Chickens, and things related

[PineRidge]

Well for the past couple of days it's been raining here but we managed to make a bit of progress running between the rain drops.

BTW: How do you all secure a hinged compartment against predators without using a padlock? (this is not a quiz)

 

[nmu98]

Pine,
They have some latches that are half circles and when they close they get pretty tight. Tight enough that it would be safe against most things other than a bear.

I cannot find a picture of them........ I have a few at home, i will try to snap a pic....

 

[Tororider]

PineRidge,
I don't know if it is possible or if it matters but I would put the hinges on the top for both doors. It makes it so that you have to hold the door open, which can be a pain, but then you can't forget to close the doors, they do it themselves.

For keeping it locked, I use a padlock, but I am in the burbs and it is to keep the two legged curious kids out. You could use a regular padlock latch, but use a carabeener(sp) or a spring closing clip.

Good luck and let us know what you come up with.

 

[PineRidge]

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, we're almost home on the coop.

Here's how we handle the pop-door. I wanted a way to secure it from the raccoons. The first rope you pull lifts the hinged 2X4 and the 2nd rope lifts the door. When you drop both the weight of the horizontal 2X4 keeps the prop secure against the sliding pop-door. Simple but it works.

 

[PineRidge]

The Black box that you see in the picture is a foundation vent that we mounted in the sidewall. It has a bi-metal that opens a set of louvers at 70 degrees.

We then took an old box fan that we got for free at Craigslist and boxed it in overhead to draw air through the coop. I am looking for an old furnace fan control that I'll wire into the fan so it automatically starts as the temperatures in the coop rise. The fan really moves a lot of air through the coop when its on.

 

[PineRidge]

We finished up the 1st of two banks of nesting boxes with perch. We wanted the boxes to lift out for easy cleaning.

The eggs can be collected from outside the shed via a hinged door.

The door you see below the nesting boxes will aid in sweeping out the coop at cleaning time.

 

[dooleysm]

I didn't see where you had roosts located for them to sleep on. Keep in mind that they poop a TON when they are on their roost. So watch what is below the roosts. The higher the better on the roosts too. They love to be up high.

 

[dooleysm]

If you didn't already have them designed in I would tell you to skip the additional nest boxes. 4 will serve a load of hens. They tend to all lay in the same box. I think I have 5 boxes for about a dozen hens. I could easily get by with 2, and that would probably be plenty for 15 hens.

 

[PineRidge]

If you didn't already have them designed in I would tell you to skip the additional nest boxes. 4 will serve a load of hens. They tend to all lay in the same box. I think I have 5 boxes for about a dozen hens. I could easily get by with 2, and that would probably be plenty for 15 hens.

Thanks for the tip Shawn. I'll most likely put off making the second set of nest boxes at your recommendation.

I plan to make roosts from 2X4s turned on end and at different heights. Most likely they will fold up so cleaning will be easier. I have also been kicking around the idea of putting one of those large plastic drip pans that you put under a car in the garage to catch oil drips, guess what it will catch...

The wife is looking forward to picking up the ladies (chicks) Tuesday the 23rd of this month. I haven't seen her this excited about a hobby in years.

I gotta get going on the run next. Still trying to decide if I want to use welded wire to keep the coons out.

Someone said the hens like grass so I'm going to build a raised bed in the run where I will plant grass. I'll extend hardware cloth over the top of the bed so the grass can grow through, the ladies can stand on top and eat the tops of the grass without pulling it out by the roots or scratching it to death. The chicken poop may even help the grass grow????

 

[TBDonnelly]

Mike, If you put anymore creature comforts in the coop I'm coming over and spend a week before the chickens move in.

If you need a way to get the chicks home, this chicken tractor by 3RRL comes to mind. Forgive me if it's already been posted in this thread.

Check this out:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/1649079-post1170.html

and

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/1649289-post1178.html


Don