Backyard Chickens?

[Gelcoater]

@Gelcoater
Excuse the conditions of a working coop, lol. Over winter we used foam board and gorilla tape to winterize the door. Tape pulled the paint when we took it down in spring. It worked great though for what we needed. This year we are going to do something different so I don't have to repaint every year! I had a container garden behind the coop that killed the grass + let the chickens back there to till up the crab grass that came in. The coop is on clay soil so, when it hasnt rained here in forever, forget about using your own muscle to till. They did a great job helping me out! Now its been blocked off from the chickens and reseeded. The white tape is to keep the horse away from the coop, since they sometimes share a pasture with the horse We just changed the door design when we added two coop doors, so that we could open them from the outside. I still need to stain it when I find some time.

There are no build plans. This was my husband's and I's first build together. I had a look I wanted and functional aspects we wanted and my husband drafted it up. It's not perfect but the experience was. We've made my Daddy proud

The coop can be divided if needed. We have used the divided part so many times its come in handy! When we get chicks, or when we have a broody hen needing her peace, or even to give the hens a break from the boys. We finally came to a conclusion on how the roosts work the best for us. Originally we built a temporary roost because we were still building the coop! Then we made a ladder option but that took up a lot of floor space, the poop just falls straight to the floor making the floor space below the roost, not useable. Finally we built tables and put sand in them. We love it! I scoop it every morning. The bedding lasts us 3-4x as long now because they do most of their pooping overnight, onto the poop boards. Even better we have increased our floor space because things are finally safe to put underneath the roosts, including chickens walking around!

The coop is 8x12 and can comfortably hold 30 chickens. There are 4 windows and 2 vents. We use a fan when its super muggy. The fence is solar and the light inside for dark winter afternoons is solar too. We move the fence frequently to move them to fresh grass to give their poop a chance to break down, any parasites to die and the grass to regrow. When we get our own place we plan to put the coop on wheels to be able to rotate them on grass even more.
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Oh they also have a lean to we built for shade and shelter from rain, wind and predators. The back end of their pasture is pretty far from the coop. They take naps under this thing all day lol
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Hope that tickled your fancy

That’s pretty damn awesome!
I suppose if you do get your own place you’d load it in a trailer and move it, huh?
Good thinking making something you can trailer!
Perhaps just slap an axle under it and haul it over at night

Btw, the air fresheners arent for smell, theres hardly any of that thank goodness. Ive heard around from chicken peeps that flies dont like vanilla? Im not sure if its helped any but I like to use a natural eucalyptus spray to clean the roosts daily and I spritz some on the sand. That for sure seems to work and the coop smells great when I do that!

The stink factor has been one of my primary concerns with the whole BYC program. Due
mostly to the small yard and direction the wind normally blows.
The draw of unwanted critters lurking about is the other.

 

[MyBuddy]

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=239721206911998

Even though that was kind of funny, it was also quite frightening. I would have been doing the same thing! frightening to see something dragging away one of your animals! It looks like she did the job! Why didn't that dog? LOL

@Rits I love your setup! You guys really did a fabulous job. Not only making it something you can enjoy and easily clean, but making your chickens happy too. Do you ever worry about unwanted Critters while yours are out free-ranging?

 

[Rits]

Do you ever worry about unwanted Critters while yours are out free-ranging?

As far as ground critters, we always tell people that "the fence isnt really for the chickens. Its for predators." It hits hard. With the roosters we haven't had any issues with aerial predators. Biggie is really good at his job. He is always watching and alerting to anything suspicious in the sky. They are out in the open field so he can see a half mile in any direction. He even alerts to planes thousands of feet in the sky lol! But the girls know his noises and know when its serious. They all shoot straight up and go on alert and look in the sky themselves. If its super serious they know just from his noises and instantly run for cover. Its an amazing thing to watch. We sadly did lose one chick. They can (not for long) fit through the fence and one ventured too far away near some pine trees lining the property. We believe our neighbors outdoor cat got it as we constantly chase it off our property. Don't ask me how I feel about outdoor cats, even before this senseless death... The cat didn't even eat the poor thing.

The chicks and momma are now locked inside on the big side during the day and let out for a few hours while supervised. Once they get too big to fit through the fence (and too big for a cat) we will let them free range again. Right now they are about 7 weeks old and are a bit oblivious to the world around them.

