FINALLY GOT THE CHICKENS MOVED INTO NEW COOP

They love there new window,I had forgotten that they had never seen glass they kept picking at it.

Thats the top of the nesting boxes that were supose to be hen proof from walking on the top of them,may have to put tin on them to make them more slippery so they don`t poo on them

Hope they like there new roost,lots of room for them.

Did you have plans for the coop? Or did you figure out what you wanted yourself? I don't have chickens but would love to have some. Several years ago I found plans for a super looking and efficient coop. I put them away and cannot find them anywhere. Of course.

Do you have a picture of you can post? Thanks,

Jeanette

Nice and roomy! Bet they love it. Did you have to do anything special to get them used to going in and out (and in and night)?

This is there first night,we just went out and they are all roosting on the poles by the windows and not on the roosts that my dh made to them,but they might use that later,they were used to a tree limb in there other coop,it was only three feet off the floor as the old coop was only 5x5 and only 4and a half feet high,it was my grandaughters play house.What a job trying to get them in there they all escaped and we had to catch them all and then the rooster went in all by himself because he wanted to be with his girls.My dh was going to get pictures of me trying to catch them with a big fish net and I told him to just nver mind.Going to keep them in there untill tomorow and when my dh gets home from work we might let them out in there new big run.

jnette,no we didn`t have plans just thought it through had all winter to do that.If you go to my other thread it says need quick answer,you will find a lot of pictures I posted while we were building.Still have to get the net over the top of the run because of the hawks we have around here.I have 24 babies that will go in with these ones as soon as they are old enough.Probably three or four months old.Sure hope they use the nesting boxes my dh made,they used the floor in the little coop could not get them to use the nesting boxes they all layed in one corner under the boxes.The eggs would be so much cleaner if they would use the boxes.

Well Congratulations Green! We should have a virtual house warming! LOL I bet the girls are super happy!

These are the babies that will go in the big coop when they are old enough.10 golden comets,10 americanas,and 5 mixed breeds from my hens and rooster that were hatched out at my grandaughters school in the incubator.

They seem to be.I know I am knowing they have more room.Will be glad when the whole thing is done,I didn`t relize this was such a big project and would take so long and cost so much.But I am glad for my chickens

Most peaple put the lanolium on the floor of the coop but we put it on the ceiling,thought it would be cheaper and quicker but was not in the long run,bought remanets but still cost more tham I thought it would be.Oh well live and learn

Your granddaughter's class will appreciate them too. Hope she is taking pictures to school.

Jeanette

green, I went thru the last thread and it was fun. Sorry I missed out on the original rising, but it was fun anyway. Great pictures and story.

I hope the chickens appreciate their new digs. If not, I am sure you could get around $250 per month rent from any one of the observers of the construction. LOL

Great postings!! Thanks

Jeanette

Green!!! Great job. It is beautiful and I'm sorry but I had to laugh about the nesting boxes and the birds on top. I had to put a sheet of plywood slanted at 45% to keep them from the top of my indoor cages. You'd think they'd be so happy to have those beautiful nesting boxes rather than the floor?? After all! Why can't they think like us. GREAT WORK anyway. I don't know how your winters are but I can tell you when it really snows here, I used a very heavy fish netting and it was so heavy from the snow that it actually pulled one of my fences over and in one of my runs the netting is seven foot high and the netting stretched clear to the ground from the snow. After it melted I had to restreatch the netting. Love the coop. Thanks for all the great pic's. Hay

