Chicken Coop!?!

[Rafter H BBQ]

Hey all, we done a bunch of research and pulled the trigger on some chicks!

Of coarse with our climate here, they will be in the house for a bit!

My question is on a coop? We are open for suggestions on anything as far as a coop goes!

We were told to contact our local high school as they make a certain amount of coops every year and sell them!

BTW, my daughter (huge animal lover) is wanting to get a couple ducks. This will date me, but we watch Cheers to this day, I don’t care for modern day comedy…. So she knows the cast and wants to name the ducks Norm and Carla!

Thanks in advance for your input!

 

[one eyed jack]

Congratulations on your new chicks WHB.

My daughter raises Chickens and Ducks. She lets them free range. Biggest trouble she has are hawks.

Here's a site that has a lot of info on chickens and coops.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/

 

[JLeonard]

One I get out of the subdivision and away from the evil HOA, I want chickens. I love some fresh eggs! Look forward to seeing the coop you land upon.
Jim

 

[Rafter H BBQ]

I guess I should have mentioned, we have to be careful…. We live in the country…. so we have hawks, a bald eagle group 1/2 mile down the road, coons and skunks!

 

[GaryHibbert]

Sorry Justin, afraid I can't help you. All I know about chicken coops, I learned in one day--and swore I'd never clean another one as long as I lived.
Gary

 

[Rafter H BBQ]

Congratulations on your new chicks WHB.

My daughter raises Chickens and Ducks. She lets them free range. Biggest trouble she has are hawks.

Here's a site that has a lot of info on chickens and coops.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/

Thank you!

 

[Brokenhandle]

Not much help either here Justin...but better get Norm a barstool and a beer! . I think pineywoods just posted a pic of one he finished. So maybe hit him up. Think it was in the thread by BGKYSmoker and his new one he got or is building.

Ryan

 

[Rafter H BBQ]

Sorry Justin, afraid I can't help you. All I know about chicken coops, I learned in one day--and swore I'd never clean another one as long as I lived.
Gary

Ha, thanks Gary… Kids wanted them for a few years and they will be cleaning to coop! I told em, I’ll buy the supplies, but you clean the sh!t! LOL.

 

[Winterrider]

Welcome to SMF!

www.smokingmeatforums.com

Sorry that didn't work. Tried to paste from search forum from BGKYSmoker .

 

[BGKYSmoker]

Congrats Jason.

Yup be sure to put a roof on your coop, easy peasy dont overthink it.

 

[pineywoods]

Congrats Justin we got some chickens last year and the wife really enjoys them and I sure don't mind the fresh eggs. You are right on tract trying to figure out what kind of predators you have to worry about. I see so many people that free range their chickens and that would be awesome but with the predators we have wouldn't work the only time ours get out to roam is when we are out there with them to keep watch. I'm on another laptop right now but tonight I'll post some pictures of what I did to make our 1st coop predator proof and pictures of the coop I just completed and way to long of a build (it's hell to get old) One of the first things to know is companies that sell chicken coops lie I have yet to see one that will actually hold the number of chickens they claim they will. If the school sells coops that would be awesome.
Jack posted that link to backyardchickens.com that is a very good site with lots of info

 

[pineywoods]

We got this coop from Tractor supply the box said 6-8 chickens it should have said 3 maybe 4.
I bought cattle panels that were 50" x 16" long and also got some 1/4" x 48 x 50' hardware cloth got a bunch of the black zip ties (last longer in the sun) and zip tied the hardware cloth to the cattle panels. Put one under the coop then built a box out of 4 more then added ends so it added basically a 4x4x16 run to the coop and looked lit this. It worked pretty well and with having coyotes, fox, racoon, armadillo, hawks, occasional snake and bear we had nothing get in. Well it worked well until she wanted more chickens lol

 

[bauchjw]

I’m no help, but have to say those are the coolest names! My kids always want to use a candy for a name, like Skittles. Cheers was the best, I’ll have to remember that!

 

[Fueling Around]

What's your objective for the chickens (and ducks)?
Cackle berries or yard bird?

 

[Rafter H BBQ]

What's your objective for the chickens (and ducks)?
Cackle berries or yard bird?

My kids wanted some for a few years now! Would like the fresh eggs! Not to get too political, but with our current situation… we’d also like to be more self reliant!

 

[Rafter H BBQ]

pineywoods and BGKYSmoker …. Jerry and Rick, thanks for your input!

 

[BGKYSmoker]

Welcome.

You got the chick food.

Ours are starting to eat scratch now. Lay mash is next.

All my farm day stuff when i was a kid is like back now 360*....lol

 

[indaswamp]

No help on a coup...

Only tip I will offer is to use crushed charcoal for the smell in the coup. It will suck up the bad smell like nothing else, and the nitrates will stick to the charcoal too...put it in your compost with the chicken poop and bedding....will do amazing things to your garden!

 

[Rafter H BBQ]

No help on a coup...

Only tip I will offer is to use crushed charcoal for the smell in the coup. It will suck up the bad smell like nothing else, and the nitrates will stick to the charcoal too...put it in your compost with the chicken poop and bedding....will do amazing things to your garden!

Keith, appreciate that… I learn new things on this awesome forum all the time! Again, thank you!

 

[oscar]

Can't speak on chickens, but we've had varying sized duck flocks the last twenty years. They love a pond, but will take to a stream nicely. The eggs are rich....always loved them in an omelette. Great for baking, too. Honestly, our two free range mutts have taken out more ducks than all God's wild critters combined. A good hen will lead the flock into a duck house around sundown each night. As with humans, if the hen is sitting and the males are in charge, things can go horribly wrong.