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 Blond Bombshell..
Posts: 6628
    
Location: Hill Country of TEXAS!! | Does anyone have chickens? Im looking into getting 6 to roam around the barn and surrounding areas in the spring. Im looking into building a coop for 6 with a run. Any ideas or tips for the coop building? Tips on chickens would be great too! Thanks :) |
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 Expert
Posts: 1392
Location: Central Texas | You will definatly need a roost for them at night. Something solid that you can lock them up in so predators can not get them. Tip: chicken wire will not stop raccoons from getting in and killing your chickens. During the day my chickens are fine out cruising around but at night I lock them in a roost that is in a converted stall with a solid door and concrete footings two foot down. I pretty much have chicken fort knox. I got tired of waking up to holes ripped in the wire or holes dug under the sides and dead chickens. All of my chickens have names and personalities. I have Rhode Island Reds, production red, Amercauna, Salmon Favarolle, Swedish Flower, and Sussex.
I built the roost with a poop board that slides out kinda like the dog kennel pans for easy cleaning.
Not sure what all you want to know???
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | You can google Plans for building chicken coops and all kinds pop up are you can buy a book at Tractor supples on building coops. My chickens stay in a dog kennel that we built for my dogs when we first moved up here, and they have free range during the day and locked up at night.
Edit to ad here: I have Rhode Island reds brown egg layers, Amercauna's lay the bluesh color eggs, I like the brown eggs and colored eggs, they are really cool to have.
Edited by Southtxponygirl 2016-01-04 10:02 AM
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 Serious Snap Trapper
Posts: 4275
Location: In The Snow, AZ | Pinterest also has an endless supply of cool plans and tips. Love my chiggins. They are so fun and personable. I have 18 and they all come running when they see me. Just make sure when you go to build a coop, that it is big enough for the amount of chickens you have. Otherwise they will start plucking each other. |
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 Shoot Yeah
Posts: 4273
Location: Where you need a paddle... Oregon! | Backyard chickens.com has some good info as does Pinterest. I also used a converted stall and they were locked up at night.
I like Rhode Island Reds, Barred Rocks, and Buff Orpingtons. There's a black one that I like a lot too, but I can't remember what they're called. Their black feathers get a green sheen to them. Great layers and super hearty in cold temps.
Edited by Lady 2016-01-04 10:18 AM
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Meanest Teacher!!!
Posts: 8552
Location: sunny california | I used multiple dog kennel panels but not chain link. preditors and can get through that. first we scraped down about a foot of dirt and layed down thick wire like 1x2 inch holes. then put the side panels up and used zip ties to attach along the bottom a lot not just every once and a while. then the dirt went back in. we also bought the tarp cover with frame for the top but we lined it with the same wire as the bottom then put the cover on half. attached it to the chicken barn on one side so it is one big chicken cage. |
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Blond Bombshell..
Posts: 6628
Location: Hill Country of TEXAS!! | Yall are awesome! I have chainlink dog kennel panles left over from the house we bought. Can i lay chicken wire inside of that and use for a pen that would be attached to the coop? I have all kinds of questions about chickens :) Ive never been able to have them until now. So any info is welcomed!! Feel free to post pics of your set ups and your chickens! :) |
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Blond Bombshell..
Posts: 6628
Location: Hill Country of TEXAS!! | kwanatha - 2016-01-04 9:25 AM I used multiple dog kennel panels but not chain link. preditors and can get through that. first we scraped down about a foot of dirt and layed down thick wire like 1x2 inch holes. then put the side panels up and used zip ties to attach along the bottom a lot not just every once and a while. then the dirt went back in. we also bought the tarp cover with frame for the top but we lined it with the same wire as the bottom then put the cover on half. attached it to the chicken barn on one side so it is one big chicken cage.
I like your idea of wire on the bottom and attaching it to the side panels. I was looking at coops and set ups wondering why none of those had this type of flooring since predators will dig. |
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Serious Snap Trapper
Posts: 4275
Location: In The Snow, AZ | I use the prefab chainlink panels. I haven't had to lay wire on the bottom. We have skunk, porcupine, raccoon, coyote, etc. haven't had any issue at all. Maybe I've just been lucky. |
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 Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9991
Location: Kansas | I thought this one was pretty neat
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Meanest Teacher!!!
Posts: 8552
Location: sunny california | Dash4KJ - 2016-01-04 8:44 AM Yall are awesome! I have chainlink dog kennel panles left over from the house we bought. Can i lay chicken wire inside of that and use for a pen that would be attached to the coop? I have all kinds of questions about chickens :) Ive never been able to have them until now. So any info is welcomed!! Feel free to post pics of your set ups and your chickens! :)
i have seen chain link that was stretched apart by raccoons and entire flock was killed |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1100
Location: Southeastern Idaho | One thing to note, make sure you have plenty of room for the girls to stretch and get around. Too many chickens in close quarters will cause bad habits and nasty behavior towards each other. Those cute little coops I see at the farm/ranch stores make me cringe...so tiny!
I converted an old building that we already had on the ranch, put in roost poles and nesting boxes and attached a large covered run ( we have a racoon problem). You can go to http://www.backyardchickens.com/ and check out all the coop plans. That was the site that I really studied when getting into chickens 8 years ago. Love my Australorps, Production Reds, and Easter Eggers for our cold weather. |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | kwanatha - 2016-01-04 11:49 AM Dash4KJ - 2016-01-04 8:44 AM Yall are awesome! I have chainlink dog kennel panles left over from the house we bought. Can i lay chicken wire inside of that and use for a pen that would be attached to the coop? I have all kinds of questions about chickens :) Ive never been able to have them until now. So any info is welcomed!! Feel free to post pics of your set ups and your chickens! :) i have seen chain link that was stretched apart by raccoons and entire flock was killed
Hubby made the dog kennel out of the small squares panels like you see cattle panels but the real small squares and have a cement floor in part of it. But sometimes this summer hes going to build a different coop to make it look like a rustic little house.
