Where did they come from???

[apryl29]

I also have linoleum on my poop boards but I don't put anything on them. I just go in and scrape off the poop. You can see our setup here http://onemountainacres.weebly.com/adventures-with-chickens you have to scroll about 3/4 of the way down to see our poop boards and coop setup. We added a ramp to the lower of the two roosts after the pictures were taken. Anyone that wants on the higher roost usually walls up to the lower and jumps over to the higher.

I like your roosts too. I took a couple tree branches and they go across the back of my coop, I thought they might be too close together, but they don't see to have a problem with them and aren't pooping on each other so I'm not going to mess with them right now, but I feel like they might be too high. This pic is from before I lowered the board. It's now flat to where the front edge is. I'm not sure how far off the ground it is, but the top of the back wall is 6' from the floor, so maybe 3' from the floor. As you can see, some lazy butts sleep on the edge of the nesting boxes. I've seen them jump from the box on the bottom right to the roosting bars, so I don't know if it's b/c they can't jump up that high, or if it's just b/c the box is there now & they're using it. My one chicken Jaiden has always had jumping issues so I'm not surprised she's a nest rooster. (The box contains my cockerel. He's slightly aggessive so I don't let him out w/ the general population (our safety, not theirs - he's good w/ the ladies) but he does have his own run. He's just has a very small inside space.)

 

[AllenK RGV]

I will go outside and take a picture. I was not willing to spend $200 for one of these but for $50 bought off craigslist I was willing to give it a try.

A 55 gallon drum you can get for free from a carwash place works well if you are into tumbling compost. I use a 55 gallon drum with the top and bottom removed toss in anything I compost on top. The beetles do the rest then it is tipped 20 degrees to a side whenever I want to extract compost from the base. After that the chicken dig through the sloped out stuff for worms, grubs and beetles.
I am moving my compost pile about every 3-5 months to a new location where I want to improve my soil. My soil is so poor as it was abused by monoculture practices before it became residential lots.

 

[KettermanHillCoop]

Hopefully nobody in the household starts to complain about how expensive those eggs are when they start laying reliably for you. Do you have a general idea of how you are going to frame out the roof? I know you have yet to pick up your fencing material(and spoiler alert I read ahead a teensy bit). I do also like your german reference to "Macht's nichts".

Keep up the good work for your flock!
Allen

This "Chicken Rescue" is costing a small fortune. Granted 90% of the coop (thus far) has been built with crap cluttering up the shop, barn, etc. Chicken wire, hardware cloth, screws, hinges, latches...food, feeders, waterers, shavings, vitamins, oyster shells and the soon to be chain link fence enclosure have put my eggs up to $5/egg.

This is the roof on the coop. The run end is just temporarily strapped down until I get the fence enclosure. As for a general idea about roof for the upcoming run...eh...still in the "scratching head" mode on that.

Surrounded by PA Dutch (Amish, Mennonite farms) so it's impossible not to pick up tidbits of the language.

**** Dang pic didn't upload **** (I'll try to fix problem and edit)

Ha! Pic!

 

[KettermanHillCoop]

This "Chicken Rescue" is costing a small fortune. Granted 90% of the coop (thus far) has been built with crap cluttering up the shop, barn, etc. Chicken wire, hardware cloth, screws, hinges, latches...food, feeders, waterers, shavings, vitamins, oyster shells and the soon to be chain link fence enclosure have put my eggs up to $5/egg.

This is the roof on the coop. The run end is just temporarily strapped down until I get the fence enclosure. As for a general idea about roof for the upcoming run...eh...still in the "scratching head" mode on that.

Surrounded by PA Dutch (Amish, Mennonite farms) so it's impossible not to pick up tidbits of the language.

**** Dang pic didn't upload **** (I'll try to fix problem and edit)

Ha! Pic!
View attachment 1173895

I do have a support system for the overhang in place....just don't have a pic of that as I finished in the stinking dark! lol

 

[AllenK RGV]

Revisiting composting from a few pages back and wanted to share a very old youtube link, the compost in your flooring if you do it will produce heat for the coop as well. here is the link video is only 4 minutes long university professor used compost to heat water:

 

[Sassysouth]

This "Chicken Rescue" is costing a small fortune. Granted 90% of the coop (thus far) has been built with crap cluttering up the shop, barn, etc. Chicken wire, hardware cloth, screws, hinges, latches...food, feeders, waterers, shavings, vitamins, oyster shells and the soon to be chain link fence enclosure have put my eggs up to $5/egg.

This is the roof on the coop. The run end is just temporarily strapped down until I get the fence enclosure. As for a general idea about roof for the upcoming run...eh...still in the "scratching head" mode on that.

Surrounded by PA Dutch (Amish, Mennonite farms) so it's impossible not to pick up tidbits of the language.

**** Dang pic didn't upload **** (I'll try to fix problem and edit)

Ha! Pic!
View attachment 1173895

That is a cheap egg! I refuse to figure up how much my eggs have cost me.

 

[KettermanHillCoop]

That is a cheap egg! I refuse to figure up how much my eggs have cost me.

Oh...the price will probably go up as my overhead cost rise with this new run addition. lol

 

[rjohns39]

Oh...the price will probably go up as my overhead cost rise with this new run addition. lol

Remember to calculate into the equation the value of chicken TV, who needs cable?

 

[Sassysouth]

Remember to calculate into the equation the value of chicken TV, who needs cable?

And when you would rather sit with your chickens instead of going out to eat or shop. You are already starting to save money.

 

[pennyJo1960]

This "Chicken Rescue" is costing a small fortune. Granted 90% of the coop (thus far) has been built with crap cluttering up the shop, barn, etc. Chicken wire, hardware cloth, screws, hinges, latches...food, feeders, waterers, shavings, vitamins, oyster shells and the soon to be chain link fence enclosure have put my eggs up to $5/egg.

This is the roof on the coop. The run end is just temporarily strapped down until I get the fence enclosure. As for a general idea about roof for the upcoming run...eh...still in the "scratching head" mode on that.

Surrounded by PA Dutch (Amish, Mennonite farms) so it's impossible not to pick up tidbits of the language.

**** Dang pic didn't upload **** (I'll try to fix problem and edit)

Ha! Pic!
View attachment 1173895

cheapest is pole barn or a garden shed converted to a chicken coop I love your first coop adorable but safe great going
Look at my gallery I have three coops now was just going to have 6 or so birds for us to have eggs now 30 birds