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

Thank you!

 

With my chicks, the first week or two I always do a circle around the barn to make sure they make it in. Many times I have found chicks in very terrible hiding spots, camping out for the night.
Chickens have trouble seeing at night so they are easier to catch. Ducks might have similar vision issues.

 

Don’t laugh too hard at this one The original roof I had over the chicken run had virtually no overhang, which left things pretty soggy inside after a rainstorm. Also, last year a large tree branch came down on it, breaking holes in a couple roof panels. Today I finally got around to redoing the roof. With lumber prices being astronomical, I made it a game of how much of a cheapskate I could be and still get it done LOL. All the lumber was scrounged roadside slowly over time. The only thing I had to buy were the 8’ roof panels which were about $16 each. The rafters are cobbled together from one 3 x 4, approximately 5 1/2' long, with two 2 x 4s sistered on, bringing the length to 8'. You can see the "double rafters" in the front of the run. The rest is all pallet wood. I used a bunch of short sections of 3 x 4 pallet runners, and the 1x material running across the rafters is all from pallets too. I ripped all of that the same 3" width. I say good enough I'm going to salvage what I can from the old roof panels and use them to top cover some of my firewood stacks. No sense in wasting bought and paid for material.

 

No one is laughing here pal, that is great! I hope it isn't too hot in your area, you might end up with fried chicken and hard boiled eggs.

 

I don't think it's especially hot where I live, anyway. At least in the middle of summer there is plenty of shade cast over the chickens from the red oaks and tulip poplars behind the run. I almost went with the opaque green panels for extra shade but decided to go with clear again, so that they could get some sunlight during the cold winter days. As for my redneck carpentry, hey it works. It's amazing what you can find roadside if you're willing to swallow your pride and go for it The 2 x 4 material I found this past weekend actually. Someone tore down their old deck and threw a huge pile of stained 2 x 6 PT boards over an embankment in the woods, and I took them home and ripped them down to 2 x 4. I'll probably go back for another load soon as I have several outdoor projects I could use them for.

 

Your coop and run look lots different since the last time I was up there.

 

No laughing from me. I could have the finest lumber that money could buy and couldn't make something that looks that good. Nothing wrong with repurposing stuff - and at the rate fresh lumber is going for these days, more than understandable. I'm so cheap I won't replace my coffee table that I got off the side of the road 7.5 years ago. It was older than dirt when I picked it up (but not an antique) and it looks like cr*p, but it performs its job admirably, so I see no reason to spend money to upgrade.

 

X2, it looks great and kudos for being resourceful. Wood prices are insane.............Pretty much stopped me dead in my tracks from completing my pole barn.

 

Moving day this morning for my two 7 week old speckled sussex chicks, or I guess they are now technically pullets. Poor things have gotten so darn big and outgrew the bin I had them in. Was waiting for the 6 week mark and night temps to be in the upper 40's, low 50's which looks like it will be for the next week +. I'll keep them in the temp run area fully for about 2 weeks, maybe 3 and then integrate them with the big girls. I had them in there a couple times before just to try it out (not overnight) and they seemed to love it. Although while getting them into the temp run once one of them jumped out of the box and one of the hens went after her pretty quick and pecked her twice. I know that's bound to happen and normal, hope it's not too bad as I think my coop and run are a bit tight, we shall see. I'll be trying to put some treats and cracked corn which they love along the gate line so they can try and get use to eating together. They are so darn small compared to the big girls.

 

Put these guys in the freezer yesterday...29 of em.

 

I made a brooder box for my chicks this morning.


There are around 30 of them, they are mostly in a corner and hard to see.

 

I'm planning on getting some goats after the 4th. For now just for weed control, not dairy or for meat.
I understand that you don't necessarily need a deluxe barn. But shelter that keeps them dry and from drafts. So I have a plan for a build.
My question is what is best for the floor?
Dirt, concrete, dirt with sand on top, etc...
Only be 4 small to mid size goats.

 

I haven't had any rats in my coop for a couple months now, ever since I filled their tunnel in with concrete. I'm still seeing them around my wood piles though, so they must be eating something close by. I got lucky this afternoon and was able to plink one in broad daylight with the 0.177. My wife saw it hanging around the fire pit and alerted me. I sat up on my deck for a while watching and waiting for an opportunity. Eventually it came out again and made the mistake of staying still a moment too long. One pellet center mass rendered it incapable of retreat, then a second pellet as a mercy shot did it in.
Ratting aside, the hens are very productive now. Between my 2 Rhode Island Reds and 6 Ameracaunas, I'm getting between 6-8 eggs daily on average. Besides the normal grain I've been giving them dandelion and radish greens, which they scarf down in minutes. They get any bread that's slightly past its prime as well as any fruit that would otherwise get composted. This is my second year with chickens, and I like having them more than the quails I used to keep. It's a rewarding experience.

 

Great to hear!

I've had my 3 hens since Feb, added another 2 baby chicks over Easter break and I can say I truly do enjoy them. Maintenance and upkeep on them is very minimal the way I've got things setup. I also have the kids helping out with minor things. But honestly I enjoy it and this might sound kinda funny but makes me feel like I have a little farm, LOL. Something therapeutic about it and it so rewarding getting fresh eggs. Older hens still crack me up, something funny and goofy about them. The 2 speckled sussex chicks will be 10 weeks this friday and they are hilarious, extremely friendly, and super curious about everything and always getting into trouble. Since we've had them at 2 weeks old and handled them often they are very use to being picked up and touched so the kids love them.

I've had them living outside now over 2 weeks in an adjacent run to the main run where they can see and hear each other through a gate with chicken wire. I've been sprinkling cracked corn along the gate line so they both kind of feed together at least once a day. 2 weeks ago the older hens especially the one was very aggressive would chase them down and peck them pretty darn good. But last week a few nights and this past weekend I've been letting them out to free range a bit together and the aggression was way down, huge difference. In fact yesterday and Monday I had them all in the run together w/ door shut while I was in with them for about 20-30min and there was hardly any chasing and almost zero pecking. Even when they chased it wasn't aggressive and the attempted pecks where the same. It's pretty funny though because the two chicks are scared chitless of them, sometimes they scream for no reason if one of hens gets close and they will run to me for help and hide behind me. Going to wait another few weeks till they get a bit bigger, keeping doing what I am doing and then fully integrate them.

 

Sure are, they are beautiful and healthy looking

 

Well Seasoned are your ducks for eggs, the table or for entertainment?

My wife says no ducks, chickens., or turkeys. To be honest, I'm not sure we have a good area for poultry, except for maybe ducks. We do have a creek but it's a bear to get down to. Property mostly wooded and hilly.