Chickens

Originally posted by Sunburnt
For any of you that are interested, I've been working on the coop with my kids and we have improved it. This coop is pretty old and I think the owner had used scrap wood. I don't mind - I didn't want to spend a lot on a fancy coop and did NOT want to buy wood so I used my own scrap wood and leftovers to patch it up. It was very loose. I have reinforced an see the album there.

Anybody else interested:

http://photobucket.com/Sunburnt_photos

I hate to tell you this, but that's NOT a chicken coop. That is a rabbit hutch. 😀

Originally posted by Sunburnt
UGH, NO. But rest assured, there will be a chicken named after somebody on this site. 😛

The old Red rooster himself I presume.

Originally posted by cashthetrash
I hate to tell you this, but that's NOT a chicken coop. That is a rabbit hutch. 😀

Did you read my first post on here? I KNOW it's a rabbit hutch but chickens will go in it and they won't notice a thing. 😛

Originally posted by Sunburnt
Did you read my first post on here? I KNOW it's a rabbit hutch but chickens will go in it and they won't notice a thing. 😛

...but don't be surprised if they start laying brightly colored eggs.... 😵

Originally posted by leisurelysloth
...but don't be surprised if they start laying brightly colored eggs.... 😵

Chocolate ones too 🙂

Originally posted by Sunburnt
UGH, NO. But rest assured, there will be a chicken named after somebody on this site. 😛

"Hey kids, we're having Uzless for dinner".

Originally posted by Sunburnt
Did you read my first post on here? I KNOW it's a rabbit hutch but chickens will go in it and they won't notice a thing. 😛

If I were a chicken I wouldn't go in there...you'd have to make me. And I would chase you around with my pecker.

Originally posted by Sunburnt
For any of you that are interested, I've been working on the coop with my kids and we have improved it. This coop is pretty old and I think the owner had used scrap wood. I don't mind - I didn't want to spend a lot on a fancy coop and did NOT want to buy wood so I used my own scrap wood and leftovers to patch it up. It was very loose. I have reinforced an ...[text shortened]... see the album there.

Anybody else interested:

http://photobucket.com/Sunburnt_photos

It looks alot better then before.
But you didnt stick to your original (awesome engerneering) plan on that paper did you? It looked like there was going to be a hole in the coop, with a ramp attached. But you patched the hole (BOOM, piece of wood over it; done😛) and placed a ramp against the front of the coop? I dont know much about chickens but it looks rather stile?

And looking at the space you got, your dog may bark there lol

Originally posted by cashthetrash
If I were a chicken I wouldn't go in there...you'd have to make me. And I would chase you around with my pecker.

what's all this 'if' talk about? 😛

Originally posted by trev33
what's all this 'if' talk about? 😛

Pssst...he doesn't really have a pecker...

Originally posted by Sunburnt
I've been thinking of owning a few chickens for years. I have read about 6 books, spent hours online and gawked at chicks with my kids at the feed stores around here for 4 years straight. I have no idea why I am so partial to chickens. I love the idea of having a chicken coop, chickens to name, and fresh eggs. I love building things, too.


Is that weird? Who owns chickens? 😠 CONFESS!!!!

Fresh eggs taste far, far better than shop eggs.

Originally posted by zozozozo
It looks alot better then before.
But you didnt stick to your original (awesome engerneering) plan on that paper did you? It looked like there was going to be a hole in the coop, with a ramp attached. But you patched the hole (BOOM, piece of wood over it; done😛) and placed a ramp against the front of the coop? I dont know much about chickens but it looks rather stile?

And looking at the space you got, your dog may bark there lol

There was already a hole in it. I thought originally I might use it for their exit but it just didn't turn out to make sense. Instead, I will fashion the front door (one side) for their exit. I need to patch the bottom too, where that hole is.

Chickens don't give a **** where they live. Simple creatures. Some folks around here have very fancy coops and some have them living in old doghouses, outhouses, crates, etc..

I think mine is pretty nice 🙂. If this works out, I'm sure next year I will buy a much better coop. For now, it makes sense to keep costs down.

My dog is far from the coop. She would kill a chicken in short order.

Originally posted by Natsia
"Hey kids, we're having Uzless for dinner".

Hens are girls (I think Uzless is a boy....I think). 😛

Originally posted by Sunburnt
Hens are girls (I think Uzless is a boy....I think). 😛

certainly not a man.

Originally posted by Sunburnt
I've been thinking of owning a few chickens for years. I have read about 6 books, spent hours online and gawked at chicks with my kids at the feed stores around here for 4 years straight. I have no idea why I am so partial to chickens. I love the idea of having a chicken coop, chickens to name, and fresh eggs. I love building things, too.


Is that weird? Who owns chickens? 😠 CONFESS!!!!

You know, usually I wouldnt agree with you but in this case I do.

If you are planning on getting some I have some suggestions to help out.

1. Buy an incubator and raise your hens from chicks. Firstly this is nice, cause everybody likes a few chickies running around the place (although you may well find their cheeping will wear thin if you make the mistake of keeping them in your bedroom - they wake up very early!) and secondly they will always associate you as being part of their family so will be much more friendly then ordinary hens, which tend to flee in panic whenever you go anywhere near them.

2. Build a secure pen for them, foxes will kill a whole henhouse if they get the chance so you want to be sure there is no way anthing can get in - plus you probably have bigger and badder vermin then foxes lurking around america, so make sure it is extra strong.
Also, regarding the house, if you buy one with a little fenced off area it will allow the hens to have a bit of a walk around without you being tied down to having to let them out every day.

3. When you get your hens, dont immediately release them - hens with no established territory will quite likely run away. Instead, keep them locked in a small enclosure for a day or two so that they know that the only place they are allowed to live is the garden they can see.

4. They need feeding twice a day (or once, if you have a large feeding bowl, but if you do this there is a good chance the greedy hens will eat it all) and a constant supply of water - you wont see them drinking very often but they do, and get quite thirsty if there is nothing available.

5. This is one of the most important, if you are planning to keep them for eggs - never allow them to build up a large clutch of eggs or they will go broody (the hen will sit on the eggs and try and hatch them) and you will not be able to snap them out of it for about three weeks - meaning no eggs from that hen, plus it also will drive the other hens away from the nesting boxes and they will go laying their eggs all over the garden and quite possibly end up going broody out in the open (which usually ends up with them being eaten).

There is my little guide to hens, hope you enjoy yours.