 

[MyBuddy]

Biggie is really good at his job. He is always watching and alerting to anything suspicious in the sky. They are out in the open field so he can see a half mile in any direction. He even alerts to planes thousands of feet in the sky lol! But the girls know his noises and know when its serious. They all shoot straight up and go on alert and look in the sky themselves. If its super serious they know just from his noises and instantly run for cover. Its an amazing thing to watch.

Yes! I was thinking as I read this that it would be so much fun to watch that in action!! Good job on that rooster! I had no idea they were so protective.

 

[Rits]

Yes! I was thinking as I read this that it would be so much fun to watch that in action!! Good job on that rooster! I had no idea they were so protective.

Protective and selfless. They'll alert the hens when they find food, pick it for them, hold it for them, and drop it for them. A good rooster will watch for danger, find food for his ladies, and some even make noises at the nesting boxes to tell them its a safe place to lay their eggs. Some go a step further and test the nest out or even sit on the eggs! I never knew all this stuff either but wow, what a man.

 

[MyBuddy]

I never knew all this stuff either but wow, what a man.

I'll say! I always thought that when you had chickens you don't want the rooster. Plus I heard that they were usually more combative to people. Sometimes chasing them away. You know, biting the hand that feeds them? LOL but it sounds like if you get a good one he takes care of his pack!

 

[GennyB]

The stink factor has been one of my primary concerns with the whole BYC program. Due
mostly to the small yard and direction the wind normally blows.
The draw of unwanted critters lurking about is the other.

I think I have a similar set up to what you might have. I can tell you the smell is not a problem. Chickens don't really smell if you take care of them right. We had a party in our backyard not long ago and people were shocked to learn we have chickens. The #1 comment was "I thought chicken stunk."
As far as any unwanted critters, we haven't had any real problems. Sure a fox or a snake might give it a go every once in awhile but I think the smell of the dogs keeps them at bay.

@Rits something to think about in the future. We have a gutter system on our coop roof that keeps the girls in water with an auto fill device. Rain water runs off the roof in the gutter which is tied to a storage tank. It is then tied to pipes that lead to the water bowl with an auto full that keeps them in water. It's very similar to a dosing system for an aquarium. A solar heater keeps the water thawed in the winter.

 

[Rits]

@GennyB Its definitely been on the list. We are going to wait for our own place before we have even more things to have to haul with us

How do you keep the pipes from freezing?

 

[GennyB]

How do you keep the pipes from freezing?

A solar heater like you see in backyard ponds.

 

[Rits]

A solar heater like you see in backyard ponds.

Hmm, I guess I am having a hard time envisioning it! I don't think I have seen one before, sorry! Would love to see your setup. So is the heater in the reserve tank?? Does the water stay warm/flowing enough through the pipes it doesn't freeze? Are the pipes outside the coop or inside? We will probably just have to go with a heated waterer this year. Last year we stuck with bringing a fresh bucket each day and it worked out for then but Im all about automation and solar!

 

[GennyB]

Would love to see your setup.

I'll try to take pics when I go out there today.

So is the heater in the reserve tank??

There are several different kinds. Our is submersible and it does go in the reserve tank. It does keep the water flowing all winter. I have to be honest and say I didn't have much faith in it working because the days are so short in the winter. How could we have enough solar power to keep water warm in the dead of winter? I had to eat my words because it does work.
Our reservoir is big enough that It has a spigot on the side and I use that water for the herb garden that is on the side of the coop. Yes, my girls have their own herb garden. I also have some bug deterrent flowers planted there as well as sunflowers for seed for them to eat. I used this as a guide to start and have added to the chicken garden over the years. https://insteading.com/blog/chicken-friendly-plants/
It a bit challenging to explain but our system is similar to this.

 

[Ravenbird]

@Rits do you have mice/rat issues? I have quit putting the feeders in the coop or run, and now put it in the barn about 100 feet away. And most of the time I pick it up at night and put it back out in the morning. It's a pain in the butt, but the mice eat more food than the chickens if I don't pick it up. I do the water-bucket mouse trap which catches/kills about 6 - 10 a month.

 

[Ravenbird]

The windows and doors were recycled from an old farm, which is probably my favorite part. I knew I wanted a fun color to go with it. Its not often that you can paint a door turquoise blue.

