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

I am so sorry to hear this. We had a coyote break into our coop and kill four of ours a year ago. We'll be thinking about you and hoping some make a full recovery.

 

Rough morning at the stone house. Hawk got one of my jersey giants. If I was out 5 minutes earlier, she would of been ok. Im a little surprised a hawk would take on one of the giants. Couldnt carry her off.
Now have 8 left. 3 are in coop, as of now 5 are missing.
Going to get a couple owl decoys. See if that helps

 

It flew off to a tree and sat there when it saw me. When I went looking for the other chickens it came back and was trying to eat. I scared it off again.

One of the reasons I got jersey giants is to help with hawks. They say large and black chickens deter hawks because they think they're crows. I guess this hawk didn't get the memo.
I'll keep them locked up for a few days. I know you risk losing chickens to predators when free ranging, but this hawk pizzes me off.

 

You have more patience with your neighbor and his dog than I would have.

 

Welp, this took a lot longer than it should have due to the weather. I started building this new chicken coop back in November. The shed is a kit from Lowes that doesn't include the floor/foundation or the roofing.

This coop is in the same location as the old coop. The old coop was just a cyclone fence with slats attached and some tin panels for a roof. It flooded last year and again this year and we had to quickly relocate the chickens into the tool shed.

I still need to finish painting the outside and a few odds and ends inside. The chickens are happy to have their bigger run area back.

 

Very nice Dok440

 

Yes! That's Penny, she is 7 and it's hard not to get her in the pictures because she is everywhere all at once.

 

We have four older chickens (over a year old to two years old) and 7 young ones (9 months old). They were separated before we moved them all into the new coop. In the old coop all the chickens except one (whoever was slowest) would sleep on the 2x4 roosts. The new coop has 14' of roosts and not a single chicken on it. The older birds are sleeping on top of the laying boxes and the young ones are on the floor. Sometimes I don't understand chickens. Do I have to pick one up and put it on a roost?

 

I had to keep them from getting on top of the totes that I keep the feed and bedding in. I eventually hung a garbage can lid from the ceiling that rests 4 or 5 inches above the totes. This way I can get into the totes, and the lid keeps the girls from roosting on them.

 

Looks great! Nice work, chickens will be very happy!

 

They finally figured it out- all are on the roosts this evening. I got them in the coop just in time. Weatherman says we will be getting 6" of rain over the next five days.