Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[cuties]

Jim, I see you are getting smarter by the minute hehe
I think maybe you shpuld have reworded;
not that men are always wrong. Just that women are always RIGHT! Lololololol


Things have been crazy busy here. But I did find out yesterday that I am off tomorrow! Yipeeeeee

 

[Celtic Chick]

There isn't a size limit for the coop, but I want it small enough to be able to clean it, and I found a great deal on resin sheds in that size that I'm going to make into a coop.

My 7x7 coop is a resin shed. Not the best choice I have made. Most of them do not have windows. The ones that do don't open. It makes it very warm in the summer since they are not insulated. Some of the Lifetime brand sheds do state (on HDs website) that they have sliding windows but I assume they do not have screens. You will want to attach hardware cloth on the windows to keep preds out, which brings up another issue: how do you attach the hardware cloth to the plastic shed? Drill holes in it? Since the windows slide open, I think you would have to put the cloth on the outside of the shed so you don't interfere with the window opening.

You cannot hang much from the walls because they only come with a few brackets to hang things, and you need the special brackets unless you want to drill holes in the plastic. The plastic walls are not very strong to hold up much weight like nest boxes but they handle 2 roosts ok. Make sure you have enough roosting space for your girls also. They may "require" only so many inches per birds, but there is a pecking order and some of the dominant birds might knock the lesser ones off their roost. I have two 7' roosts but only 5 or so birds would sleep on the higher roost. The rest would get knocked down. The other girls do not like the lower roost but a few used it. .

The resin sheds are also very cold in the winter because they are not insulated. I had to hang a heat lamp from the rafters. IF you do this, wrap the cord around the rafters a few times so the lamp will not fall on the floor if they knock it down. And put the lamp way up high (but not too close to the roof) out of the way (not directly over a roost) because they will manage to hit it in their efforts to get a good sleeping spot. Chickens are not graceful.

Not everyone on here will agree with me on using a heat lamp in the winter. It can be dangerous without a lot of precautions so weigh your winter heating options carefully. But any heating source can be dangerous in a coop. Chickens can knock heaters over, wood chips can burn, dust will cake on heaters and bulbs and clog ventilation openings. There are a lot of things to consider when winter comes.

As far as cleaning the coop out, putting poop boards beneath the roosts will really cut down on the amount of times you have to clean out the entire coop. Just rake or shovel the poop into a bucket every day or two and you're good. The poop will freeze in the winter which will make this impossible, so keep piling the wood chips on, then in the spring, bring in a wheelbarrow and fill it up. Another great reason to have a big coop with extra wide doors- wheelbarrows are your friend.

If I could do it all over, I would have put my money into a large well insulated wood coop with lots of windows that open (and some skylights) and had either a garage door or a set of double doors. And an exhaust fan with a thermometer. A well insulated coop rarely needs to be heated in the winter or cooled in the summer, but it does need good ventilation year round, especially in the winter. HTH

 

[glarnerchicks]

Thanks for your experience!

I've been planning on cutting in extra windows for ventilation, and also adding a screen (hardware cloth) door inside the main door so that it can be open during the day. In the winter, I'll cover the windows with plastic and get a Sweeter Heater if needed. Hopefully a smaller coop will keep it warmer by a little. And I can always toss in some foam board insulation (along with plywood) if it's really an issue.

 

[Celtic Chick]

This is a link to the brand of resin shed that has windows that actually open. The smaller the shed, the fewer windows. This 8x5' only has 1 window.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lifetime-8-ft-x-5-ft-Outdoor-Storage-Shed-6406/202080009?N=5yc1vZbu8z

This one is decent. It is 7x7 and has 2 windows that open that are on opposite sides for a crossbreeze.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lifetime...Storage-Shed-60042/202080007?N=5yc1vZbu8zZ42x

See the lines in the walls on the inside of the shed? Lots of nooks & crannies for dust and mites to accumulate in. And not the easiest to clean unless you empty it out & power wash it. The floor is textured too.

 

[irishrovr]

When planning the size of your coop, you have to remember that a lot of chickens (at least my spoiled witches) do not go outside all winter, especially when there is snow on the ground. That means they spend all of their time inside the coop for 3 months if not more. Bored chickens get testy & tend to get a bit naughty by pecking and potentially injuring each other if they do not have sufficient room to walk around. Ever heard of the term "cooped up"? They also crap alot, and that poop freezes in the winter making it rather impossible to remove. In a very short time, your deep litter can get really deep in a small coop. Then the ammonia can build up. So an overabundance of coop space is much preferred to too little for many reasons. And like Jim said, having extra room for storage is always a benefit. The less you have to haul to & from the coop, the better.

Try laying your empty feed bags under the roost. When you want to clean out the poopsicles drag out the bags and bend them over your wagon or wheelbarrow so the poop lets loose. (Good way to re-purpose some of those bags!)

 

[irishrovr]

Easter Egg Time!!

http://www.sun-gazing.com/man-squirts-food-coloring-cup-filled-rice-adds-egg-stunning/

 

[cuties]

Irish! !!

Duh. I never thought of that! What a good idea I always struggle to keep up with the under the roost area. This will make things sooo much easier.

 

[irishrovr]

OK - this Easter Egg technique is even cooler!

http://www.lonelyape.com/easter-eggs/

 

[glarnerchicks]

I think chickens are on my mind a *bit* too much right now....I'm in the art business, and I just spent time pulling together a collection of chicken art that we have available. Why didn't anyone warn me about this?!

 

[irishrovr]

Irish! !!

Duh. I never thought of that! What a good idea

I always struggle to keep up with the under the roost area. This will make things sooo much easier.

One of my egg customers comes by for some chicken puckie for her garden every now and then. She fills up an empty feed bag by folding the puckie-laden bags in half, tucking them into the empty bag and shaking the poo off inside. Easy-peasy.