Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 Posted May 8, 2022 Share Posted May 8, 2022 3 minutes ago, Dusty Devil Dale said: I bet we know someone who could build an innovative one and make it outstandingly beautiful! But in the end it would be unappreciated and only a place to store excrement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cowboy Small Posted May 8, 2022 Share Posted May 8, 2022 Hello Mr lose, I built one about a year ago. Search Carolina Coops in YouTube. I found these to be effective, safe and scalable. I did adapt to use some materials that I had to repurpose. Dutch door is a great feature. The nesting boxes they design work great. I could send photos if you pm me your phone number. Cs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yul Lose Posted May 9, 2022 Author Share Posted May 9, 2022 Is the reason the roosting portion of the coop is up off the ground to keep snakes and rats and mice out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 Posted May 9, 2022 Share Posted May 9, 2022 On 5/8/2022 at 6:59 PM, Yul Lose said: Is the reason the roosting portion of the coop is up off the ground to keep snakes and rats and mice out? Well, it's one good thought. Another is they're gonna poop while roosting - it's a good thing to have it fall away, so they're not roosting in it. By the way - when constructing a roost, some folks think that a round dowel is good... after all, tree branches are round. Or, if using 2x4's, narrow edge up. Don't do it. Although tree branches are indeed round, if there were flat (squared) branches available, that's where the chickens would be. Believe it or not, there have been studies made that find chickens are much less restless when roosting if they have a flat roost - like a flat-side-up 2x4. I'll try to post a picture of the "Chick Mahal" when I can find or take one; until then, here's a really informative and fun forum and site worthy of perusing: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/ Oh - my six mature Orpingtons and one stray mongrel hen give me an average of four or five eggs a day... more than I can use. Brown and big (jumbo!) sized. And fresh eggs are SO much better tasting than store-bought - which, incidentally, can be several months old by the time they hit the store's cooler shelf. Edit: Interior of the coop when freshly built; note the roosting perches, and three nest box on the left. These open from the outside to facilitate egg collecting. The front of the coop is open; it's hinged at the top to provide access for cleaning. Not visible is a "chicken doorway" to the right, cut into the front "wall" with a long ramp for 'em to get between ground and coop. It has a corrugated metal roof, is elevated and provides outdoor shelter beneath for the girls on rainy days. It's inside a 6' x 12' x 18' chain link enclosure, with chicken wire stretched over the top to protect 'em from hawks. I installed a small fluorescent light on a timer for winter months; the gals need at least 14 hours of light per day or they'll stop laying. I have it set to come before dawn; this way they will go to roost during the waning light of dusk... otherwise, they'd be trapped outside in the dark. Yum~! View from outside, with the hatch opened to access the nest boxes. I'd had it propped open and this $*&%^ Jay decided he liked eggs. It's now closed.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Father Kit Cool Gun Garth Posted May 9, 2022 Share Posted May 9, 2022 @Yul Lose, Don't forget to make a sign for Mrs. Lose to show off her new coop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Joker Posted May 9, 2022 Share Posted May 9, 2022 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 Posted May 9, 2022 Share Posted May 9, 2022 I have a friend who has some chickens: a couple Rhode Island reds; a few Plymouth Rocks; and a few .Amauracana Thus she gets white, brown, and blue-green eggs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Singin' Sue 71615 Posted May 10, 2022 Share Posted May 10, 2022 On 5/8/2022 at 7:59 PM, Yul Lose said: Is the reason the roosting portion of the coop is up off the ground to keep snakes and rats and mice out? That is why dad did it. But...mice and snakes (except rattlers) can climb most things...soooooo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evil dogooder Posted May 10, 2022 Share Posted May 10, 2022 On 5/8/2022 at 8:58 AM, Yul Lose said: Do you need to have a rooster to service the hens? Only if you want fertilized eggs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evil dogooder Posted May 10, 2022 Share Posted May 10, 2022 Chickens are pretty fool proof. They don't need fancy. We generally run between 30 and 40. Breed and feed drastically impact egg production. Also if you want to eat them. We don't raise heavys, barred rock and road island reds are what we mostly have. During peak season we get about a dozen to 18 eggs a day. That mainly is because we don't raise hi egg producers and we let them free range During the day. A place to roost out of the weather, food, water and your good to go. Do not buy from tractor supply or the like. You can make something for way under a hundred bucks. If you have an old sheld your good to go. Free grazing will impact color and flavor of the eggs. If you have any questions feel free