Chickens, and things related

[dooleysm]

I got my coop and run finished after a furious dash Thursday after work and Friday up until about 4. Then we packed up the family and headed to the auction. It was our first time there and all I can say is WOW! There were 2 huge pole barns and if you couldn't find what you wanted it was only because you didn't look hard enough.

It took a while but we ended up with 4 hens and a rooster for $30. By the time we got them home the hens had laid 2 little eggs, 1 white and 1 brown. From my inexperienced eye, it looks like there are 2 barred rock hens, maybe an 'easter egg' hen, and the other hen and rooster are I don't know what. The spent all day in the coop as it was raining here. When I checked on them a while ago they were all roosting happily and there was a single brown egg in one of the boxes.

I put 6 of my chicks out there with them for a few hours earlier today. They all pretty much stayed out of eachothers way. Only a little bit of very minor picking by the bigger hens. I think the chicks were happy to go back to the brooder though. It only got up to maybe 55 today and they are just 4 weeks old.

Yesterday morning I was putting the latch on the coop door. I got a real nice gate latch, the kind that closes on it's own when the gate slams shut. As you can probably imagine, the first time I walked in the coop after putting the latch on, the door swung shut, locking me in. Thankfully, my wife was working outside with me and let me out. I added a string leading into the coop to prevent any further incidents like that!

 

[bmac]

Perfectly clear to me. I was thinking about doing the same thing, only smaller, a 2'x4' foyer/storage area to keep a bag of feed, etc. That would also allow me to expand the coop a little down the road if I wanted. Sounds like a great plan to me. 2'x4' might be too small, I may just have to make the coop 4'x8' and a 4'x4' foyer. This is going to get expensive. Is osb exterior rated? I was trying to avoid it so as to make it look "nicer" for the neighbors, but I could build it out of osb, and then search for siding or something. Any ideas to keep this on the cheap?

Tororider,

The only OSB I'm using is on the floor and for the roof sheathing. Considered using it on the sides and then covering with another siding material, but didn't want the added expense. I got some T1-11 type stuff for the sides w/ 4" spacing between the grooves.

 

[4720 OWNER]

I really like the idea of a foyer!! Esp in this day and age could be a perfect place for a bleach boot bath for infection control. Also could be used for a single hen to make sure she is laying, isolation chamber. Good thinking!

 

[scgargoyle]

A foyer?! I'm not even sure I can afford to have one in the house I'm going to build, much less the chicken coop!

 

[4720 OWNER]

Some just call it a mud room.

If it makes life easier in the long and short run then it is worth it and if it cannot be talked about then how can we solve it.

 

[scgargoyle]

Don't get me wrong- I think it's a great idea! I learn a lot of great stuff here. It just struck my funny bone is all- I'm strange that way.

 

[bmac]

A foyer?! I'm not even sure I can afford to have one in the house I'm going to build, much less the chicken coop!

Foyer does sound a little glamorous for a chicken coop. Couldn't think of another word to describe what I'm trying to do to keep the chickens from escaping when my daughter enters the coop.

This one will cost me about six to eight 2x4s and some chicken wire.

 

[bmac]

Don't get me wrong- I think it's a great idea! I learn a lot of great stuff here. It just struck my funny bone is all- I'm strange that way.

Only time will tell if its a good idea or pure foolishness.

 

[Tororider]

JACKPOT!!

I was out at our farm today clearing some brush in preparing for planting 300 trees next weekend, and our neighbor came over. He installs steel roofing. I asked him if he ever gets big pieces of scrap that I could use to roof my coop and he said sure he could find some if I give him a little time. Nice! Then I ask if that could be used to side a building and he looks at me and asks me to take a walk with him. Turns out he has a bunch of commercial grade steel siding that he was going to use to side a barn but said I could have it. Has all the starter strips, j channel, all mine. So happy I can't believe it. Plus he says I can use it without plywood, just screw it to the frame. So I will use that, no plywood, put isocyanurate/sheet insulation and then osb on the interior.

 

[bmac]

Nice neighbor. Can't get much cheaper than free.