Ideas for chicken coops?

[MikeFLA]

The wife wants to get more serious about egg harvesting. We have just let the chickens free roam and are lucky to find a fresh egg every now and then.

I am looking for some ideas...easy to build and inexpensive home for about 5 hens. Any ideas?

We do have coyotes and neighborhood canines not to mention the occasional alligator. I was planning on putting the coop inside a 4x8 unused chain link dog kennel.

If you have pictures of yours could you post?

You know it's funny...ever since my loving wife gave me the go ahead to purchase my tractor, the honey do list gets longer and my desire to get them done for her has increased. Guilt complex? Nah!

Thanks,

 

[looch]

No experience, but do a search for "chicken tractor" (no, it's not what you think). Pete a.k.a Boondox made a few posts on the subject.

 

[Boondox]

We've used both chicken tractors and an insulated coop for our fowl. The pics aren't the best, but check out our chicken page at <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.gatewaytovermont.com/thefarm/chickens.htm>http://www.gatewaytovermont.com/thefarm/chickens.htm</A>

Pete

 

[ecard]

MikeFLA,

Here is a link to many free designs.

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/abeng/plans/POULTRY.htm>http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/abeng/plans/POULTRY.htm</A>

Hope this helps!

Eric

 

[jimmoore]

http://www.tractorbynet.com/cgi-bin...=53785&page=21&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=0&fpart=
try this for photoes of my coops

 

[Youare]

I have seen some great plans for a chicken coop in the size range you are thinking of. I just have to remember where they are. The "building" housed 6-10 chickens and was moveable to make it a self cleaning unit.

I have about 36 chickens 36 of which are laying hens. I had 70 laying hens once and quickly found out why they are called fouls.

I let the roosters free range, they are great bug and snake eaters. The hens I try to keep in because like you I loose too many eggs. I will have a place where the hens can get out to scratch in the dirt, believe it or not it makes the eggsd taste better.

A bit of triva, do you know why a chicken coop has only two doors??

If it had any more doors it would have to be called a sedan or hatchback /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[butzkeg]

I built one for 6 hens this past fall. I didn't use any plans; just winged it. I had a lot of wood left over from my house built earlier in the spring. I have yet to put any siding up on the coop, but I did put up shingles. For the fence, I just used an extra dog kennel I had. I also put another section of fence on top of the kennel to keep out the racoons.

There is no floor in the bottom, so it could be picked up and moved for cleaning. By the stench it is now emitting with the weather warming up, I'll probably have to clean it soon.

 

[MikeFLA]

Guys,

Thanks for all your ideas. I will begin to sift through all the info and build the one that best meets my needs.

Butzkeg, you reminded me about the smell. I will have to reconsider where I put it. I was planning on putting it near the house. May have to re-think that one.

 

[Jim_W]

I built one that is 8 x 14', which has worked well for up to about 15 hens. They actually got about 8x8 of that, as I put a dividing wall across so that the hens get 8x8, and the 8x6 part is used for storage of straw and feed, and other junk.
In the attached picture the hinged flap (which is in the storage area) has hardware cloth underneath. We prop it open for ventilation in the summer.
Also, the door-within-a-door thing worked out well. The bigger size is good for taking in rototillers and lawnmowers etc but for day-to-day use the small one is great for just walking through.
The other thing I would highly recommend is to build it bigger than you think you need.
Jim W.

 

[Egon]

Who's the lucky person that gets to clean out the Hen House on a cold winter day ?

Egon