to pm me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 Posted May 10, 2022 Share Posted May 10, 2022 I’ve read that if you Give them marigolds to graze you will get more Orange in your yolks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Singin' Sue 71615 Posted May 11, 2022 Share Posted May 11, 2022 Daddy raised Fighting Cocks (when it was legal) It was something he and his mom did together. Call it post Depression Era stuff, I don't know...just know I grew up with it. There were over 400 fowl of somekind on the property. Dad built long rectangular structures with cinderblock...about 3' high...and then chicken wire up to a sheetmetal roof. There was a cinder block/chickenwire barrier down the center , making a double side. Each space per FC rooster was about 3' × 4'. The roost bar was a octangular dowel, about 3" diamiter. Also had a piece of plywood leaning against the wall for shade/protection. There were 2 of these long houses. For the laying hens, he built a large shed type building...several roost bars at varied levels. There were 2 cunderblocks knocked out for the hens to go in and out...and a large yard with chicken wire surrond, even on top. Inside was a run of chickenwire where a sunwindow would be. There was a rooster in with the hens from time to time...only when we were looking to incubate a batch...and he never looked good after he was done. Hens are mean. I can tell you, breaking water in the winter, and having to clean a pooped pen in July heat has caused me to NEVER want to keep chickens again!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yul Lose Posted May 11, 2022 Author Share Posted May 11, 2022 The chickens out at the ranch where my wife works are pretty much free range. They lose a few to predators but are pretty good at predator control over all. When my wife first started there they weren’t doing anything about predators and I helped a couple of the guys who were citizens and able to own guns get set up with .22 rifles and they put a pretty good dent in the coyote population, but it is 1,600 acres and there are always more to shoot. The egg yolks are dark orange and I guess that’s because they are free range. I was out there not long ago and a hen that had got away was walking across the parking lot with 5 little chicks, I guess that happens occasionally. I guess they get them back in the flock somehow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rip Snorter Posted May 11, 2022 Share Posted May 11, 2022 21 minutes ago, Yul Lose said: The chickens out at the ranch where my wife works are pretty much free range. They lose a few to predators but are pretty good at predator control over all. When my wife first started there they weren’t doing anything about predators and I helped a couple of the guys who were citizens and able to own guns get set up with .22 rifles and they put a pretty good dent in the coyote population, but it is 1,600 acres and there are always more to shoot. The egg yolks are dark orange and I guess that’s because they are free range. I was out there not long ago and a hen that had got away was walking across the parking lot with 5 little chicks, I guess that happens occasionally. I guess they get them back in the flock somehow. We get free range eggs from Rancher friends. Superior in every way to store bought. The yolks are so bright they change the color of some finished recipes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watab kid Posted May 11, 2022 Share Posted May 11, 2022 i gotta get some photos of my friends coup , its been published in "new pioneer" but i dont think they covered it well enough ---i had no idea folks put so much into chickens , but they do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedalia Dave Posted May 11, 2022 Share Posted May 11, 2022 Keep in mind that no matter what you build, the accumulated poop it is going to have to be removed at least once a year. Makes great fertilizer but it is on the hot side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Father Kit Cool Gun Garth Posted May 11, 2022 Share Posted May 11, 2022 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Father Kit Cool Gun Garth Posted May 12, 2022 Share Posted May 12, 2022 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawdog Dago Dom Posted May 12, 2022 Share Posted May 12, 2022 When we moved to rural Missouri, Shortcake had this notion of having chickens running around the yard, following her to the mail box, getting fresh eggs, etc. I told her if she got chickens, I was getting a horse. So she talked with folks that had chickens, and I chatted with horse owners. We both found out there is a lot of work, everyday work and maintenance to keep these animals safe and healthy. With us traveling often, it just wasn't going to work out (then you need to find reliable folks to tend to your animals in your absence). It is definitely a labor of love. Not trying to discourage future chicken or horse owners, but there is much more to ownership than meets the eye. Just do your homework and make a decision you both can live with. We decided on a 1969 Schwinn Tandem bicycle instead! Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trigger Mike Posted May 12, 2022 Share Posted May 12, 2022 When we go on trips I fill several 5 gallon chicken waterer and put a flock block. Sometimes if going to be gone a week I have a friend get free eggs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 Posted May 12, 2022 Share Posted May 12, 2022 I don't find 'em to be much work at all. Fill the feeder and flush out the automatic waterer every few days, clean up once in a while, and collect eggs. Now, that last part is an adventure! When one or more hens decided to be "broody," egg collection can be a challenge. Well... in my case, anyway: a feral hen* moved in a few years ago. She's a good layer in the springtime, but always decided to get "broody," and she's convinced that she's gonna be a momma. She will set on a nest and takes unkindly to having her "future babies" stolen from her. And when disturbed, she becomes MEAN!! So, during "brooding season," I'll do my egg collecting at night - if I do it during the daylight, she will positively come unglued and attack; she's a one-hen tornado of sharp beak, flogging wings, and small but effective spurs. But at night, with hands encased in welding gauntlets, I wear a headlamp; shine it in her eyes, then use the small, metal (garbage can) lid from my coal bucket. I call it my "Captain America" shield, and use it to shove her out of the way and recover the day's deposits that she's claimed as her own. And during this exercise, she's whanging away on my "shield" with her beak - "Clang! Bang! Bangbangbang!" Actually, kind of funny... she can't give chase in the dark, so she settles down when I withdraw. Oh... and I leave a porcelain egg (Sharpie labeled "phony!") for her - she can't count, and it calms her down. *At one time I had more than two dozen feral chickens move into my back yard. Eventually, most moved on or were killed by critters - one morning I found six dead under a tree, and single ones at other times. Culprit turned out to be a 'possum. I researched 'em, and many of those chickens seem to have been some sort of Mexican fighting birds. The hens were pretty plain, but the roo's were downright gorgeous. And surprisingly, the roosters were fairly mellow - not so the hens! I call her "Betsy." Others simply call her "The Bitch." Moments after I snapped this shot, I donned my Captain America persona and rescued three fresh eggs after shoving her back, as she did a Gene Krupa number on the lid with her beak: One of the mellow Buff Orpingtons... she's trying, but nothing under her: Our intrepid egg-collector, Hardpan the Mighty, armored and armed: My li'l cottage sits on an adequately fenced 1/3 acre lot. I turn the gals out of their 12' x 18' enclosure and let 'em free roam - they do a terrific job of keeping bugs at bay. And they have enough room to not be a bother; I seldom see them during the day. After sundown I close their gate, and have not lost one yet to predators. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Father Kit Cool Gun Garth Posted May 12, 2022 Share Posted May 12, 2022 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirty Dan Dawkins Posted May 12, 2022 Share Posted May 12, 2022 17 hours ago, Lawdog Dago Dom said: When we moved to rural Missouri, Shortcake had this notion of having chickens running around the yard, following her to the mail box, getting fresh eggs, etc. I told her if she got chickens, I was getting a horse. So she talked with folks that had chickens, and I chatted with horse owners. We both found out there is a lot of work, everyday work and maintenance to keep these animals safe and healthy. With us traveling often, it just wasn't going to work out (then you need to find reliable folks to tend to your animals in your absence). It is definitely a labor of love. Not trying to discourage future chicken or horse owners, but there is much more to ownership than meets the eye. Just do your homework and make a decision you both can live with. We decided on a 1969 Schwinn Tandem bicycle instead! Good luck! Raising chickens and bees are two of the most economically unfavorable things I’ve done Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rip Snorter Posted May 12, 2022 Share Posted May 12, 2022 Just now, Dirty Dan Dawkins said: Raising chickens and bees are two of the most economically unfavorable things I’ve done Chickening out and bee-ing done! Not to my taste to do either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirty Dan Dawkins Posted May 13, 2022 Share Posted May 13, 2022 Raising turkeys is worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gateway Kid SASS# 70038 Life Posted May 13, 2022 Share Posted May 13, 2022 2 hours ago, Dirty Dan Dawkins said: Raising turkeys is worse. Tried raising Indian Runner ducks to train my herding dogs. Worked well till the ducks got pen broke. And man do they smell bad!!!! Regards Gateway Kid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yul Lose Posted May 13, 2022 Author Share Posted May 13, 2022 The luster of raising chickens and the resulting hen berries may have worn off. After work today she spent some time at an old friend of hers that has a big chicken coop and she came home with a whole new outlook on the chicken venture. Time will tell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawdog Dago Dom Posted May 13, 2022 Share Posted May 13, 2022 There's always KFC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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