# Chicken coop....a year in the making!



## wolfsnaps88

So I have wanted chickens for years. After talking my husband into it, he told me he would build me one. Well, life gets in the way sometimes and we either never had the time or the money. 

So I ended up buying this little prefabricated coop along with three hens:



Let me just say that while this coop is cute, it is also very small and VERY cheaply made. Sadly, I ended up losing two of my chickens to a fox  I should add it wasn't the fault of the coop, it was because I was free ranging them. 

Anyways, My husband started building me a coop using reclaimed wood so there was no cost to us. 




But he could only get so far because he ran out of materials. 

So time went by. And it sat like this. 


Then, we got some plywood and a window free from a friend so he added to the coop but still, it wasn't enough so it just sat around. 

Well, FINALLY, we had some money to work with and time. While it isn't an extravagant coop (we had to work with cheaper materials and inexperienced laborers aka my husband, his cousin, and his uncle) it will do the job just fine. I actually have LESS money invested in the newly made coop than I do in the prefab one I bought used. The prefabricated coop could only house 3 hens (and THAT was pushing it) while my new coop could probably do 20 (although I am not going to put that many in there). 

So here it is! I am so excited!



It isn't 100% complete yet but that thing in the front will be a door so I can let the chickens out from outside the coop with a rope. 

And they also worked on fencing it in. 





It still needs the rest of the fencing, an awning so they have some shade and can stand outside even if it is raining. The door needs secured as well. I am considering concreting the inside of the coop so predators can not dig their way inside. I can get free concrete, I just have to be patient. 

So she is not much of a looker but she is pretty large (for my needs) and built to last. I can't wait to put my chicks in there~!

Here they are in the chicken tractor we made for them out of PVC pipe and wire. May soon be modified for rabbits. Oh yeah, I am going to be getting into breeding rabbits! YAY. More to come on that at a later date.


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## Felix

I love the new coop! gives the little ones tons of space and looks GREAT! What kind of chicks do you have? If you want any more, I would look into Dominiques or Barred Rocks, they are GORGEOUS birds and a dual purpose breed. I just love em!


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## naturalfeddogs

awesome! I can't wait to get more chicks!


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## wolfsnaps88

I really wanted a mixture of breeds but I dragged my feet too long and all the local feed stores sold out by the time I was ready to buy chicks. I didn't want to order them by mail because you either have to buy them in lots of 25 chicks, or pay a LOT for shipping. But...my local Agway got a late shipment in so I bought some from them. I got three Rhode Island Reds and Three Golden Reds (a mutt chicken kinda like my Big Momma). They are production breeds so I am cool with that. I do eventually want to get Easter eggers, Araucanas, Copper Marans and other birds that lay different colored eggs. That way, when I give them to friends and family they have a rainbow of colors in their cartons. I will be getting more chicks next year for sure.


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## Herzo

Love it. I hope to have some one day too. But I have to wait till I have a coop. Which will probably be longer than you had to wait.

Felix I'm with you I love the Dominique and Barred Rocks. And the little bantams maybe those in bantam's.


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## Liz

We have Barred Rocks an the white Leghorns I believe they are called, an Australorp and a couple of buff orphingtons. They are super fun and so easy to keep though the Buff are a pain because they get so broody. Everyone lays great and we make our own feed and of course they range the yard and get meat. I love your coop. You did a great job!

Liz


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## magicre

well done.


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## Sprocket

As said before...I love all of it! I'm totally going to copy your PVC tractor.

We have 

Cochins
Australorps
EEs
Ameraucana
Salmon Faverolle
Silver laced Wyandotte
Black Sumatra <---not a good layer at all, don't get these)
Rhode Island Reds
Silver Spangled Hamburg 
and quite a few mutts. The mutts are my favorite eace:

I can't wait to see your flock grow. I'm excited about you breeding rabbits. I think we should both have kits around the same time. That will be fun!


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## wolfsnaps88

Sprocket said:


> As said before...I love all of it! I'm totally going to copy your PVC tractor.
> 
> We have
> 
> Cochins
> Australorps
> EEs
> Ameraucana
> Salmon Faverolle
> Silver laced Wyandotte
> *Black Sumatra <---not a good layer at all, don't get these)*
> Rhode Island Reds
> Silver Spangled Hamburg
> and quite a few mutts. The mutts are my favorite eace:
> 
> I can't wait to see your flock grow. I'm excited about you breeding rabbits. I think we should both have kits around the same time. That will be fun!


HAHAHaha~ they are pretty though. But around HERE, my 'livestock' must have a purpose. Thanks for the heads up. If I am going to feed it, water it, and clean up after it, I better get something out of the deal. LOL


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## Sprocket

wolfsnaps88 said:


> HAHAHaha~ they are pretty though. But around HERE, my 'livestock' must have a purpose. Thanks for the heads up. If I am going to feed it, water it, and clean up after it, I better get something out of the deal. LOL


They are pretty with their purplish sheen but Australorps are better layers and the same black color. I get like an egg a week out of the BS. She is the only white layer.


