Hens and Roos
Herd Master
My Dh says "where are we going?" and "How much money do I need to take out of the bank?" [/QUOT
my DH just asks what he has to build now....
My Dh says "where are we going?" and "How much money do I need to take out of the bank?" [/QUOT
Love this!!@Devonviolet are you going to put a floor in the coop or a dirt floor? My coop has a dirt floor and I really like it that way. I put in bags and bags of leaves in the coop and run. They scratch them to bits, poop on them and make me lovely compost. I also toss in pea hulls, corn shucks, grass clippings, sweet potato vines, spent garden plants, anything and practically everything. What they don't eat, they compost. I dig it out to put on the garden or in a wire compost bin several times a year. I studied BYC for months before building my coop.
I started with only 2 hens and this coop, 8'x7'
View attachment 5931
Then I added a 12'x8' cow panel hoop run. (and more chickens) LOL
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@Devonviolet are you going to put a floor in the coop or a dirt floor? My coop has a dirt floor and I really like it that way. I put in bags and bags of leaves in the coop and run. They scratch them to bits, poop on them and make me lovely compost. I also toss in pea hulls, corn shucks, grass clippings, sweet potato vines, spent garden plants, anything and practically everything. What they don't eat, they compost. I dig it out to put on the garden or in a wire compost bin several times a year. I studied BYC for months before building my coop.
I started with only 2 hens and this coop, 8'x7'
View attachment 5931
Then I added a 12'x8' cow panel hoop run. (and more chickens) LOL
View attachment 5932
View attachment 5933
My coop has 12" of hardware cloth all around it at the bottom for ventilation. I just cut a 9" hole in it at the back of the coop so the girls can come and go to the run. I hog ringed 2' welded wire, laid flat on the ground, all around the coop and run. Even though we (now) live in town, we have snakes, possums, raccoons and my own dogs. They are great with the chickens, but Paris, our Great Pyrenees, was given to us because she killed chickens. It took me 2 years to turn her around, but she now is the best chicken guard ever!
I love, love, love the dirt floor. I wouldn't have it any other way. It is practically maintenance free. If you don't have enough leaves, grass, and other garden clippings to start with, just use pine shavings.
The beams for the run are up on blocks, because they aren't treated and they are what I had. I used mostly used lumber on the coop and run. BTW, keep in mind that Lowe's has a reject lumber rack. It's half price!
I did have some expert help building the run!
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