Haystack we thought about that,the winters are bad here to,if it would just be that fluffty snow it would be ok but we get the haeavy stuff to.Trying to wipe the dust off my keyboard right now the baby chicks are in this room and what a dusty mess in here and has sifted all through the house be glad when they can go out in the little coop,probably not good for my computer either.You think that was funny about the chicken on the nesting boxes you should have seen us trying to catch the chikens to put them in there new home,I had the bright idea of using a big fishing net! that was stupid!!! did not work at all,finally got rooster in the old run and the hens were easier to catch.When he saw he was all alone he spassed hard, opened his gate and he was no time going into the new coop to be with his ladies.First I tried to put up a small run from the old coop to the new coop and thought they would just follow the food into the new coop!WHAT WAS I THINKING!!!.They got scared when we tried to hurry them along and flew over the makeshift run and now they are all lose and I`m hollering don`t let them in my gardens!!!,by this time I`m saying if they get in my gardens I`ll go get the gun(which I would not do that) thats when the fish net came in,finally we rounded them up in a corner and picked them up one at a time and put them in the new coop,what a day!!!,my dh said I would never be able to catch a pig if I couldn`t catch a chicken.lol.Well that was my day yesterday,going to try to get some of the netting on the top of the run so I can put them out tomorow.Now comes the job of cleaning the old coop for the babies.Sill want them two silkie hens and the rooster just have to find room for them.I am trying hard to find a home for my big rooster he is just to rough on the hens their backs look awful and there poor necks and heads look so sore,I don`t know why he can`t be more of a gentlemen.Look at him wouldn`t someone just love to take him??????

He is one beautiful Roo. A barred rock, Dominique? or what? He looks like my big ben, except ben is an amaraucana. I finally weighed big ben last week and hi come in at a colossal 18.7lbs. I think he's the biggest Roo I have ever seen. He to is very hard on the ladies. I limit his time with them. One thing that is funny, I have a small banty rooster and last week I put them out to pasture together and they fought all day. The banty finally ran big ben into the woods where he stayed for maybe two hours before returning, and the fight continued. I finally put big ben back into his pen as the banty would not let up. I wish you luck in rehoming him. Would have paid handsomely to have seen your fish net episode. I'm sure DH had a ball laughing. All is well now, and oh the great experiences. Hay

I like my new nesting box no more laying on the floor(I hope)

We are so happy in out new run,can`t stay out there alone yet as we have no net on top and we don`t want that hawk to get us again!!

This is some of our new run,we have toys to play with we have a swing with a ladder and a fence post with a post across it to sit on,and a moose horn at the end turned upside down to hide behind.May add a potatoe barrel to get into today

We sure don't want to get bored now do we? LOL,

Jeanette

Green! That is so interesting about the hawk's.. We have hawks that stay over our five acres and the neighbors twenty acres all day just circling in the hunt for food. They have never bothered our chickens, and we have several banties. Just yesterday my DW and I watched two crows running a hawk off. Maybe thats why they don't bother us. We have tons of crows around here and they are a terror on the hawks. Maybe the type of hawk makes a difference two.

Anyway, I have one screened window in one of my coops and there is a skywalk about thirty feet long that runs from the window to the ground and It's so funny as certain ones won't come in if the window is not open for them. They get in a routine and it really sticks with them. I love the great shot of your run with the ladder and all...My question is will they keep the grass down? and if not how are you going to mow it? I have over a hundred birds and they still don't keep the grass down and I have to go in and mow it every week. We get lots of light rain and it keeps the grass growing. Even right in front of the coop door where the go in and out, it still is very heavy in grass. Maybe I need more birds. Haystack

Hi Jnette!! Welcome to the forum. Glad you have joined us. I was just curious as to where you were in Northeast Wa. I have a grandson that goes over to Orville ever summer to spend a week with friends. I think It's beautiful over there but I always worry about the forest fires as that area is so timbered. My wife and I almost bought a ten acre parcel over in Kettle Falls. I love that area with all the deer and wild life. Are you going to be getting chickens anytime soon?

Have a wonderful day! Haystack

Thanks for the welcome Haystack. No, I am just a wannabe. I would love to have chix but because of a bum foot and the fact that my yard is so hilly I would not be able to take care of them, and my SO has a phobia about birds. Can't touch them. Sure does like to eat them tho. Chix that is. LOL I have had chix thru out my life tho and really enjoy yours and the others.