Half mine is recycled stuff! I love your turquoise blue! Totally New Mexico!

 

[Rits]

@Rits do you have mice/rat issues? I have quit putting the feeders in the coop or run, and now put it in the barn about 100 feet away. And most of the time I pick it up at night and put it back out in the morning. It's a pain in the butt, but the mice eat more food than the chickens if I don't pick it up. I do the water-bucket mouse trap which catches/kills about 6 - 10 a month.

No, knock on wood we dont. The coop is pretty fort knox. Though I know they can be determined! I know we have field mice out here. I don't feed them outside to discourage any critters. I used to but then learned all about diseases that wild birds can bring in and easily spread to chickens. So upsetting!

 

[Ravenbird]

My set-up. Hand made, new dog kennel panels and plywood, all other parts found, donated or purchased at the local Habitat for Humanity store. LOL, the back window was from an RV. They only come in to lay eggs in the day and roost at night, they free range on several acres all day. Wish I'd known about waist high poop boards before I built this. I have sand on the floor and use a kitty-litter scoop & bucket every morning. Since they live outside all day, there is no smell at all.
The wire is over the nests at night in the roosting photo because the chicks at far right were just weaned and wanting to sleep in the egg nests at night, so I made a drop down cover to keep them out during the night. I had tons of fun painting the front with a full moon and a quarter-moon scene with all the night critters! That was 3 years ago and I never actually finished...

 

[Rits]

I love your own touch to it! And the babes in the corner are so cute. Cutest thing ever is seeing them do adult things for the first time. The wire over the nest box is a great idea! I'm currently training ours and its challenging when Mom says "lets all 9 of us cram in a nest box"... As long as I can get her settled up there, they stay. Started 3 days ago and with some patience and persistence, its slowly clicking with them.

 

[Rits]

What dorks. My husband sent me these the other night he went to close everyone up. He got them all roosted and said she had her wings spread out to max capacity to shield them. Haha. They are feathered out and its still 60 ish at night but they love Moms warmth and protection. Shes been such a great Mom despite being one of our loudest hens prior. So meet Squawky, best chicken Mom ever. Don't tell her that none of these are biologically her babies.

 

[Ravenbird]

How old are your chicks? That bunch of chicks in the corner in my photo are now over a year old. Long story, but I ordered 8 females of 8 different breeds from Meyer Hatchery to arrive on a date approximate to a broody hens' 21st day of sitting on FAKE eggs. I exchanged the eggs for the baby chicks at 1 in the morning (I'd read that the hen will be sleepy and blind and won't fight it - but she didn't read that book and it was a freaking nightmare! She bloodied my hands and arms while I did the exchange). She was a good momma but abruptly left them at only 4 weeks. I felt sooo sorry for them, but they grew up to be great hens with just one dying at about 10 weeks from eating a nail. Still have the 7.

 

[Rits]

How old are your chicks? That bunch of chicks in the corner in my photo are now over a year old. Long story, but I ordered 8 females of 8 different breeds from Meyer Hatchery to arrive on a date approximate to a broody hens' 21st day of sitting on FAKE eggs. I exchanged the eggs for the baby chicks at 1 in the morning (I'd read that the hen will be sleepy and blind and won't fight it - but she didn't read that book and it was a freaking nightmare! She bloodied my hands and arms while I did the exchange). She was a good momma but abruptly left them at only 4 weeks. I felt sooo sorry for them, but they grew up to be great hens with just one dying at about 10 weeks from eating a nail. Still have the 7.

They'll be 7 weeks on Friday! Im surprised shes still tending to them. When they are outside they are much more independent, venturing off on their own (thus why one died to the neighbors cat) but still come running when she tidbits.

And oh no, they certainly dont read the book, huh? Shes been very good with us handling them when they were younger. We try not to handle them too much for now, I have a bunch of cockerels again (5/9!!) and I don't want to get attached. Some will sadly have to become food for our raw fed cats. I much rather them live a good life here, have a humane cull, and provide for our pets than to be sent off to who knows what. Its too bad we can't control the sexes, and of course the cat got one of the 4 pullets.

 

[GennyB]

do you have mice/rat issues?

Try planting mint around the coop. It's a pretty good deterrent to the rodent population.