I think my chicken house is 8 x 8, it was here when we came. I think it was either for chickens or a rabbit coup. It's got a concrete floor and block walls with a stucco finish inside and out. Hubby had to put a new roof, he put metal and build a new door. I had my handy man build a new fence all around and bury my chicken wire down some.
We had a problem with the back neighbors dog getting in the yard so we put up an electric fence back there. Our dog got in it going the other way, he doesn't bother it anymore and his dog got in it coming this way, broke him for sure. So no more issues there, its not even on now.
We have problems with predators too so I bought garden netting to put all over the top. first I ran weedeater string back and forth across the top then laid the 6 or 8 ft wide netting, hard for one person to do. I then too the electrical ties and fastened the netting to the string, no more predators got my chickens. Its getting some much tree debris I'm probably going to have to take it down this winter and then redo it in the spring.
I have a brooder and hubby and I hoisted it to the ceiling but the darn chickens are up there roosting on it what a mess.
Something got one of my chickens one night before I put them up, I think it was a snake. The hen was to big to swallow or I scared it. It was dead, had slime up to the large part of the bird and the neck looked stretched. I make sure I close the door now before dark. But I also run a fan about all the time in this weather and I think it likely scared anymore snakes away.
I made nests out of those plastic coke like boxes you can buy at Big Lots in colors. I have 2 of those and then 2 more of the old milk boxes they are heavier. Hubby said they need to be up off the floor but kind of hard to nail something in blocks and stucco. He built a roost for them but they just use it to get to the ceiling. I have 2 big windows that have heavy duty fencing in them, was here 20 years ago when we bought it, its still good.
In the winter I put stryfoam up on the inside and nail plywood on the outside. When it gets in the 20's or so I hang a heat lamp in there. It's a nice coop, hubby would like to use it for other things. Also it would make a really nice dog house, but chickies have it.
Every so often I scrub it down inside with water and clorox. Then I buy the hamster bedding of pine chips, Walmarts is the cheapest. I can clean it and use about $6 or $7 worth of it 2 times. Straw got to expensive and I bought hay after that but this is better more absorbent. I put hay in the laying boxes.
At night I put a water jug inside and some feed because I'm not an early riser. I've had as many as 36 in there, when little, plenty of room when bigger just ok till I start dressing them out. Right now I have 10. I need to get out there and start dressing out again but this heat makes me keep putting it off, they are getting to big. Some are starting to lay but the eggs are awful small yet so been pitching them. I plan to only keep about 3 of them for eggs, the rest will go in the freezer.
