Need advice on chicken coop

[Hamiam]

They mellow a lot when they start laying. Mine never like getting picked up. I do handle mine a little each day too. Makes adult health checks easier.

I have a cockerel in my lot of chicks this year. even at just 5 weeks he is acting up. He would be an ornery too given what I am seeing already.


The males are easy to spot early on.

I hope all my Aussies are females. Only a few are starting to get their Fluffy butt feathers. Time will tell. I think mine are around 5 weeks also, but I'm just guessing. (they didn't tell me at the feed store). I'll try to take a picture of a few today to show you. If you get a chance, can you post a pic of your Cockerel? Ttyl

 

[ddschicks]

I think that having hardware cloth over the cage will be enough to keep out coons. I had regular chicken wire over my chain-link cage and nothing bothered them for years until one seemed to pull up the edge where we had not attached it well enough. If you are sure to attach the wire securely, and you use hardware cloth rather than chicken wire you should be golden. Then you can have the roost wherever you want

 

[Hamiam]

I think that having hardware cloth over the cage will be enough to keep out coons. I had regular chicken wire over my chain-link cage and nothing bothered them for years until one seemed to pull up the edge where we had not attached it well enough. If you are sure to attach the wire securely, and you use hardware cloth rather than chicken wire you should be golden. Then you can have the roost wherever you want

Thanks ddschicks! My husband is complaining about it. He said a it already looks like a jail. To me, security is more important than looks. I can't wait to hear what he says about the Fort Knox that I want built to contain my future goats!

 

[21hens-incharge]

They get combs early if they are boys. Mine has a comb 2 to 3 times the size of the birds in your pics. I think yours are right around 5 weeks in your pics. The pics you posted are for sure girls.
I will have to dig out the camera and then get on the desktop computer to try and get a pic of the little jerkface posted. Yes he already is a jerk..... To my dark Brahma chick of course. That will not go well for him as I rather like my Gretchen.
Now I have raised quite a few Aussies and can usually spot a male by 3 weeks.

 

[Hamiam]

They get combs early if they are boys. Mine has a comb 2 to 3 times the size of the birds in your pics. I think yours are right around 5 weeks in your pics. The pics you posted are for sure girls.
I will have to dig out the camera and then get on the desktop computer to try and get a pic of the little jerkface posted. Yes he already is a jerk..... To my dark Brahma chick of course. That will not go well for him as I rather like my Gretchen.
Now I have raised quite a few Aussies and can usually spot a male by 3 weeks.

Then all of mine are Female. They all look the same except for some growing more fluffy feathers on their butts than others. I tried to take a picture earlier today but they wouldn't stand still. Very uncooperative bunch! Or maybe just camera shy.
Just got back from the hardware store, better help hubby put the hardware cloth on. Ttyl

 

[RonC]

You should like the red Sexlinks. Mine were very friendly and good layers. I'd just securely attach hardware cloth to cover the area near the roosts and possibly around the bottom to keep coons from reaching in. And howdy from a DFW neighbor, northeast Dallas area.

 

[Hamiam]

You should like the red Sexlinks. Mine were very friendly and good layers. I'd just securely attach hardware cloth to cover the area near the roosts and possibly around the bottom to keep coons from reaching in. And howdy from a DFW neighbor, northeast Dallas area.

Hi neighbor, we live in Cottondale (since Cottondale is too small to have a post office, we have a Paradise address). So far the Sexlinks are the friendliest. The Australorps are my "girls gone wild"! Thanks for the advise.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I live in Texas also, in the summer your chicken will appreciate the extra ventilation. I put my perch above the nesting boxes so that nothing could reach in.
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@eggbert420
It looks like you have chicken wire on yours. A raccoon can take it's hands and rip it right open whether you have them up above it or not. So just a word of caution, I'd use hardware cloth rather than the chicken wire.

 

[Hamiam]

Update: hardware cloth installed. We used 3 foot all around. The back door & side door completely covered. Not sure if we will change the roosting bars but for now, it should do. I put them inside for a few hours today but it will be too cold tonight without the removable side panels we're still making. I also plan on putting pine shavings on top of the very, very, heavy rubber floor mats. I hope that we don't have to put the hardware cloth over the floor when they get bigger,I know that the poo will stick to it & plug it up. If the hens roost & the chicken tractor is surrounded by electric netting, surely no coon could reach them. First picture shows what the floor is made of under the mats.Its hard to tell in the picture but it is 1" deep metal bars. Next we work on the feeder, water systems & nesting boxes.

 

[21hens-incharge]

You may end up putting some painted plywood on those bars. It looks like that could be the hard part to clean. I am not sure of the spacing on the bars BUT I had a hen have as freak accident. She got a single toe caught in the only exposed slot on my mental brackets that hold my roosts. She flailed and nearly lost the toe if not her life. I was home and heard the chaos so was quick tho be able to rescue.

The board has been replaced and covers that danger spot.

A painted piece of plywood could be made to be removable for replacement or hosing off. I say painted since mine painted with porch paint are still holding up to weekly scrapings after I scoop out the shavings.