davitk
Platinum Member
I think you'd better hurry up and get a coup built!!
Good looking chicks
Good looking chicks
Chickens, and things related
- Thread starter Tororider
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OP
Tororider
Veteran Member
I will be sketching out plans tonight and then spending the next couple weeks building it.
The coop in the garage idea was nixed by my DW, but I am going to attempt a hail mary on that tomorrow, but I have little hope.
My new coop/run idea is for an overall footprint of 4'x12'x6' high. I will creat it in three sections. One will be a 4'x6' run only. The second will be a 4'x6' run with a platform that is 4'x5' and raised 2' off the ground. The third will be the coop that will be 4'x5'x 4' high that will be the coop. We will see how it goes. I will definitely be posting pictures.
The coop in the garage idea was nixed by my DW, but I am going to attempt a hail mary on that tomorrow, but I have little hope.
My new coop/run idea is for an overall footprint of 4'x12'x6' high. I will creat it in three sections. One will be a 4'x6' run only. The second will be a 4'x6' run with a platform that is 4'x5' and raised 2' off the ground. The third will be the coop that will be 4'x5'x 4' high that will be the coop. We will see how it goes. I will definitely be posting pictures.
EddieWalker
Epic Contributor
Congratulations!! Your a chicken daddy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL
Eddie
Eddie
tony123
Platinum Member
EddieWalker said:
Yeah, where's the cigars?
Hope you don't mind me saying, but I don't mind you being a few steps ahead of me. I can pick your brain now.
I still have this darn out of town trip in mid April that is causing me to mess up my chicken schedule. I hope to get some the first week after that trip.
How old are those? where are you keeping the brooder temp at? they are likely weened from 90-95 degrees already?
OP
Tororider
Veteran Member
Cigars are in the mail, but don't hold your breath on those, hehe.
Yeah, I figured this way I am closer to eggs. They were hatched in the middle of January so they are probably almost 8 weeks old, give or take. I cheated I guess, I don't have to stress out about the temps so much, but right now its at about 70 and they seem happy. I have them in the basement though as it is so cold here at night still. They are all feathered out, so I am sure if I kept the heat lamp on them out there they would be fine, but my wife seems to be fine with them in the basement so I will keep them there for now.
I have to get my butt moving on a coop now. I put all the sketches together last night. If I have time to scan them I will post them for review. I found a guy nearby who has insulated panels, plywood sandwiched around 2" of foam insulation that I may check out to see if will work for the exterior of the coop. I think that would be quicker and easier than framing out walls and insulating them. I will let you know.
Yeah, I figured this way I am closer to eggs. They were hatched in the middle of January so they are probably almost 8 weeks old, give or take. I cheated I guess, I don't have to stress out about the temps so much, but right now its at about 70 and they seem happy. I have them in the basement though as it is so cold here at night still. They are all feathered out, so I am sure if I kept the heat lamp on them out there they would be fine, but my wife seems to be fine with them in the basement so I will keep them there for now.
I have to get my butt moving on a coop now. I put all the sketches together last night. If I have time to scan them I will post them for review. I found a guy nearby who has insulated panels, plywood sandwiched around 2" of foam insulation that I may check out to see if will work for the exterior of the coop. I think that would be quicker and easier than framing out walls and insulating them. I will let you know.
dooleysm
Platinum Member
I keep reading how you have to insulate chicken coops to keep them warm in the winter. But, my wife's grandpa has about 70 chickens in a big coop with no insulation, just metal siding. My cousin has a smaller coop, maybe 8x10 with about a dozen chickens that he didn't insulate and his chickens are still alive. This is southern Indiana though, so we don't get quite as cold as Michigan. We have some overnight lows in the single digits, maybe a week or two worth in a season. Maybe a day or two per season it stays in the single digits for a whole day, but that's pretty infrequent.
I'm gonna try my 6x9 coop with no insulation, and plan on keeping about a dozen hens over the winter. If I end up with hensicles next winter, I'll try again next year with some insulation.
I'm gonna try my 6x9 coop with no insulation, and plan on keeping about a dozen hens over the winter. If I end up with hensicles next winter, I'll try again next year with some insulation.
OP
Tororider
Veteran Member
Yeah, you are probably warmer, although I am sure they would make it here, I just figure the more comfortable they are, the more likely they are to keep laying. From what I have read the most important thing is making sure there are no drafts, it can be cold, but just keep the wind and drafts off them.
This winter has been nasty, and I figure if I can get these panels it will make life easier anyways. I figure if I am going to have to frame out walls I may as well insulate them, and these panels should(if they work) make things really easy. Just cut to size and be done with it.
This winter has been nasty, and I figure if I can get these panels it will make life easier anyways. I figure if I am going to have to frame out walls I may as well insulate them, and these panels should(if they work) make things really easy. Just cut to size and be done with it.
OP
Tororider
Veteran Member
Well the chicken eggsperts(couldn't help myself) on the other forum seem to think I got all pullets, which makes me happy obviously. Here are a few more pics.
OP
Tororider
Veteran Member
Anybody know how to load a google sketchup file to photobucket? I was fooling with an idea and wanted to load it for review.
3RRL
Super Member
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I don't know of an easy way to do it, but on my CAD program I can copy to clipboard and paste into "Paint". Then save that file as a bitmap image (bmp file). Photobucket takes those files.
