Raising Chickens

[Loganwayne]

Well I got conned into getting chickens she finally read the city ordinances that I told her said no chickens and it wasn’t there... and she said it was only fair she could have a couple chickens since I got 20+ pigeons and a dozen or so quail


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[obullfish]

Well I got conned into getting chickens she finally read the city ordinances that I told her said no chickens and it wasn’t there... and she said it was only fair she could have a couple chickens since I got 20+ pigeons and a dozen or so quail


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Let me know when you’re gonna fry them up.

 

[Loganwayne]

Let me know when you’re gonna fry them up.

Chickens or pigeons lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[obullfish]

Chickens or pigeons lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hell I’d try pigeon, but I was talking about the chickens.

 

[Loganwayne]

Hell I’d try pigeon, but I was talking about the chickens.

Pigeon just a big dove


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[obullfish]

Pigeon just a big dove


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

What’s the date then?

 

[McCracken]

Well I got conned into getting chickens she finally read the city ordinances that I told her said no chickens and it wasn’t there... and she said it was only fair she could have a couple chickens since I got 20+ pigeons and a dozen or so quail


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Conned....

I'm thinking you turned over your balls to her purse. Nice job alpha.

 

[JSJJ388]

Progress! Got everything laid out and got the coop to our house. It needs a lot of TLC, but will get us started. Run will be 15x20x3 with 1 ft buried for security.

 

[paradisePWoffrd]

Don't need to bury the fence.

Just lay a piece of fence flat on the ground, either outside of your vertical fence. It will keep animals from being able to dig down.

 

[awheelterd]

3ft verticle isn't high enough either. You'll have to trim their wings down to the bone to keep them in. Spend a little more money and buy the 5ft fence. Don't use chicken wire either. Use 2x4 welded wire. Coyotes can chew through regular chicken fence.

 

[JSJJ388]

3ft verticle isn't high enough either. You'll have to trim their wings down to the bone to keep them in. Spend a little more money and buy the 5ft fence. Don't use chicken wire either. Use 2x4 welded wire. Coyotes can chew through regular chicken fence.

So 5 ft is minimum? I was planning on 4 ft, but I figured 3 was good. Just so we are clear, that's the height for the fenced in run. The coop is 6 ft clear to the rafters. Dont mind buying more fence if its needed for them to be happy. But trying to keep cost down as well.

I'll look into the fence, but I doubt that upgrade is in the budget at the moment.

 

[paradisePWoffrd]

So 5 ft is minimum? I was planning on 4 ft, but I figured 3 was good. Just so we are clear, that's the height for the fenced in run. The coop is 6 ft clear to the rafters. Dont mind buying more fence if its needed for them to be happy. But trying to keep cost down as well.

I'll look into the fence, but I doubt that upgrade is in the budget at the moment.

4 ft should be fine. Might need to clip wings. My experience says if you keep them fed and keep things they can perch on, away from the fence, they'll stay in.

I 2nd the welded wire fence. A 2x4 fence won't keep chicks in though. Also won't keep out weasels/possums. You will need to keep them locked up in the coop at night.

 

[awheelterd]

So 5 ft is minimum? I was planning on 4 ft, but I figured 3 was good. Just so we are clear, that's the height for the fenced in run. The coop is 6 ft clear to the rafters. Dont mind buying more fence if its needed for them to be happy. But trying to keep cost down as well.

I'll look into the fence, but I doubt that upgrade is in the budget at the moment.

4ft will suffice. My parents fence is 4ft and they don't have too much trouble keeping them in. Sometimes a chicken will get a wild hair and try to get out. If they learn they can fly out it takes a lot of trimming to keep them in when they're determined.

Not much will keep out a possum if they want to get in. They'll climb right over any fence. The best deterrent is a dog outside.

 

[JSJJ388]

Thanks guys. We are going to try for the welded fence. Will likely do 4 ft at edges and 6 ft in the middle, just for ease of access.

 

[JSJJ388]

We have an inside/outside dog, and will put them in the coop at night.

 

[JSJJ388]

Coop is in place. Still need to level it up.

 

[McCracken]

Amazon Prime.....Chicken People....watch it

 

[paradisePWoffrd]

Put some plastic down on the floor and bottom 2ft if the coop... A drop cloth will be fine. Then put about 8-12" of pine shavings in the bottom. Layer on the shavings when it starts smelling.

The plastic will keep the wood floor/walls from rotting from the moisture.

You can clean it out about once a yr or so.


Also, I see the windows on one side, but can't tell on the others.

You'll want to cut some vents in sides, up under the eaves. Having plenty of ventilation is key to keeping them healthy and the smells down.

The vents dont need to be big... Mine are like 4"x12", 2 per wall.

 

[JSJJ388]

Put some plastic down on the floor and bottom 2ft if the coop... A drop cloth will be fine. Then put about 8-12" of pine shavings in the bottom. Layer on the shavings when it starts smelling.

The plastic will keep the wood floor/walls from rotting from the moisture.

You can clean it out about once a yr or so.


Also, I see the windows on one side, but can't tell on the others.

You'll want to cut some vents in sides, up under the eaves. Having plenty of ventilation is key to keeping them healthy and the smells down.

The vents dont need to be big... Mine are like 4"x12", 2 per wall.

Thanks. I have some scrap linoleum I'll put on the floor and walls. Only one side has windows, currently. I'm going to cut 2 smaller ones on the other side as well.

Will put a chicken door on the run end with a way to open/close it from outside.

 

[JSJJ388]

Coop leveled. Best use I've found for the hi-lift

 

[paradisePWoffrd]

Coop leveled. Best use I've found for the hi-lift

View attachment 315988

Not sure that you need them yet, but when you build nest boxes for them, I suggest being able to access from the outside to collect the eggs.

 

[JSJJ388]

Not sure that you need them yet, but when you build nest boxes for them, I suggest being able to access from the outside to collect the eggs.

Even though it's a walk in coop? Shouldn't be hard to work out, but was just figuring on walking in to get eggs.

 

[paradisePWoffrd]

Even though it's a walk in coop? Shouldn't be hard to work out, but was just figuring on walking in to get eggs.

chickens tend to make a mess the coop. While I have certain boots i wear for working around the animals, they crap everywhere.

alot of people build ones like this:

I have both and prefer ones like this, where the boxes are inside and there's a door to access them:

 

[JSJJ388]

chickens tend to make a mess the coop. While I have certain boots i wear for working around the animals, they crap everywhere.

alot of people build ones like this:

I have both and prefer ones like this, where the boxes are inside and there's a door to access them:

Noted. That may be a project that I tackle down the road. Should be pretty easy to add a door if I put the boxes in the right place.

 

[THE guyrock]

We did ours with an elevated coop, the girls love it so far. I did clear polycarbonate roofing and blacked out the section over the laying boxes. The coop being up gives them more floor space to walk around and some shade.

Built it next to the dog run so the dogs scent keeps predators away. So far so good over a year and only issue was a snake got in through a vent hole in the roof. And a chipmunk or two, but the chickens shredded the chipmunks like it was their job.

Did foundation vents on the sides of the coop for air flow, and they have nesting bars inside.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk