Project Chicken Coop

[Monkeyman2500]

Chickens are great. Nothing like fresh eggs from your own chickens. This is my dad's setup. The nesting boxes have latched doors on the outside so eggs can be gathered from the outside, and right inside the door there is a 2 ft space, then a wall built from lumber and chicken wire. The water and feed goes in the space and the chickens can easily reach there heads through for both, but don't knock it over and mess in it so bad. Walk in doors for cleaning are a huge plus. This one is built out of Oak lumber. We cut the timber, then used a band mill to turn it into lumber and build the bate and board style coop.







Sent from the backwoods

Spots, that is one fine lookin chicken coop right there. The wood work is magnificent.

[Mark A]

Chickens are great. Nothing like fresh eggs from your own chickens. This is my dad's setup. The nesting boxes have latched doors on the outside so eggs can be gathered from the outside, and right inside the door there is a 2 ft space, then a wall built from lumber and chicken wire. The water and feed goes in the space and the chickens can easily reach there heads through for both, but don't knock it over and mess in it so bad. Walk in doors for cleaning are a huge plus. This one is built out of Oak lumber. We cut the timber, then used a band mill to turn it into lumber and build the bate and board style coop.







Sent from the backwoods

 

Have you shown pictures of this before? The second I saw the picture I thought "Spots". This was before I saw who the poster was...

 

I like it.

 

Mark

[jtluttrell]

 

 

 

 

Nice! Forget the chickens, I'd live in there. :-)

Edited June 11, 2015 by jtluttrell

[Dane]

Thanks. I watched some videos online but my chickens feathers are really dark and hard to see if there may be blood in them. They aren't full grown yet but are fully feathered so it shouldn't be too early? Any ball park on how high to cut? Just don't want to hurt them.

Just look for the 4-5 feathers that stick out from the rest at the top of the wing and trim the back even with the rest. I usually am doing chicks around 3 weeks old so they will stop getting out and running around my store. I've never made one bleed and have usually trimmed 40-50 at a time. You shouldn't be trimming fat enough back to hit any blood.

[Dolomite`s Breezy]

If you free range your birds ..I would really advise against clipping the wings.. they need those to fly up to roost if they are outside at night .Clipping them will prevent them to be able to fly up..

Also the wings will give them enough lift and speed to get away from a predator.. ie. dogs and stuff.. 

Its like declawing a cat if its outside :)After a certain period they will not run off or  fly away..usually 2 to 3 week period inside the coop and once let out they will stay if they have enough stuff to eat and feel safe

 

Heating the coop in thewinter is not going to kill your birds..  just dont overheat the coop.. keep ti low enough to where the temp is around 40 or even less.. if its to high it can also promote bacterial growth or mold..

[MrsMonkeyMan2500]

My neighbor had guineas and chickens. She's actually the one who gave us the 10 we've started with. Hers hop their fenced enclosure all the time. They wander and then hop back in. For me, the Hawks and vultures out where we live make me lean towards chicken tractors. I just don't want to risk it. I know I have to prepare myself for deaths, but I'd like to prevent them as best as I can. I'm quite attached already, most have been named.

I ordered supplies on Amazon for water nipples so we're gonna work on the buckets tomorrow. Thanks for all the input and advice!!

[analog_kidd]

We have several chickens and a couple of guinea's. The guinea's lay these eggs that are quite a bit smaller than the chickens, and the shells are like concrete, very hard to crack. Inside, it's almost all yolk. The chickens always lay in the nesting boxes, but the guineas lay wherever they feel like it. We watched one lay an egg while walking across the concrete floor in the barn. Didn't even bother to squat, just dropped it where she stood. The egg fell onto the concrete floor with a plop and never broke. In fact, it may have chipped the floor.  :)

 

I made a waterer out of a 5 gallon bucket and installed some chicken nipples in the bottom. I hung it up from the roof inside the coop, but the stupid chickens completely ignored it. In fact the outside pan I had water in dried up, and they were dying of thirst when I put them away in the evening. I even tried putting their beaks up to the nipples to show them how the water comes out, but they acted like I was trying to kill them.

 

My plan was to run water with a hose into the coop, and install a toilet valve in the bucket to keep it at a set level. For now, we just use those round chicken waterers and hang them from the roof of the coop with a rope. We hang them just low enough for them to drink from. It keeps them from standing on the waterer and pooping in it.

[Dolomite`s Breezy]

That`s what we used.. simple  chicken waterer`s.. they work good and are easy to hangup...

Also.. this site is THE best site to get info on anything bird related.. I love it

 

 

Backyardchickens.com

[RED333]

My neighbor had guineas and chickens. She's actually the one who gave us the 10 we've started with. Hers hop their fenced enclosure all the time. They wander and then hop back in. For me, the Hawks and vultures out where we live make me lean towards chicken tractors. I just don't want to risk it. I know I have to prepare myself for deaths, but I'd like to prevent them as best as I can. I'm quite attached already, most have been named.

I ordered supplies on Amazon for water nipples so we're gonna work on the buckets tomorrow. Thanks for all the input and advice!!

Sorry but that is a mistake, as all the birds will die or will be lunch one day.

 

To get you birds to drink from a new water system add a bit of honey to the water.

Mix the honey in a small cup of hot water the pour it into the cold water.

