stealth chicken coop (with pictures)

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - stealth chicken coop (with pictures)

Posted: 3/25/2009 8:32:54 AM EDT

we just got are 4-5 week old chicks out in the coop. the coop is 4x8 and about 3 1/2 feet tall. the fenced in place were they can run around outside there run is about 10x20 they will also be out in the yard during theday when we are home. it took a lot longer then we hoped. i had arm surgery 5 weeks ago so doing most of the building one handed. the wife and kids also helped a lot. she would hold the boards to be screwed in. are 4 year old girl helped paint it (and my boots) older boys helped move some lumber and hold stuff. it came out ok. things did not line up a lot of the time and the ground is not leave were it is. but all in all it works out.

what do u all think?

ryan

Posted: 3/25/2009 8:36:53 AM EDT

[#1]

forgot the chickens are black australorp. i think it was in the 30s they set the record for most eggs in a year. one bird laid 364 eggs in a year. pretty good i think. we have a total of 8 of them. they can also be used for meat when they get bigger.

stuck

Posted: 3/25/2009 1:54:14 PM EDT

[#2]

Thats a nice setup. Do you think the smell will be bad in the summer?

Posted: 3/25/2009 2:21:42 PM EDT

[#3]

Nice idea

Only thing I see is that is going to be a pain to keep cleaned and getting the food and water to them.

Posted: 3/25/2009 2:22:16 PM EDT

[#4]

i dont think it will be bad. we put a lot of shavings down. so the chickens will move it around then we will put more on top as needed. then empty it every month or two. people say it keeps the smell down a lot. the wife is a clean freak and is always down there looking and cleaning stuff. we had them in the living room for 4 weeks with no smell. she does good keeping things clean

stuck

Posted: 3/25/2009 5:00:06 PM EDT

[#5]

looks like a pretty neat idea to me. I have 3 black australorps that are 4 months old, and already started laying. They are a good breed to have.

Posted: 3/26/2009 10:28:11 AM EDT

[#6]

looks good.

Mrs. bronz is trying to talk me into starting chickens but I not ready for the work.

Posted: 3/26/2009 3:33:21 PM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:

what do u all think?

That's pretty neat. Kudoes for figuring out how to use an otherwise unused space.

You may want to figure out how to put nest boxes in so you can collect eggs without having to crawl under the porch.

Also, cull any roosters you end up with pretty quick....you don't want a rooster that close to your living space.

Posted: 3/26/2009 8:25:35 PM EDT

[#8]

I would plan to install a fan drawing the air through that lattice and out one side.

For real.

Baby chicks don't smell. Adult chicken poop STINKS.

I mean.....it's the worst smell ever––almost worse than pigs––when it builds up.

Keeping deep bedding in there will help, but some air flow through there will save your sanity and your noses.

BTW, those are cuties. I never saw that breed before.

Good luck with the chicks. I love baby chicks.

Heck, I just like chickens. Weird.

I know.

Kitties

Posted: 3/26/2009 8:44:23 PM EDT

[#9]

Cool. My cage is outside and has a nice blue cammo tarp on the top. I have 9 babies running loose in my back yard right now, dont know the breed but they are stumpy and have feathers on the feet. The poop will stink, ive had at the most 13 always loose years ago and in the cages it was really smelly. Im just glad my dog is scared of the mom, she kicks his butt all the way back to the house if he gets to close to them.

Posted: 3/26/2009 8:56:55 PM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:

Cool. My cage is outside and has a nice blue cammo tarp on the top. I have 9 babies running loose in my back yard right now, dont know the breed but they are stumpy and have feathers on the feet. The poop will stink, ive had at the most 13 always loose years ago and in the cages it was really smelly. Im just glad my dog is scared of the mom, she kicks his butt all the way back to the house if he gets to close to them.

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o56/mikegigabyte/Chickens/IMG_0010.jpg

OH, what CUTIES! You guys are making me miss my chickens something awful.

I might have to get a few this spring if UXB will help me get the coop and pen in order. It's a mess.

A mama hen is a thing to be reckoned with.

Good for her. Kick that dog right in the tail.

Posted: 3/26/2009 9:12:00 PM EDT

[#11]

I think the chicks are 2 weeks old and she will still plop down in the middle of the yard and all the chicks will try to fit under her to rest, it looks really funny when they start coming out of her, like clowns from a tiny car.

Posted: 3/26/2009 9:14:59 PM EDT

[#12]

feathers on teh feet means a type of bantam

Posted: 3/26/2009 9:42:21 PM EDT

[#13]

wow posts are magical around here. They just vanish.

Posted: 3/26/2009 9:44:13 PM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:
feathers on teh feet means a type of bantam

Not all bantams have feathered feet and not all feather footed chickend are bantams....

Posted: 3/27/2009 9:05:58 AM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:

Quoted:

feathers on teh feet means a type of bantam

Not all bantams have feathered feet and not all feather footed chickend are bantams....

Correct. A bantam is a smaller-size chicken. Thus the term bantam-weight boxer. Or as my folks called 'em...bainties.

"Ever been flogged by a bainty rooster?" my grandpa would say as we walked to the barn, making me worry that I was about to be.

Kitties

Posted: 3/27/2009 11:11:40 AM EDT

[#16]

I like the concept. Very cool idea.

The wood lathe will not keep out coyotes, dogs, possums or raccons though. Or snakes. It will protect your chickens from hawks though.

You'll have to really muck it out pretty regularly so it doesn't begin to stink too badly. You could start a compost pile and put in the chicken crap with your lawn clippings...

I want to get some Australorps too, and will have to do this on the down-low as well since since chickens are a no no in my town. I'll modify my shed when I do it.

Right now, I've got some Champagne D'Argent bunnies for a suburban SHTF meat supply.

Posted: 3/27/2009 11:34:23 AM EDT

[#17]

yea the main reason there under the deck is we cant have chickens as well. we will kill the roosters when they start making noise. are back yard is also fenced all the way around. so it will keep out the yots. hopefully the dog will deal with the rest of the animals coming around. in a shtf type of thing eggs would be a great help in the food part. we always have extra stuff in the garden and lots of grass for them to egg bugs out of. so hopefully we will be able to keep them going

stuck

Posted: 3/27/2009 4:00:03 PM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
wow posts are magical around here. They just vanish.

true, but those are bantams

Posted: 3/28/2009 7:15:26 AM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:

Quoted:

wow posts are magical around here. They just vanish.

true, but those are bantams

How are you sure of this? You have nothing in the pics to use as a size comparison. Bantam is about size.

Here you go:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bantam_(chicken))

Posted: 3/29/2009 7:17:01 PM EDT

[#20]

because ive been around chickens my whole life and even with her tail feather up in the air shes only a little higher than 2 bricks high.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - stealth chicken coop (with pictures)

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