They delivered it today, Yay! Still need to do plenty to get it ready before chicks can go in it, ox board for insulation, electricity, finish retaining wall, paint floor, more ventilation. Fence guy is coming tomorrow night to give a better estimate now that it's up. Even without the fence they should be in by Friday!
Question - The coop, which is really a shed, has one big set of windows but only on one side and vents on top corners of roof. It still needs more air flow. We're putting a heavy duty screen door on it but it's in FULL sun so it will probably need a fan. It was HOT in there today even with the windows open. Can anyone recommend a Brand of "barn fan" that is made to take dust? I don't know how heavy it needs to be for a 10x 12 coop, needs air flow but don't want to stir up dust. Suggestions?
The Coop!
Annie be sure that the screen door and the window are not located so they face the late sun or your fan will only be pushing hot air around. Im sure your going to have some kind of small door they can go in and out of on their own that will help air flow, Does the window open so you can put a screen or hardware cloth over it while it's open so predators cannot get in. The window needs to be able to open if at all possible. Summer heat without lots of airflow can be deadly.
We just use the cheap box fans in our barn. They don't last forever but then they don't cost much either. The plastic housed ones are supposed to be safer around animals than the good metal ones.
I second the advice about screening. We had a light screen on the two small louvered windows and a mink still got in, tearing through it, and killed almost half of our chickens. Hardware cloth is the way to go. Congratulations on your new coop! We got one last spring; it took a long time to get it all wired up and modified but we love it now. One addition we made was to put a door, hinged on the bottom, behind our nest boxes so we could just reach in from outside and get the eggs. Our hen house is up on blocks, so that saves the back!
The windows are in the sun side. They are regular (house) windows so I'm putting a roller blind on the top part to help with the sun, bottom is just regular screen. On the outside of the coop I will put heavy wire to keep critters from getting in. Yes, there will be a little walk out door for them to go out in the fenced area.
The Electrician is here working on running electric to the coop, Yay!
I'll go get paint for the floor today, roller blinds, and a box fan. It's hard to belive the chickies will finally have more room to run around, I'm so excited for them!
I cant wait to see the pic's! weeeeeeee sounds so nice.
Yes, photos please!
Annie, I don't know who I happiest for, you or the girls...LOL. I'm really so very happy for you, your girls will have a wonderful life because of you. Hay. P.S. Why are we having to wait on Pic's...Hurry OK...LOL.
Still can't find the camera charger so these pics are bad and taken with my cell phone. The electricity is in and working, ox board insulation up, chicken door to where the fenced area will be, motion light up. Screening on windows & roosting area isn't finished yet. The chickies only have a couple more days, yay!! We have it close to the yard so we can always see them.
Retaining wall not finished yet, still lots to do.
forgot the picture
Wow, verrrry nice! Those chickies are going to have some fun in there!
What a cute coop! Deluxe accommodations for sure. Lucky chickens!
Downtown chickenville! Yeah!
Thanks, I hope to make all the chickies comfortable. I got an estimate for the fencing tonight and just about fainted. I'll need to get a couple more to see if it seems right or not. Too bad I'm just about the most untalented person in the world or I'd try to build it myself. From years of using a butter knife I never bonded with real tools.
Just what good is a butter knife? All silver flatware sets seem to include them, but I never knew what to do with them.
Now that is a beautiful coop, I'd sure love to see the inside, I'm snoopy Annie, hope you'll forgive me...Hay.
Porkpal, are you serious? Bond with your butter knife, it will never let you down. They work on both kinds of screws, make good general scrapers, also for ice on windshields. They're great for prying off things that are stuck and also ice on headlights. Great for getting things out that are stuck in corners or underneath. 1001 uses. I heart my butter knife.
Hay, I'll get pics of the inside, hopefully they will finish it today.
Annie, you'd be surprised what you can do if you had to. If you're that handy with a butter knife, you'd be awesome with power tools given the chance I bet.
I found out I love to build! I can't afford to have it done, and I'm alone, so the only way I get a coop is to build one. I was so intimidated at first, but all those years of watching my step dad build stuff really paid off. I dream of having a shop where I can work on stuff..
