Creating my Slightly Different Chicken Coop

[ustmd]

Eddie,

Please be aware that you are not helping me in the "Chicken discussion" with my wife.

 

[sld]

The angles starting from the ones going straight up, then 22.5 degrees, then 10 degrees. As of right now, there is a single 3 inch screw holding the two together at 22.5 degrees. When the rains end, I will be cutting and gluing and screwing a full sheet of OSB to the side of each wall section. There are seven of them. Once that is done, I'll start framing up in between each wall section with a more skeletal frame. I'm debating between metal fasteners to hold it together, or gusseting it with OSB on either side.

The treated 4x4 posts are 3 feet in the ground and the overhang is 16 inches. That overhang will be where the nesting boxes are. Then the rest will of the room will have a perch for them to sleep, and for us to easily catch them when they are asleep.

Now I see. I would think making gussets from OSB scraps would be a very good way to keep those together. One side screwed (or nailed) and glued would be more than sufficient.

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

Eddie,

Please be aware that you are not helping me in the "Chicken discussion" with my wife.

Do chickens, not ducks. You have been warned!

 

[bindian]

Do chickens, not ducks. You have been warned!

What is wrong with having ducks?
hugs, Brandi

 

[bindian]

Eddie, have you ever heard of the word "conventional"? :laughing: Just kidding, keep it up, we all enjoy your "out of the box" construction projects.

Lee,
You are so right on Eddie going over the top with unconventional projects. I love all of it!

hugs, Brandi

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

View attachment 477766
What is wrong with having ducks?
hugs, Brandi

Not to derail and by no means an expert but... I call ours the world's dummest sh*t machines.

They must produce more feces per pound of body weight than any other animal in existence. Big juicy turds and loose puddles all over everywhere. One duck = 5-8 chickens' excrement "load."
Then there is the apparent lack of either instinct or intelect. It's beyond me how anything can make chickens look smart but they do.
Pekings are my only experience.

 

[bindian]

Not to derail and by no means an expert but... I call ours the world's dummest sh*t machines.

They must produce more feces per pound of body weight than any other animal in existence. Big juicy turds and loose puddles all over everywhere. One duck = 5-8 chickens' excrement "load."
Then there is the apparent lack of either instinct or intelect. It's beyond me how anything can make chickens look smart but they do.
Pekings are my only experience.

I only raise Mallards. Pekins are breed for meat, not brains. My mallards can be fooled, but only once. My friend and renter started feeding my ducks while I am on cructhers. Now, the youngsters that can fly over the fence to the pond in my yard, walk over to his trailer's door and quack............before feeding time...........wanting him to come feed them. They poo alot.............but having a big pond helps. I won't swim in that pond.

.............and here I always thought turkeys were the dumbest.
hugs, Brandi

 

[EddieWalker]

Most of my ducks are Khaki Campbells, but we also have 7 swan geese and a half dozen or so other types of ducks. It's hard to count them, but I would guess we have about 25 ducks. They are fun to watch, but the biggest benefit is that they never stop eating bugs. They are in the same pasture as our five horses, three goats and one pig. They spend more time out in the grass tearing apart horse poo then anything else. There is something in there that they just love, and we've noticed a HUGE decrease in flies this year. Last year we had less then ten ducks. More ducks means fewer bugs!!!!!

 

[EddieWalker]

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

I'm guessing you don't coop them at night.

 

[EddieWalker]

No, there is 3 lines of hot wire attached to the vinyl fence to keep out coyotes and racoons. They all sleep in the horse stall with all the other animals. Chickens and guineas are on the railing, ducks and geese are on the ground

 

[bindian]

They spend more time out in the grass tearing apart horse poo then anything else. There is something in there that they just love, and we've noticed a HUGE decrease in flies this year.

That is so true. They love all bugs. They can catch mosquitoes also, if the mosquitoes fly low enough. I just feed mine to keep them close. The ducks and mosquito fish give me no bites. I like it.

Luke,
My ducks all stay on the pond. Some nights on the island. I have lost a few to a chicken hawk that always shows up when I am not home or sleeping. I am really wanting him to meet some lead.
hugs, Brandi

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

Without significant fortifications the bear, fisher cats, and coywolves would make short work of my fowl (my coop is very very sturdy).
Even then... two of my neighbors have had builing torn appart (one coop and one "trash shed") this year as the blueberries did not produce well.

 

[bindian]

Without significant fortifications the bear, fisher cats, and coywolves would make short work of my fowl (my coop is very very sturdy).
Even then... two of my neighbors have had builing torn appart (one coop and one "trash shed") this year as the blueberries did not produce well.

Wow. Tell you neighbor to put blueberries outside his coop and trash shed.
hugs, Brandi

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

I think one just got permission from Fish and Game to "deal" with the problem.

 

[jdzaya]

Hey Eddie, any updates on your chicken coop?

 

[rox]

Eddie, you must be pert near finished by now, right? (see I'm talking Texan "pert")

 

[EddieWalker]

Thanks for asking, but too many distractions and thunder storms have delayed me. I haven't touched it since my last post.

 

[Bearsixty7]

Any pictures of the finished project?