[Dolomite`s Breezy]

My neighbor had guineas and chickens. She's actually the one who gave us the 10 we've started with. Hers hop their fenced enclosure all the time. They wander and then hop back in. For me, the Hawks and vultures out where we live make me lean towards chicken tractors. I just don't want to risk it. I know I have to prepare myself for deaths, but I'd like to prevent them as best as I can. I'm quite attached already, most have been named.

I ordered supplies on Amazon for water nipples so we're gonna work on the buckets tomorrow. Thanks for all the input and advice!!

LOL.. I did the same thing.. named my fave hen and my tame turkey..:).. none ever made it into the frying pan.. i rather have them as pets than a meat source

[Monkeyman2500]

Sorry but that is a mistake, as all the birds will die or will be lunch one day.

To get you birds to drink from a new water system add a bit of honey to the water.
Mix the honey in a small cup of hot water the pour it into the cold water.

Ha! Sad but true. Thanks for the water advice too. I'm going to try and get it up today.

[MrsMonkeyMan2500]

LOL.. I did the same thing.. named my fave hen and my tame turkey..:).. none ever made it into the frying pan.. i rather have them as pets than a meat source

We got them for the purpose of eggs. I'm not dumb. They'll die, some sooner than later. But in the meantime, I'm going to treat them humane and give them a good life. Cause that's just what I feel is right! I think we're in the same boat! I don't have all of them named. The ones that aren't just get called ma'am, girl or lady. LOL Edited June 14, 2015 by MrsMonkeyMan2500

[analog_kidd]

The grandkids all named them when they were chicks, but I don't think anybody knows who is who now, except for maybe one or two chickens that look different than the rest. I usually address them by the affectionate term "Stupid Chicken" when I go out to tend to them.

 

We do love them though, and they are spoiled rotten. Not only do they bring us eggs, but they are a great source of entertainment. They stay in a fenced area that is about as big as the dogs' lot, which is quite big. They have a room in the barn that serves as the inside coop, and that room is about as big as my bedroom growing up. 

 

I always say they have to make me more than they cost me, and I've asked my wife what she will do when they stop laying eggs. She just wants to keep feeding them and let them enjoy their old age. I joke and say they will go in the pot. She'll probably win this one  :).  I've heard that old chickens are tough and don't taste very good.

[Handsome Rob]

If anyone is in the market for a few young chicks, our tribe of free range inbreds (Aracauna, Buff Orp, Silkie mixes) have had a bumper broody year.
So far we've successfully hatched an extra 40+ & we need to thin the herd a little (we only had 12 in January!) There are a few that we've become attached to (Hen Solo, Magpie & Li'l Goldie....yes, we name them. All.) but the rest need good homes.

$3 a piece if anyone wants a few.

[Handsome Rob]

This is our little Chickenopolis (as governed by Tink-Tink our Silkie roster)


Chickenopolis Town Hall....

And a VERY protective new Mom....

[MrsMonkeyMan2500]

At this point my head is ready to explode. I have a chicken in a dog crate in my guest room because her leg is hurt so the crate is up on my queen size guest bed protected by 6 mil plastic. I then let the rest of the bums out to free range and play and NONE of them will go back in. My Spitzhauben Roo seems to be the issue because when I get the girls in he crows and they all run out. I am about to test out the new AR.

 

Positive note: Our may babies have all started to lay. We average about 6 eggs a day now but yesterday we had 8 which was a high for us. With 13 hens, I am feeling pretty good about that.

[Dane]

They will go back in befor dark. You could also work on training them using food association with a sound like a whistle. Basically every time you put food down softly blow the whistle as the start to eat. They will associate it within a week and come running. Also keep a light on in the coop on a timer that gives 12 hours of light a day, you will get higher egg production throughout the winter.

[Mark A]

At this point my head is ready to explode. I have a chicken in a dog crate in my guest room because her leg is hurt so the crate is up on my queen size guest bed protected by 6 mil plastic. I then let the rest of the bums out to free range and play and NONE of them will go back in. My Spitzhauben Roo seems to be the issue because when I get the girls in he crows and they all run out. I am about to test out the new AR.

 

Positive note: Our may babies have all started to lay. We average about 6 eggs a day now but yesterday we had 8 which was a high for us. With 13 hens, I am feeling pretty good about that.

Do you like duck? Their eggs are good and they are much easier on the land. Very trainable as well.

 

they are so herdish it is funny. Get one going where you want it and the rest will trample you to join the first one... they also have  a bunch more eggs in them than chickens do...

[MrsMonkeyMan2500]

They will go back in befor dark. You could also work on training them using food association with a sound like a whistle. Basically every time you put food down softly blow the whistle as the start to eat. They will associate it within a week and come running. Also keep a light on in the coop on a timer that gives 12 hours of light a day, you will get higher egg production throughout the winter.

I had them trained for the longest but one of my Roos was such a butt head today. Every time I would get the girls in he'd call them back out. He's reaching his sexual peak and his attitude is awful. We might be having spitzhauben for turkey day. LOL

[Dolomite`s Breezy]

if they stay out and see one of its buddy`s  decapitated. I bet they will all go in  :up:

[MrsMonkeyMan2500]

if they stay out and see one of its buddy`s decapitated. I bet they will all go in :up:

LOL!! Oh if only! I love the idiots too much.