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Borrego
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# Posted: 26 May 2013 10:43pm
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Just got a chicken gifted from the neighbors and the wife has me building a coop. Yes on a holiday weekend 
I've got the shell built, but I'm building it like a house i realized (being a builder kinda guy)...
Any input appreciated!
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Grandma Off Grid
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# Posted: 27 May 2013 02:41am
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anything that is sturdy and will stand up under the elements and keep the birds safe and also give you good access to eggs will make the chickens happy.
they do like a little bit of room and also a nice little shelter and a roost. The Mamas when their hatching babies like their own space. it seems to me that they are happiest when they feel safe.
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rayyy
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# Posted: 27 May 2013 12:40pm
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It's got to keep out rat's raccoons,cat's and foxes.All of which are very resourceful at trying to out smart you for getting inside.All chickens like to roost at night so put up a nice strong maple tree limb 1 1/2 inch in diameter.Fresh water,plenty of feed and grit.One nest box for 3 or 4 hens with fresh hay or straw.Having more than one rooster will lead to fighting all the time.Old chicken manure makes for great fertilizer for the garden.Fresh air in the hot season.Good and tight for the cold season.It's kind of nice having different breeds to give you 3 different colored eggs.I always had Araconas for blue/green eggs.Black leg horns foe white and Bramahs for brown eggs.(not sure about the spelling)
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Truecabin
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# Posted: 27 May 2013 12:50pm
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Put hardware cloth along the bottom 12 or 18 inches cuz young rats will go thru chicken wire then get too big to leave and hide under stuff
Also you have to have a bottom either chickenwire in the dirt or cement the rats will tunnel under real fast.
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Grandma Off Grid
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# Posted: 27 May 2013 02:41pm
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I have also read that ventilation is important even in the winter. I did this last year seem to work good
also chickens and roosters eat rats have never had this problem. I did have problems with free range as stray dogs and coyotes would get them.
put your stick as said above about 18 20 inches above ground.
I've made a chicken house with two pallets laid together and nailef ike a triangle and covered well on the tops and sides. good fencing is a must to protect the birds
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Sustainusfarm
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# Posted: 27 May 2013 04:54pm
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Here is ours....
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Truecabin
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# Posted: 27 May 2013 06:19pm
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>>also chickens and roosters eat rats have never had this problem.
Maybe a very large rooster (?). rats are a problem because they eat eggs.
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Borrego
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# Posted: 28 May 2013 11:24am
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Thanks everybody. I built mine this weekend, boy am I tired, sitting here with an icepack on my back right now, sipping a good ole single malt, while my shoulders cramp up..... didn't really know what I was doing, but here it is.....
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Rossman
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# Posted: 28 May 2013 06:45pm
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Sustainusfarm - real nice coop you got there! :D
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bc thunder
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# Posted: 26 Oct 2021 09:43am
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I'm putting a chicken coop together on the cheap, and probably won't have hens till it warms up in spring. I too would love to see some coop pics, and hear some chicken keeping advice, preditors, too cold, too hot ect....
Thanks in advance.....
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Tim_Ohio
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# Posted: 26 Oct 2021 10:00am
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Borrego,
That's a very nice looking coop. You did it right to have a full size man-door to get into it for maintenance. When I built one, I also put a wooden
pole across from one wall to the other for the chickens to roost. They like to sit on the roost at night. It's up off of the floor and they feel safe.
Tim_Ohio
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justincasei812
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# Posted: 27 Oct 2021 10:56am - Edited by: justincasei812
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Not sure if my upload will work or not but my coop is basically an 8'x8' with a scrap metal roof. It used to be in my garage @ 4'x8' with a dog door for the chickens to go outside. After a while it stunk too bad and I was cleaning the coop every 2-3 weeks. Easy to build with little cutting involved which makes it easier for me since I am not that mechanically inclined. Video would not load so just took a pic. Turkeys came to visit the chickens yesterday.
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