We are almost to Idaho. WAAAAAY over. Oroville is more in the middle of the state. Maybe more eastern tho than western. We almost bought on the Kettle river when we were looking, but settled on this area because everything there was pretty much bought up. And then, we didn't even buy on the river here. Pend Orielle river. Across the highway from the river. Actually, there are just too many touristy things on the river for me to want to look at it all the time.

Jeanette

We have lots of crows to they wake me up every morning.If they don`t mow the grass down when I put all the rest in there in a few months they will take care of it,I`m thingking in a months time there will no grass,have to wait and see if it gets to tall for them I will have to mow it. WELCOME JEANATTE

Thanks Green from ME. LOL, Jeanette

Jnette, you must be over by Metaline falls area? WOW we are on the extreme east and west part of the state. It's like two different states isn't it. Few states have extreme differences as Washington does. I always enjoy the extreme differences when we go east. But I must admit I like the cooler climate on the western side. The mountains inbetween sure create different worlds. Hay

Hi Haystack!! thats what i loved about WA state too..there is so much difference between the east and west..would love to be back out there..maybe some day when i can get DH off the farm!! LOL
my chickens have eaten ALL the grass out of their run..i have to take and give them grass clippings about once a week..they are little lawn mowers..at least they earn their keep!

cindy

You found me Hay!! About 25 miles south of MF to be exact. Yes, it is that. I would love to move back to that area but I don't know if I could take the gray skies in the winter. Not that we don't have any. Just not as often. So much when we have clouds it looks like rain but you look up and the cloud moves and there is blue sky up there. Still a surprise after moving here in1995.

Also, I went over there last year, the first time since we moved here, and I could not believe the changes. Just in Federal Way where my daughter lives. It is like a whole new world different than when I left.

Jeanette

Green, that run is so cool!

We had to pull off the netting covering our run and instal fencing. Something ripped through while we were gone. Mr Chicken is OK, though, and the little pullets aren't out of their brooder yet. Phew!

We have various hawks, coyotes, neighbor dogs, owls, 'possum's, racoons to contend with. Our neighbor calls our run the chicken fortress of solitude!

We have a swing and a perch for Mr Chicken. Will have to see if I can come up with a few more "toys" for the pullets when they are ready....

Thanks I put an old potatoe barrel covered with plastic to keep out the rain and put some wood ashes and dirt in it for them to dust bath in ,they haven`t ventured in yet.I am happy to report that they finally are using the roost that dh made,not all them but some.

Hi Cindy!!! Great to hear from you. WOW! Those little girls must really like that grass. My grass is so thick you can hardly believe theres chickens living on it. I am having to mow it every five days just to keep it from becoming a hay field. Come on out the weather is great. All sun, but only 70%. Have a great evening. HAY

Oh yes Federal Way!!! I worked that area, along with Burien, and White Center, for the sheriff's dept during the day's of the Green River killings. I too cannot believe it is the same place. It is filled with crime and the population is now wall to wall people. In the sixties my day had a barber shop out there, and there was no other business within five miles of him in either direction. Now it's Killer populated. I love Ferndale, our town is about 4ooo population. Perfect, but there's still room for you and hubby. Comon over. Your area is beautiful also though. Haystack

4000 population?????? Oh heaven...

LOL, our whole county is 11,000. I have 40 acres and no neighbor within 1/2 mile. I guess I am pretty isolated. The biggest town the size of yours is in another county. Colville in Stevens might be 4,000. That is 40 miles from me and then the largest is Spokane which is 80 to 90 miles from me.

It is nice until it is inconvenient for shopping. I lived in Burien for 30 years. By Sea-Tac.

Jeanette

Baby chicks went to there outside coop today,they love it they were flying and running and sparing.They have a heat lamp for night time.They get a lot of sun in the windows in the daytime so its hard to regulate the temp.But its still cool here only in the 60s during the day.

I am drooling.....Very nice. Taking notes.

I am dreaming. LOL, Jeanette