Homesteading Chicken Coop Build, Chickens, Pond, Garden & Projects

Nice, I am already wishing I had made the coop bigger........I can squeeze 2 more hens in comfortably but that is max

 

Here’s a couple pics of our current coop before the nest box was installed below the window. We could probably fit another 6 more chickens in the coop itself, but the space in the run would be a little tight.





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That's a real nice sized coop, looking great!

 

Rats have been at it again lately. I stopped them for a little while but they keep finding (making) new ways inside and eating the feed. Today I found their tunnel under the run. Good sized hole going straight underground then heading out into the neighbor's property. I mixed up some concrete and filled their tunnel right up. Probably only a matter of time before they dig a new one. I tried plinking one the other night from my deck, I thought for sure I hit it but I couldn't find it the next day. I'm sure there's more than one. Gotta just buy the traps and forget about sniping them in the dark, although I was hoping to enjoy that rewarding experience.

 

I had a similar issue with mice. They climb through a little hole in the barn and eat the food. I put one of these live traps and caught many many mice. I really hated it at first but once I put it in the mouse path, I couldn't keep the trap empty. It is by "grip" company.
https://external-content.duckduckgo...id=OIP.VL8zdXe7NxXx86dq4Se19wAAAA&pid=Api&f=1

I have had a little luck with walk the plank style traps, also the tin cat traps are real good when you add bait, but, I don't think they are big enough for rats.

I have seen homemade rat poision but I haven't tried it yet- equal parts sugar, flour and baking soda.

 

Mrs DG has gone chicken CRAZY...and I'm OK with that, she is in charge of the chickens! Some of the eggs are ours and some she has collected from various local sources. I need to learn how to sex chicks so that I can cull the cockerels, that part she is not in charge of.

How's the pond? I assume ducks are still prone to predators. We watched a video the other day of someone who uses a goose as a predator alarm/protector.

 

What are you going to do with all those eggs?

 

That is a lot of birds. What are you doing to keep predators away? I have 29 chickens - soon to be 64. The raptors are pretty aggressive where I am and the only thing I have heard that really works is a dog.

 

Do you have a fence of any kind? I have about 1/4 acre pasture with a 5ft welded wire fence. That does ok for me (mostly). I may put a hot wire around it, that is supposed to help with raccoons. Might help with foxes too.

 

Hoping mice, chipmunks and squirrels don't become a problem. Coop is up off the floor about 32" and I've been keeping feed in coop so it don't attract them. I got these birds in the winter so most of these pests were still tucked away for the winter. But spring is just about here and I am sure they will be out soon!

I've been part time free ranging them when I am out back. Pretty entertaining they are digging around looking for food! Pretty easy to lure them back into the run as well, hope that stays that way, they go absolutely bonkers for these soldier worms I give them.

I've got one that sick, perhaps I bought her like that, not sure. Always kind of seperated from the rest of the flock. She's got sour crop............I am treating her, hopefully she makes it.

 

OR 5!



We have been able to free range since last fall, after I was confident that the Hounds were going to leave the chickens alone and have not had a predator incident...until yesterday evening. Not 5 minutes after I came in with the Hounds and had put the chickens in the secure run, one of the Hounds started going apechit crazy inside the house because he spotted a fox, I thought he might go through the window, the fox went directly for the coop, surprisingly it didn't seem to mind the houndimonium inside the house, when I stepped out the backdoor with a shotgun it took off and then stopped at about 50 yards so I fired once and it then it ran off. I came back in, collared up the Hounds and let em loose, I let them give chase for about 15 minutes and then called them in. I'm sure it will be back.

 

Chicken Coop Tour!


So I have about 30 chickens and I only clean out the coop 2 times a year. I have an old lawn mower barn that is my coop. I cut the bottom 2 feet off of the walls and when I clean the coop, I can shovel the manure out and then pressure wash everything into a corner and then out the side of the barn. It has linoleum floors that work pretty well. In my next coop, I would like to have a metal floor on an angle, so I can do the same thing with a little more efficiency.


ladders and roosts. I just used what was already in the barn.



I made a hutch of sorts. They love that when it rains.


Kung pao and Dorothy.


I like my ador door automatic chicken door. I put some reflective tape on it so I can see if it is down from the house. I have a second door in case I set traps for nuisance animals around the barn.



Goldie is a diva


I used old feedbags to keep out the rain above the panels.



The corners of the barn are real important because you want to have a place to push the poop, otherwise, it turns into a swamp.



I also put some feedbags to cover the nesting boxes, they really like that. I put wood chips and bark in the boxes but they need some more at the moment.


This is my favorite picture of a certain notable politician.

The manure is soon to be on the garden, pushing up tomatoes.

 

JackHammer is that a speckled sussex in one of those pictures? Awesome setup my friend............!

 

Yes. That is freckles. I have maybe 8 by the same name. I love that breed. They lay pink eggs and are very friendly. They are duel purpose and pretty tough. I have lost a lot of birds and those tend to stick around.