Help Design a Chicken Coop

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  [Deactivated] on 27/03/2020 - 17:20

  +7

  Way too fancy considering you need a coop now, not when you are inspired enough to build the Sistine Chapel.

  A consideration for the coop is mobility. If you're not planning to move the coop (so the poop fertilizes different patches), dig down 2ft and extend the chicken wire to the depth and hold it down with bricks, and bury. This makes the coop break in proof but a circling fox will still scare the birds to death.

  As for the cover, do a half cylinder about 1.2m radius (for 3 chooks, 1.2m long is plenty). As long as the fox cannot climb into it, you've now achieved protection from tunnel in and climb over.

  Then you need shelter from the elements. A raised box on stumps should be easy enough to fashion.

  Once you have that going, take your time and build that dream home.

  (If half dome is hard for you to fashion, a triangle will do just fine. May need to be bigger to fit the shelter.)

  • 

    [Deactivated] on 27/03/2020 - 18:15

    Thanks!

  • 

    [Deactivated] on 27/03/2020 - 18:30

    his makes the coop break in proof but a circling fox will still scare the birds to death.

    The chooks die in this scenario? We can't have that- the kids will never get over it. Any easily movable design you could recommend ? Chooks could stay in my workshop at night but we can't have them running wild in there.

    Btw , do you know if rabbits and chooks get along ?

    • 

      [Deactivated] on 27/03/2020 - 18:42

      +1

      Yes. A fox circling and jumping against the wire and making all sorts of sounds (which btw, what does the fox say?) is going to cause the chickens to get a heart attack.

      Moving designs will have wheels under it and a skirt to cover the gap between the frame and the ground.

      This design is good for fairly fox resistant areas, ie farms with dogs and some other fox barrier. It shouldn't be your only means of fending off a fox.

      • 

        [Deactivated] on 27/03/2020 - 19:00

        what does the fox say?

        Boo!

        Thanks :)

  • 

    [Deactivated] on 28/03/2020 - 02:47

    A friend is lending us their chicken coop as their chooks have outgrown it. It looks flimsy in the photo but the marketing blurb makes it sound like the next best thing since slice bread.

    It's just temporary until the kids and I build a fox-resistant, sistine chapel of a chicken coop for the girls.

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  spackbace on 27/03/2020 - 17:42

  +2

  Appropriate for everyone feeling cooped up

  • 

    [Deactivated] on 27/03/2020 - 18:31

    I would have thought it would be the opposite: not appropriate for anyone already feeling cooped up.

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  azonki on 27/03/2020 - 19:46

  +2

  Foxes will easily burrow under the wire and rip your chickens apart.
  We lost 13 in one afternoon.
  You need to research the concept of adding a wire barrier ON the ground so that the foxes cannot dig through it.
  Foxes will also climb and harass your chickens.
  You need to do more.
  It's not all about "pretty".
  As far as bunnies and chickens together? Yes, bunnies get on with almost any other animal.
  However, their hygiene needs and behaviour are incompatible.
  The bunnies will burrow out of the coup, allowing the foxes to get into the coup.

  • 

    [Deactivated] on 27/03/2020 - 20:33

    Re: fox

    You need to research the concept of adding a wire barrier ON the ground so that the foxes cannot dig through it.

    Will do.

    But wouldn't the chooks be safe if they are kept indoors at night? Aren't foxes nocturnal animals?

    Our bunny is an indoor one. He will follow the dog outside, hop around , eat some dandelions and weeds , do a couple of binkies and then rush back inside , stretch himself out and promptly falls asleep in the dog's bed.

    I am more concerned that the chooks might attack our bunny if we let them roam freely in the backyard during the day.

    • 

      mapax on 28/03/2020 - 09:03

      +2

      Aren't foxes nocturnal animals?

      Mainly, however they are opportunistic and readily adaptable.
      I’ve got a few foxes during the day whilst they’ve been trying to raid nests.
      Also be aware that it’s likely you will see an increase of rodents.

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  Melb69 on 27/03/2020 - 20:53

  +1

  Having laying chicken as pets is so rewarding, but need to be aware of the following if you havent had them before.

  1. The chickens will totally wreck your garden. They continually forrage, so will throw put dirtout if your garden beds. Your lawn will be gone where you keep them.
  2. They provide great fertiliser.
  3. Some have already mentioned it but foxes will get a sniff of your chickens and want their heads for dinner. Our massacre of 2019, we had 3 headless chickens. They were safely in their coup we thought, but the fox had pushed their nesting bed panel(not screwed in) and managed to pull them out. One was left dangling out. The other 2 trapped in the corner behind our orange tree as they escaped ed the coup. It was a visious attack. Blood and feathers every where.
  4. Nothing better than fresh eggs daily.
  5. We changed the nesting bed daily to keep it clean with wood shavings.
  6. If the area isn't covered over it will attract pigeons. I hate them.

  Good luck. We miss our chickens and fresh eggs.

  • 

    [Deactivated] on 28/03/2020 - 02:06

    What did you feed your chooks?

    • 

      Melb69 on 28/03/2020 - 14:01

      +1

      The larger pet stores have different stages of fee for chickens. Like 20 or 25kg sizes I recall. Oh also if you not keeping the food indoors we kept it in an plastic garbage bin with a secure lid and no holes at bottom. Now you have to watch all the mice and rats that the food attracts.

      • 

        [Deactivated] on 28/03/2020 - 16:41

        +1

        Build a platform on piers and make sure to place those metal antcaps.

        If the platform is slightly smaller than your container, there is no room for the rodents to climb on. Place some Vaseline or similar glycerine substance under the antcaps.

        You'll have very few pests in the feed.

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  sraymond on 27/03/2020 - 21:05

  +1

  I built my coop in a corner of the shed then cut a small door outside to a fenced off area. The chooks have a run approximately 10 metres by 1 metre and are happy enough. Just rig up a door closer on a timer to lock them in at night.

  • 

    [Deactivated] on 28/03/2020 - 02:05

    That is quite a genius idea! Have many chooks do you have?

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  Melb69 on 28/03/2020 - 14:05

  +1

  https://www.crazysales.com.au/online-wooden-chicken-coop-rab…

  We had something like this and had 3 chooks. but also let them out into a separate arear with lawn during the day. They only really stayed in there if we were out or at night. The little overhang at back was where they layed and sometime slept. The base of that wasn't screwed in that's how the fox got in. So sad. We would leave the gate open and they would come in and out for food and water in the bottom of the coup area. At night they would just climb up into the top section. I would then check on them before locking them up.

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  Melb69 on 28/03/2020 - 14:16

  +1

  We also had a feeder and water when they were a bit older.

  https://www.amazon.com.au/Royal-Rooster-Chicken-Valve-Cup-Wa…

  Had a dripper line on a timer that filled up the water. So they always had fresh water and never without.

  • 

    [Deactivated] on 28/03/2020 - 14:19

    Cheers! A friend has offered to lend us his coop until we get our own and so far so good. I'm quite impressed with it actually.