My Coops *pic heavy*

[Lee G]

I promised some pictures of my buildings, sorry it has taken so long! (so much for dusting first, heh)

My winter house, which is currently growing out this seasons pullets. It used to be a wooden grain bin, (like most of my coops), but after a summer of blood, sweat and tears (literally, as hubby and I reno'ed together  ) it was transformed into a workable coop. It is definitely my favorite poultry building on the farm because it's insulated, well ventilated, and has power to keep water from freezing when below zero.


Inside...my favorite features are the natural light, the wrap around roost and easy to scrape droppings board...the 'cages' underneath not so much. Not sure what I was thinking there, but it sure wasn't cleaning them. haha





and this is how pullets dismount, lol


Outside in the run



the ramp

and the 'chunnel' lol



I'm out of online time this morning, but will post more later.   

[Holiday Hatch]

Lee - Thank you for taking the time to take and post the pictures of your great set-up.  Gives me some ideas for the future.  In a previous post you mentioned putting food color in the vent which is another interesting idea I'd never thought of.  It's great to have you in the club.  Linda Ferguson

[Lee G]

Thanks Linda. That's kind of you to say.  I know how much I enjoy checking out other folks facilities and poultry related inventions, and it's nice to share mine as well.  Actually, I believe I read about the food colouring in the vent idea on this forum, only a few years or so ago. It's real simple and works wonderfully to pin point individual hens' eggs.



This is my summer coop, which used to be a grain bin too. It's currently growing out cockerels and a few culls until I can get to processing them. Being round made it extremely difficult to work with and we ended up not insulating, much to my regret. On this coop we used a lot of materials we already had on hand – like the window/door trim. It’s made from an old, wooden swather head the previous owner of the farm left hanging on the shop wall. And the run is made from 16' 2x6's that used to belong to an old deck on the back of the house. I love to be able to reuse and recondition items.  Especially into chicken related items. 
 


this is what it looked like before, minus the windows - "old grain silo full of old moldy grain, dust and mouse turds” pretty much sums it up, lol. I was going to attempt a gazebo type run with the other bin, but it was in such poor shape we just ended up ripping it down and burning the works.


Inside...is set up so the entire building can be divided in half with a removable wall if necessary.  There is an enclosed pen on the north side, (very handy for integrating new birds, or for time outs if someone is being an ass) and dual roosting locations on the south side.







Outside in the run...we designed it so strategic roof panels could be added at a later date, but I've since discovered a tarp works fine and is a lot more affordable. 





and the connector tunnel



Thanks for letting me share. 

[John]

They look nice and neat and like you guys put a lot of time into them.

[DeWayne Edgin]

This are really nice. I like the before picture and the after picture. I built a coop that i have golden pheasants in that i made from skids. I can put chickens in it to. But this is a big project that you did. I am working on turning a trailer into a big mobile coop this winter. It was a camper frame and it has low sides on it now but im going to frame it up and make it look like a coop.

[DeWayne Edgin]

Here are a few pictures of my skid pen.

[Don]

Nice coops, all of them!  I especially like the grain silo. I'd love to have one like that to turn into a camp shed.  Yes, insulating that one would be real fun.  And how clean and neat.  I agree with John that you all put a lot of extra effort and energy into your birds.

How long does it take for them to learn how to use the bridges?

[Lee G]

Thanks everyone. 

And sorry for the delay in my response. Living deep in the country has its perks, but fast and reliable internet service is definitely not one of them!

Yes, the reno’s were a lot of work and took us an entire summer to complete, but well worth it in the end. The peace of mind alone is priceless, because it seems like everything under the sun around here likes chicken dinner...including us.  hehe

DeWayne, your skid coop looks great. You sure did a nice job.

Don, most youngsters catch on pretty fast and are racing up and down the tunnel in no time flat. It usually just takes one brave soul to lead the way. lol The more cautious ones like to sit inside and take in their surroundings for awhile before joining the rest outdoors. So, I’d say most birds have the tunnel mastered within a day or two. And the ones who don’t or have troubles, well, let’s just say it’s a good way to figure out who’s playing with a full deck and who isn’t. 

[John]

hubby and I reno'ed together

I had no idea what that meant, but figured it out after reading "reno's" in you last post a few times.

[Don]

Lee, again the arrangement looks nice and it looks like the birds enjoy the generous and varied spaces, including the tunnel.  It should keep them busy and out of trouble.

DeWayne, the skid pen is very well built, heavy enough to last a long time and keep the birds safe..  It appears you can move it to new ground with out too much trouble.  I also like to use "found" materials.  Besides the cost savings, it gives me a good feeling to find a new use for an old object/materials.  Part of growing up with depression era family members I guess.  I'd say I like being "Green".