for the input! They are only being confined as they get used to the coop. They have over 500 sq SQ feet for free range area that I didn't really show in the pictures. I'm just wanting them to learn their safe place before letting them loose. I've no intention to keep them locked in that little thing. I really appreciate the feedback!

 

[pennyJo1960]

you will want to make plans for a bigger coop area it is great tractor to let them have
more territory I one for my 4 silky they do not sleep in but go back to their coop at night
we have three outside feral cats I picked up the tractor free from folks getting out of chickens the shed was built from shipping crates so free wood others had made coop of pallets and cattle panels or remodeling a shed for them

 

[csridgway115]

you will want to make plans for a bigger coop area it is great tractor to let them have
more territory I one for my 4 silky they do not sleep in but go back to their coop at night
we have three outside feral catsView attachment 1327917 View attachment 1327920 View attachment 1327921 View attachment 1327924 View attachment 1327926 I picked up the tractor free from folks getting out of chickens the shed was built from shipping crates so free wood others had made coop of pallets and cattle panels or remodeling a shed for them

Thats pretty cool. I like the repurpose aspect for sure. Like I said before, this is my first go, so I really appreciate the input from the egg-sperts here. Due to city rules, I can't have any more than 6, but I think 4 is fine with me. This year I'm going to let my coop/tractor hybrid ride, alongside their ability to free range. In the meantime, I'm enjoying the input from you good folks so that I can build a custom coop over the winter. I admit, I jumped into this a little uneducated, and with that, got suckered into buying a teeny weeny pre-fab coop. I did my best to modify it during their learning stage, but I assure you, they are going to have a huge area to free range once I'm comfortable that they are familiar with their new home. I wish I had found this group beforehand, but at least now I'm actually learning. Thank you for the input!

 

[Hinotori]

Hello from Whidbey Island. I'm new to BYC and new to chickens as well. Super fun so far! I just moved my chicks to their coop today. I've got two Golden Comets and two Rhodies that are about five weeks old. They've been in the new coop pretty much since noon, and I'm not sure they're figuring out the stairs. If I put them in one section, they stay there. If I put them in the nesting/sleeping area, they stay there. Silly birds. In either case, they certainly enjoy the coop over the brooder. They've been singing and scratching and running all over. Pics for show, and I'm open to suggestions. Total chicken noob.

Chris
View attachment 1327744 View attachment 1327747 View attachment 1327748

Welcome! If they are only sleeping in there as adults they will be just fine.

I have small houses for my silkies but they only sleep and use the nest box in there. They have 20 sq ft per bird in the covered runs.

 

[Hinotori]

The rule of thumb is 4 sq ft per bird inside and 10 sq ft per bird outside. Bird size and breed temperament can change that. Some bear confinement better than others. Bantams need less space than standard large fowl that the numbers are based on. Giant breeds need more space. I'm not sure that a heritage Jersey Giant or Brahma would even fit in one of the little prefab coops.

My ameraucana and easter eggers live in basically a shed with flat 2x4 roosts.

I cannot get my silkies to use ramps. I've been shoving broody hens down a ramp then the chicks. That means I'm crawling under the coop to get them as dusk.

 

[Leigti]

You might have to walk them up and down the ramp a few times. I think that coop will probably be fine just for sleeping and laying eggs. As long as they have a nice big area to run around in. But keeping them confined to that little space for a couple weeks has good plan. you want them to know where home is.
I had three silver laced Wyandotte in a coop like that, they free roam the yard but slept and laid eggs in the coop. It worked for two years without a problem. since your city lets you have six I can pretty much guarantee you’re going to end up with six you have time to build a different coop. Check out the small coop section for some ideas.

 

[pennyJo1960]

well and like I said coop can come in many forms there are many built that go way beyond what I grew up with as coops I cannot free range the Silkies here because our three outside kitties would make them a snack they love being in the tractor but have had very few nice days to let them

 

[csridgway115]

The rule of thumb is 4 sq ft per bird inside and 10 sq ft per bird outside. Bird size and breed temperament can change that. Some bear confinement better than others. Bantams need less space than standard large fowl that the numbers are based on. Giant breeds need more space. I'm not sure that a heritage Jersey Giant or Brahma would even fit in one of the little prefab coops.

My ameraucana and easter eggers live in basically a shed with flat 2x4 roosts.

I cannot get my silkies to use ramps. I've been shoving broody hens down a ramp then the chicks. That means I'm crawling under the coop to get them as dusk.

Too funny. I was doing the same today. Trying to coax them with treats and the like. My smallest bird, Rose, has it down pat. The others not so much. Good thing I sit and visit with them multiple times per day. They'll catch on. They were all slow to adapt to poultry cups as well, but time and training fixed that. Love my birds.

 

[Hinotori]

Ive been at it with the ramps for a year. If these hens who grew up playing on the ramp don't figure it out, I'm giving up.

Never had any issues with other breeds using ramps. Just these silkies. Did have some bachelor silkie boys I put in with the large fowl hens last year. Half of them huddled in a silkie pile to sleep. Others managed to fly up onto the roosts to smooze the big girls. Still have one boy in there as flock rooster. He's my amazing flying silkie because he can just barely manage to get the 3 feet to the roost with his girls.

Try a little bit of scratch leading up the ramp. That worked on my large fowl until they decided just flying up things was easier. In an enclosed space there won't be much flying.

On a note, I have netting over the large fowl pen more to keep birds in than hawks out. The ameraucana and easter eggers I have are quite capable of flying over the 6 foot fence. They free range a lot and I'm in the country so wings are left intact. In town you may have to cut the flight feathers on one wing to keep them in. It doesn't hurt them as long as the feathers are in the growth period. Like cutting nails. When they molt they will grow new feathers and it will have to be done again.

 

[csridgway115]

Ive been at it with the ramps for a year. If these hens who grew up playing on the ramp don't figure it out, I'm giving up.

Never had any issues with other breeds using ramps. Just these silkies. Did have some bachelor silkie boys I put in with the large fowl hens last year. Half of them huddled in a silkie pile to sleep. Others managed to fly up onto the roosts to smooze the big girls. Still have one boy in there as flock rooster. He's my amazing flying silkie because he can just barely manage to get the 3 feet to the roost with his girls.

Try a little bit of scratch leading up the ramp. That worked on my large fowl until they decided just flying up things was easier. In an enclosed space there won't be much flying.

On a note, I have netting over the large fowl pen more to keep birds in than hawks out. The ameraucana and easter eggers I have are quite capable of flying over the 6 foot fence. They free range a lot and I'm in the country so wings are left intact. In town you may have to cut the flight feathers on one wing to keep them in. It doesn't hurt them as long as the feathers are in the growth period. Like cutting nails. When they molt they will grow new feathers and it will have to be done again.

Thanks! I was actually perusing the wing-clipping article this morning. My girls would fly clean out of the brooder each time I lifted the lid. Not far, usually just to the rim. But far enough to have me concerned. Luckily, they are very tame and take a hand to sit on over anything else. Except Dorothy. She's the rebel. But usually calms once she's got a firm grip.