Edited by Southtxponygirl 2016-01-04 12:35 PM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1100
Location: Southeastern Idaho | Dash4KJ - 2016-01-04 9:44 AM
Yall are awesome! I have chainlink dog kennel panles left over from the house we bought. Can i lay chicken wire inside of that and use for a pen that would be attached to the coop? I have all kinds of questions about chickens :) Ive never been able to have them until now. So any info is welcomed!! Feel free to post pics of your set ups and your chickens! :)
If you have weasels, skunks, racoons, and dogs in the area make sure you bury your yard chicken wire about 6-8 inches on the perimeter to prevent these guys from digging into your chicken yard. Cover the top as well. I did this and have had no break ins over the years. And they have tried. :) |
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Meanest Teacher!!!
Posts: 8552
Location: sunny california | Southtxponygirl - 2016-01-04 10:33 AM kwanatha - 2016-01-04 11:49 AM Dash4KJ - 2016-01-04 8:44 AM Yall are awesome! I have chainlink dog kennel panles left over from the house we bought. Can i lay chicken wire inside of that and use for a pen that would be attached to the coop? I have all kinds of questions about chickens :) Ive never been able to have them until now. So any info is welcomed!! Feel free to post pics of your set ups and your chickens! :) i have seen chain link that was stretched apart by raccoons and entire flock was killed
Hubby made the dog kennel out of the small squares panels like you see cattle panels but the real small squares and have a cement floor in part of it. But sometimes this summer hes going to build a different coop to make it look like a rustic little house.
they only need to get their arms through. sometimes the chickens get close enough and the racoon grabs by neck adn tried to pull them through. poor chickes loose their heads :( |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | kwanatha - 2016-01-04 12:42 PM Southtxponygirl - 2016-01-04 10:33 AM kwanatha - 2016-01-04 11:49 AM Dash4KJ - 2016-01-04 8:44 AM Yall are awesome! I have chainlink dog kennel panles left over from the house we bought. Can i lay chicken wire inside of that and use for a pen that would be attached to the coop? I have all kinds of questions about chickens :) Ive never been able to have them until now. So any info is welcomed!! Feel free to post pics of your set ups and your chickens! :) i have seen chain link that was stretched apart by raccoons and entire flock was killed
Hubby made the dog kennel out of the small squares panels like you see cattle panels but the real small squares and have a cement floor in part of it. But sometimes this summer hes going to build a different coop to make it look like a rustic little house.
Yep the coons will reach threw, thats why the roost is away from the wire out of the reach of tiny little hands that coons have, lol
I let my chickens out first thing in the mornings and they are all over the the place out here, the only thing I have to worry about is the hawks, I have dogs so they pretty much get the hunger beasts away, we have so many coyotes running threw the night out here that the coons dont come around very much. I do have coons that come into my hay barn and eat all my cat food.. Dang it.. |
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Blond Bombshell..
Posts: 6628
Location: Hill Country of TEXAS!! | The only thing we have around here are neighbors wondering dogs and a wondering cat. Are there any pre built housing yall would recommend? TSC reviews say they are absolute junk which i figured. I looked into amazon and found one but im open to other places and still thinking about DIY. |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Dash4KJ - 2016-01-04 1:02 PM The only thing we have around here are neighbors wondering dogs and a wondering cat. Are there any pre built housing yall would recommend? TSC reviews say they are absolute junk which i figured. I looked into amazon and found one but im open to other places and still thinking about DIY.
Call D&D here in Seguin I noticed that they had some in front of their feed store, I never looked at them myself, but from the parking lot they looked pretty neat. |
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Blond Bombshell..
Posts: 6628
Location: Hill Country of TEXAS!! | Southtxponygirl - 2016-01-04 12:06 PM Dash4KJ - 2016-01-04 1:02 PM The only thing we have around here are neighbors wondering dogs and a wondering cat. Are there any pre built housing yall would recommend? TSC reviews say they are absolute junk which i figured. I looked into amazon and found one but im open to other places and still thinking about DIY. Call D&D here in Seguin I noticed that they had some in front of their feed store, I never looked at them myself, but from the parking lot they looked pretty neat.
Edited by Dash4KJ 2016-01-04 2:06 PM
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Dash4KJ - 2016-01-04 1:42 PM Southtxponygirl - 2016-01-04 12:06 PM Dash4KJ - 2016-01-04 1:02 PM The only thing we have around here are neighbors wondering dogs and a wondering cat. Are there any pre built housing yall would recommend? TSC reviews say they are absolute junk which i figured. I looked into amazon and found one but im open to other places and still thinking about DIY. Call D&D here in Seguin I noticed that they had some in front of their feed store, I never looked at them myself, but from the parking lot they looked pretty neat.
How big does it need to be to house 6 full sized hens?
Here is my ameatuer question! lol I read up and it says they dont need very many nexting boxes since they tend to share one or two. If you lock them up in the house at night, where do the other sleep if you only have 2-3 boxes? Do the others sleep on the floor since it will have shavings?
They like to roost like birds up in a tree, so you need to have a place for them to roost up off the ground. Mine do share boxes to lay in so I only have one in the older hens pen and I will be putting two in the younger hens pen when they start to lay. They wont sleep in the boxes are floor they like to be up, my older hens sleep on top of a old dog house that I put in with them to get in if they wanted to, but the roof of the dog house for the older ones. The younger ones like to sleep/roost on the bars at the top of their pen. So they like to be up off the ground. |
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