Your coop is amazing! I can't wait to see the inside!
I build my own stuff too. I am currently building another coop to house the Christmas chicks - now good sized pullets. The chickens are all "helping". One piece of scrap lumber I dragged out (and rejected) was full of termites - the chickens were delighted and stayed out from under foot for about an hour! Now if only I could find a way to entertain the cows that help me with fence repair...
Porkpal, this is pretty amazing stuff, but that butter knife is actually good for - hold on to your hat! - BUTTER! Works beautifully with soft butter on a slice of bread. If you want to get fancy, you can place a small dessert plate to the left of the dinner plate, adorn it with a butter knife, and voilà! If you serve rolls or corn bread or muffins or baguettes with your meals (although the French don't butter the latter, normally) you have a handy place to prepare your taste treat.
ZZ, I am really impressed that you are doing your own building! I don't have the energy or the patience, and power tools are rather off-putting.
Annie, that's not a chicken coop - it's a chicken palace! We had something similar installed last spring and by the time we were finished a friend commented that a lot of people don't have it as good. And then of course the chickens got into it, and what did they do but poop all over it. Oh well. They also lay wonderful eggs in it.
Wow, ZZ, I'm very impressed too!! I really truly envy people who are comfortable with building and design.
I didn't grow up around anyone that built a thing. It goes beyond being intimidated, I'm scared to death of power tools. I used a power screw driver, once. I know, now, I was standing the wrong way trying to use it (reaching over my head) and it flipped back and just about drilled a hole in my head and my sister too who was standing next to me. Stitches hurt. I have to stick with my butter knife, less dangerous for everyone.
I can paint the coop floor tomorrow, get blinds for the windows, the fence goes up on Friday if the weather is good and the babies will get to move into their new home this weekend. I can't wait to see them run around and play!!!!!!! When I was feeding them a banana today they told me they're too big for their current pen. I had them in a small outside pen for a while today with their sandbox. They were rolling and fluffing in it, just laying on their side in the sun, it was the cutest thing. I'm just crazy about them!
I went and borrowed an power tool and an extension chord and am going to attempt to build a coup. Got some ideas from the internet, and have some heave oak pallets that will be the floor and the roof, now just have to figure the sides and the yard...LOL give me 4 days of vacation and just see what I can do...
I can hammer, paint and string fence so I figure I can build a coop..
MissJestr, and you also have the best little helper. Looking forward to seeing what you come up with!
Hi Annie, love your chicken coop. So really nice looking. I wish I had chickens as I really like them but its so suburban around here.
Ah, you need a stealth chicken house. There are pictures on here someplace.
Don't you think the neighbors would recognize a chicken when they saw one comeing out of the house ? :-))
newyorkrita, I was born in Huntington and my dad was a doctor there for many years, so I know what you're talking about. It's pretty suburban and most of your neighbors would suss you out fairly quickly if they objected to feathered pals.
It is really nice here with a big park accross the street. My yard is very cottage garden and I personally think afew chickens would be just the right touch. Not saying the neighbors would necessarily agree about that though.
Okay then, you need a stealth chicken tractor!
What the heck is a stealth chicken tractor?
Rita, you know how well the good people on the Daylily forum are at Enabling Well, the Chicken forum is just as good at it. They'll know the best stealth chicken coop ever made LOL. It'll even cost much less than a new Daylily!
I don't think chicken coops are so inexpensive. You nice new barn looking one is lovely :-))
There are a lot of small portable coops that are perfect for 2 maybe 3 chickens. I've priced them in my area, they were less than some of the 2010 Daylily introductions. I'm so excited about my chicks I guess I want everyone to have some too!
I used to see rabit hutches at agway before they went out of busineass and always thought they might work for 2-3 chickens.
That might work. You could always tell your neighbors you have rare clucking rabbits.
Yes, but rabits are not allowed either. No rabits, no chickens.
A chicken tractor is a small movable chicken pen. Someone on here had one that looked like a shielded trash can. Then there's the children's playhouse look-alike, or how about a little "greenhouse"? You will want to choose quiet chickens too.