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## Herzo

Sprocket said:


> As said before...I love all of it! I'm totally going to copy your PVC tractor.
> 
> We have
> 
> Cochins
> Australorps
> EEs
> Ameraucana
> Salmon Faverolle
> Silver laced Wyandotte
> Black Sumatra <---not a good layer at all, don't get these)
> Rhode Island Reds
> Silver Spangled Hamburg
> and quite a few mutts. The mutts are my favorite eace:
> 
> I can't wait to see your flock grow. I'm excited about you breeding rabbits. I think we should both have kits around the same time. That will be fun!


What about Elvis? You didn't mention him, how could you forget him? I think the Black Sumatra's are cool also but i would want a roaster. I really can't decide what kind I want for sure, some are ruled out if they can't take the cold. And then there is that broodiness that would be a pain although necessary sometimes. 

I want some sort of bantams just because I think there cute. I like the Sebrights but also the game ones they have so many pretty colors. Although I'm sure they would be a pain because of wanting to fight all the time so they would have to be locked away from others, another pain.


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## Sprocket

Herzo said:


> What about Elvis? You didn't mention him, how could you forget him? I think the Black Sumatra's are cool also but i would want a roaster. I really can't decide what kind I want for sure, some are ruled out if they can't take the cold. And then there is that broodiness that would be a pain although necessary sometimes.
> 
> I want some sort of bantams just because I think there cute. I like the Sebrights but also the game ones they have so many pretty colors. Although I'm sure they would be a pain because of wanting to fight all the time so they would have to be locked away from others, another pain.


I think you mean Fonzie? And you are right HOW could I forget him?  He is doing well, just getting fluffier and trying to mate with hens that are bigger than him. I worry for his life though, we have lost quite a few small pullets and a sizzle hen to ravens lately. Fonzie is easy pickings for them  

I don't have any recent photos of him.

Bantams are cute but so pointless unless you are showing IMO. Their eggs are tiny and they aren't very hardy since they are so small. I personally prefer the big, fluffy feather legged broody hens. FWIW, game breeds don't fight any worse than other roosters. Just make sure to have plenty of hens for everyone .


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## wolfsnaps88

Yup. Bantams are cute but their eggs are small. 


I like BIG eggs  Daily. 

Watching my chicks grow, I am seeing that the mutt chicks (Golden reds as they were called at the store) are growing larger than the rhode island reds which leads me to believe they may be a RIR or orpington/leghorn cross.


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## wolfsnaps88

Here are some chick pics.


When I first got them:





They liked to jump on my hand



See the difference in breeds?



Growing up




Sassing the old bird




Big Momma really likes the new additions


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## SuperPug

Awh!! They're so cute! I can't wait to get our own house so I can start raising chickens, goats, rabbits and pigs. Hopefully I can raise all 4. I'll be lucky to raise 2 of those listed.


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## Herzo

I'm sorry Fonzie, not at all the same. Goodness I would probably not let him out. I hate those ravens they are vicious things. They keep coming here and I have threatened to get a shot gun and shot them. That's bad for me, I usually let nature be but hose things I would kill.

I know the bantams lay small eggs they just are so cute. But I didn't know they were not hardy. Don't know if I could do that things have to be hardy for me.

But the thing about a fighting cock is they won't stop. I had one years ago a guy gave him to me because he couldn't let him out with his father. The little dummy kept trying to fight my regular roosters and I had a big one I think he was a white leghorn and buff orpington mix and he was one tough rooster. He would kick that fighting ones you know what but the little stink would not stop fighting him.

So I had to put him in the barn for lack of a better place. My BF at the time had a colt get into a cattle guard and cut up his foot. That stinkin little rooster got to pecking at that colts foot so well I guess you know what happened to my fighting cock


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## Sprocket

Sounds like you had one destined for freezer camp regardless of his upbringing LOL. 

Game birds are just fine if there are enough hens for every roo. I know of a horse rescue that also rescues roosters of all kinds. They all live happily in the horse barn, no hens in sight, a few scuffles and they are all happy.


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## xchairity_casex

They did a really awsome job building that coopgreat size too!

I want ap lace to be able to have chickens so bad, so im going to have chiken rearing experience thru you and your chickens!


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## wolfsnaps88

Just a little update.

The coop is done

My husband decided last minute that a sky light would be a nice addition so the chickens can party inside in the winter. LOL



Ready for chickens. 



The outside run is finished. Roof and door installed.



And here is my rabbit set up. It is temporary as we will be building a rabbit hutch sometime this summer. Until then, they are living in a kind of colony situation. Rabbits have 2 uterine horns which means they can get pregnant twice (at the same time!). I had no idea until this happened. A random rabbit found her way into our friend's barn and gave birth to 3 babies. Then she gave birth AGAIN about a week later to more babies!!! So I got the first litter (3 males) a couple of weeks ago so we put them up in the shed. One got loose so he lives under the shed for now. Well, the second batch came today (with mama rabbit). I put them all together and the older males started mobbing and raping everyone so we came up with this divider plan. Once side is the first litter and the other side is the second litter with mama. By the time the second litter is mature, we should (HOPEFULLY) have a hutch built. I may keep a couple for breeding but since these are not meat breed rabbits they are not as large or meaty. I do like the color of the beige males and I do like how mama rabbit had a large litter...so time will tell who I keep and who goes in the freezer.


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## Herzo

Oh they are so cute, I could never put them in the freezer.


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## stanletmontena

they are just too adorable .


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