Here's my chicken coop!

[tony]

Please don't laugh. Two months ago I knew nothing about chickens or coops. Most of the materials are found, reused or bought at a discount lumber center. I am only 95% done, but I wanted to share anyway.

The coop is built on my old 8'x10' raised bed garden.



There are three nesting boxes. There is a back door for each nesting box to collect the eggs. The holes are there but the doors have not been mounted. Above the boxes is food and water storage.



Inside the roost. This is the clean-out door, the entrance for chickens is on the opposite side behind the block. Closed for now so the chicks don't fall. Access to the nesting boxes are on the right side (also closed temporarily).

[Diesel]

wow great job man, and great pics, thanks for sharing with us!

[snal]

Nothing to laugh at there! looks like a fine job to me!

[Lostinoz]

Tony, why would we laugh??? Great job! You're hired, come on over! :D Have you decided what breed of chicken you are wanting to raise?

[tony]

Here are the little ladies:

Three black sex-links


Four Australorps

[teach]

Great coop and cute chicks. Well done.

[Dracos]

Chickens

That is a beautiful and oddly familar coop. Here in Montana I have two chicken coops, one for warm weather which is well ventilated similar to yours. We also Have a winter coop that is well insulated, and heated with infrared bulbs. I try to keep it arount 30 degrees. That keeps the chickens alive but dosn't thaw the manure to the point of building up methand and ammonia. Predators are a problem in the Summer, mostly scunks, But I have had coyotes, mountain lions, raccoons, ane even bears and owles drop buy for a free meal. Chickens are great! We have no organic waste. Of course they only eat what tastes good to them. By that I mean what fits in their mouthes. Really, the only things I have seen a chicken not eat are their own manure, an unbroken egg, and some hairy catipellers. Enjoy!

[Lostinoz]

But I have had coyotes, mountain lions, raccoons, ane even bears and owles drop buy for a free meal. !

Dracos, one dark morning, about 5 a.m., I heard a ruckus in the chicken pen and thought a stray dog was out there causing a stir. I ran outside in housecoat, slippers and a big stick to chase it away. Yeah, this creature's head spun around (twice I think) and stared at me and had a wingspan of about 90 ft (ok, it was dark and it was scary lol) and I decided that the creature could have the chicken with my blessing. I figure it was either an owl or a gargoyle. lol I definitely wasn't about to fight it over the chicken and just slowly backed up away from it.

Sorry for the drift Tony.

[tony]

I'm already practicing for the 100 yard shot from the back porch.

[Dracos]

Owl

I came home one day and heard a rukus in the chicken coop. Mr owl had come in the door and was trying to fly out the closed window. Owls are not all that wise. I said "Son go fetch the fishing net." So Mr owl was captured.
He was about 2 feet tall with a wingspan of 6 feet but he hardly weighed anything. He had killed 3 chickens so I gave him a stern talking to. Then we took him for a ride about 5 miles up the road and released him. He beat us home. Killed another chicken and was trying to fly through the same window.
Now, I have killed a good many predators for less, but this was the only owl who had been a problem so far. So we took him for a long ride, 30 miles. So far he has't come back.

[pathfinder3081]

That is a nice coop man.. Everybody is doing chickens? My neighbors will have a "fit".. Perhaps I can have them over for some omelets to settle the dust..:D

[Lostinoz]

That is a nice coop man.. Everybody is doing chickens? My neighbors will have a "fit".. Perhaps I can have them over for some omelets to settle the dust..:D

Pathfinder, no, we don't have chickens any longer. We had them when the kids were little and it got to be a hassle as I looked like a lion tamer with a plastic chair trying to keep the roosters from attacking the kids as they got on the bus in the mornings. :D Somehow we ended up with the meanest bunch of roosters you ever saw. My oldest son actually had a nightmare about a GIANT rooster chasing him through the field. LOL

Anyway, we may try it again now that the kids are all almost grown, I don't know. It was definitely an experience!! I learned a lot from it like to never go barefoot around them with painted toenails, etc. :D

[Brosia]

No laughing here, I think that is a great coop!

[bart]

that's a nice coop. the worst predators i've dealt with have been racoons and neighbor dogs. the dogs are just being dogs but you can't shoot the bad owner. also seen some extremely large birds that my dad called coastal eagles. i didn't shoot them, though.

[Zombie Axe]

Tony you rock!!!! Totally awesome chicken coop and beautiful pictures!!! My kit building arrived Sunday so I gotta get started after I get my bees in this weekend!!!

Keep us posted!