Author Topic: the new coop (Read 14226 times)

mamapoppybee · « **on:** January 23, 2016, 12:38:06 pm »

Hope this explains some of my vanishing. Made most of this out of scrap lumber from a construction site down the road. The lower section is a raised bed the house behind and all the bottom is run space. I'll be adding more run come warmer weather. Going to need a little more rock for bed.

Perry · « **Reply #1 on:** January 23, 2016, 04:50:05 pm »

Looks real nice. Good work.

kebee · « **Reply #2 on:** January 23, 2016, 06:10:17 pm »

I like it, did a great job on it, looks better than most I have seen.

Ken

tedh · « **Reply #3 on:** January 23, 2016, 09:45:35 pm »

Nice job Mama! Is the little box with the hinged, slanted, roof for storage or nesting? Ted

CBT · « **Reply #4 on:** January 23, 2016, 10:00:23 pm »

Now that's a labor of love

riverbee · « **Reply #5 on:** January 23, 2016, 10:02:14 pm »

very cool!!!!

apisbees · « **Reply #6 on:** January 24, 2016, 12:58:48 am »

Looks great! that should keep the girls safe and happy.

Dunkel · « **Reply #7 on:** January 24, 2016, 09:48:24 am »

That looks perfect. I wouldn't mind keeping some if I had that set up. You should be very proud, especially with recycled materials.

I'd never come up with enough scrap though. All I ever see is bottom boards and nuc boxes

mamapoppybee · « **Reply #8 on:** January 25, 2016, 09:01:47 am »

Ted that is nesting space. Think I'm going two add two more boxes on the inside though. If you see a building site it never hurts to ask especially if they have it all in a burn pile... a major waste if you ask me. Oh and if you have them you could take a small jar of honey or a dozen eggs to say thank you!

brooksbeefarm · « **Reply #9 on:** January 25, 2016, 10:17:37 am »

Good neat job mama, you alsp made use of the area all around it. I have got a lot of scrap lumber around building sites bu asking. A jar of honey has got me phone calls asking if i want more before they burn it.

Jack

Lburou · « **Reply #10 on:** January 25, 2016, 10:27:51 am »

Great job! And from materials discarded at a building site to boot!

A Bee Club member here had recently built one of those portable houses for their chickens. His wife went in to get eggs, and the latch fell back into place, locking her inside. (This is really funny to hear them tell the story). Before discovering the locked door, her hand discovered a snake in the roost, under a chicken!

Snake was non-poisonous, but she was still locked in! A neighbor heard her calls for help and released her. The lock was fixed real quick. I wish you could have heard their account of this episode.

brooksbeefarm · « **Reply #11 on:** January 25, 2016, 12:18:45 pm »

About the same thing happened to our daughter, she went to the hen house to gather eggs, and when she started to leave a 5 ft. black snake was hanging in the doorway

We never heard her hollering and she had to wait till the snake crawled off. When she told the story her eyes got as big as an old hootie owl.

Jack

mamapoppybee · « **Reply #12 on:** January 25, 2016, 03:22:01 pm »

Oh my I could not imagine being locked up with snakes. That's one critter mama don't like. Another good reason to use latches that secure in the unlocked position I also close up with at least a min of two latches and are different types raccoons are fast learners.

brooksbeefarm · « **Reply #13 on:** January 25, 2016, 06:56:28 pm »

Yes Coons are fast learners, but when i introduce them to Mr. Remington, they seem to forget everything.

Jack

Lburou · « **Reply #14 on:** January 25, 2016, 08:07:18 pm »

Quote from: mamapoppybee on January 25, 2016, 03:22:01 pm

Oh my I could not imagine being locked up with snakes....

But it was only one snake MPbee

Gypsi · « **Reply #15 on:** January 25, 2016, 10:07:19 pm »

Very nice coop. My old one really needs some redoing, or at least new front doors, for right now it is just empty, starving out the rats this winter, I moved the birds to the coop on the lot with fewer nice hiding places for rats and snakes. Easier to keep warm too. Only had one snake in the coop in the almost 6 years I've kept chickens, but I put my coop in the backyard with dog run on all sides, which does wonders for critter incursions. I carry a pocket knife after having to beat a snake to death with a piece of pvc. Short work to dispatch a rat snake

iddee · « **Reply #16 on:** January 25, 2016, 10:20:32 pm »

If you didn't dispatch the rat snake, you wouldn't have the rat problem you have. They didn't name them that for nothing. I catch every rat snake I can and bring them home and release them here. I hate rats.

Jen · « **Reply #17 on:** January 25, 2016, 10:33:33 pm »

Gypsi, I love your stories

Mama, that sweet hen house looks like it came right out of Pinterest. Beautiful job and like your spunk

Gypsi · « **Reply #18 on:** January 27, 2016, 11:05:45 am »

Iddee - If I didn't dispatch the rat snake I wouldn't have any eggs. I went to the coop early and the reason the snake couldn't escape was he was full of my eggs and couldn't get through the 1 inch chicken wire. My rat problem in the coop is in the cold of winter and I have NEVER seen a snake out and about then. The coop roof is a couple of inches below the run roof (hawks, my run is roofed) and the rats get on top of the roof and under the tin part of the run roof and the way to get them out is a bb gun at close range. But they only do it in the dead of winter, when the area between the roofs is warm and snug and the chicken feed and water provides vittles. I moved the hens out, dogs tell me no rats this winter, the food was the issue. And I keep my feed in a metal trash can..

Now can we go back to admiring mama's coop? I will post a pic of my ugly old one on a new thread. It was a first time with no plans and a 10 year old and 6 year old helping and really has some issues.

mamapoppybee · « **Reply #19 on:** January 28, 2016, 08:15:44 am »

For your next build gypsy I would advise raising your coop off the ground a bit(not sure really if you have already done this) this will remove a warm place for them to make burrows under your coop. One of the reasons I changed to what I have now. The bottom of the actual house sits around 3ft from ground. It also helps to dog proof it. Do you have cats? A good yard cat is always effective pest control.