chicken coupe ideas? (sorry don't know where to post this)

cat of curiosity · Nov 15, 2016

NaturalFarmer said:
I'm up in Maine, We raise between 25-50 chickens. When building your coop, I would recommend facing it south and using the clear panels for roof to get some solar gain and early morning light in the winter. I also vent the bottom with hardware cloth just below their roost to get rid of codensation. Make sure you don't get drafts with wind but you want ventilation. For winter, I would get a battery operated lantern but no heater. Put it in the coop at the end of the day and this will give you a few more hours of light then recharge it in the morning....=more eggs during winter.
View attachment 3831786

i use a 100w bulb, works for up to 20 as long as it doesn't drop below 10f.

coops should be simple and cheap, as chickens are chickens. they'll roam if you let them, but if you have enough area, you're golden for winter. one thing i suggest above all is to have an upper compartment and access ramp that is closed off (doors are fine, this is for wind block in winter). this compartment will be the 'house' that holds heat from the 100w incandescent light bulb, and can double as a laying house.

one other suggestion is build in some horizontal bars, slats, or 2x4's from one to four feet off the ground level. cocks and hens prefer to perch.

Tkm953 · Nov 15, 2016

farmerfischer said:
I'm in the tip of michigan.. Thanks for replying.. Any suggestions on how to house an ass hole rooster ( astrolorp) and he's just starting to spurr. Should I use side cutters and clip them off as they grow.
An old women that raised poultry said for me to do that. But being in the woods I'm not sure I want to disarm him..
Anyway here's my coupe I'm working on. the run is 9' by 12' and 8' high.
And the coupe is 5' by 7' and 7' tall. The box's are off the ground about 1' 1/2
And straw lined . I'm currently using one heat lap..

Your coup looks good to me,but definitely cut those Spurs if he is trying to spur you with em.Last one I had that spurred me was mighty tasty.Keep an eye on their combs they can get frostbite.Plenty of straw,and regardless of what you read or hear,don't feed them back the eggshells.

NaturalFarmer · Nov 15, 2016

I would caution to keep an extra watch on your flock during the early Spring when predators are trying to feed their young. We have lost many to raptors this time of year.

farmerfischer · Nov 15, 2016

Tkm953 said:
Your coup looks good to me,but definitely cut those Spurs if he is trying to spur you with em.Last one I had that spurred me was mighty tasty.Keep an eye on their combs they can get frostbite.Plenty of straw,and regardless of what you read or hear,don't feed them back the eggshells.

Thank ya! Good to know.. I'm using cedar chips on the floor and straw in their boxes but probably will all be straw the next cleaning. I'm heating with one inferred bulb. It gets -30°f for a week or two in February. What would be a good/safe heat source during late winter. ?

cat of curiosity · Nov 15, 2016

NaturalFarmer said:
I would caution to keep an extra watch on your flock during the early Spring when predators are trying to feed their young. We have lost many to raptors this time of year.

also beware of black rat snakes and chicken snakes (yellow rat snakes) in spring if east coast. black snakes will go for the biddies and eggs, the yellow rats can get large enough to eat an adult hen...

and if safe, treat for rodents, as they will want anything the chickens don't find...

cat of curiosity · Nov 15, 2016

farmerfischer said:
Thank ya! Good to know.. I'm using cedar chips on the floor and straw in their boxes but probably will all be straw the next cleaning. I'm heating with one inferred bulb. It gets -30°f for a week or two in February. What would be a good/safe heat source during late winter. ?

another lamp and some hay/straw for bedding and insulation.

farmerfischer · Nov 15, 2016

cat of curiosity said:
i use a 100w bulb, works for up to 20 as long as it doesn't drop below 10f.

coops should be simple and cheap, as chickens are chickens. they'll roam if you let them, but if you have enough area, you're golden for winter. one thing i suggest above all is to have an upper compartment and access ramp that is closed off (doors are fine, this is for wind block in winter). this compartment will be the 'house' that holds heat from the 100w incandescent light bulb, and can double as a laying house.

one other suggestion is build in some horizontal bars, slats, or 2x4's from one to four feet off the ground level. cocks and hens prefer to perch.

I already had boxes and a perch for them along with a rough frame scince I put the chicks outside This spring.I just recently built the coupe or house thing.

Tkm953 · Nov 15, 2016

farmerfischer said:
Thank ya! Good to know.. I'm using cedar chips on the floor and straw in their boxes but probably will all be straw the next cleaning. I'm heating with one inferred bulb. It gets -30°f for a week or two in February. What would be a good/safe heat source during late winter. ?

I sometimes use a small cube heater,but a heat lamp works pretty well too.

farmerfischer · Nov 15, 2016

cat of curiosity said:
another lamp and some hay/straw for bedding and insulation.

I have an extra bulb, cool .. That's it eh? They'll be good? Thanks cat

whitebb2727 · Nov 15, 2016

Indacouch said:
OP judging by this guys name here on Riu I'd get info from him ....he would probably know best about keeping your cock cooped up and your chickens happy as well ....GL

Some cocks are extremely crazy and there personalities differ from cock to cock ....as well as there appearance , just ask @whitebb2727 he's got a few cock around....

Yes. My current favorite is a big black cock.

farmerfischer · Nov 15, 2016

Tkm953 said:
I sometimes use a small cube heater,but a heat lamp works pretty well too.

Sounds good..thanks

farmerfischer · Nov 15, 2016

whitebb2727 said:
Yes. My current favorite is a big black cock.

Yeah mine like Kong of black cocks. I ain't kidding

cat of curiosity · Nov 15, 2016

farmerfischer said:
I have an extra bulb, cool .. That's it eh? They'll be good? Thanks cat

if it's boxed up well and not drafty, plenty of hay, then it should be. you can always ad another lamp, but i'd not recommend the 150+w heat bulbs, as they are a potential fire hazard. i like mine fried in the pan and not on the vine, if you know what i mean, lol.

whitebb2727 · Nov 15, 2016

farmerfischer said:
Yeah mine like Kong of black cocks. I ain't kidding

The one I have is like 2 foot tall and is still young. He will be a beast.

farmerfischer · Nov 15, 2016

whitebb2727 said:
The one I have is like 2 foot tall and is still young. He will be a beast.

Mine too. He's 8months going on 9.

cat of curiosity · Nov 15, 2016

farmerfischer said:
Yeah mine like Kong of black cocks. I ain't kidding

i keep a tennis racket hung on our coop, in case some dick want's to shank me (ie, bastard cock wants to spur the eyes). one or two swats is enough to get them growling and bitching, and generally stops the attacks for about 5-10 minutes. then, they forget and attack again. i know people say chickens are smart, but after 30 years and thousands eaten, i'm sorry to say that i just don't fucking believe that. at all, lol... they get props for creativity, but their smartness in free range means more for me to fix/clean. ours like to perch over my truck and shit on it all night, they say, ''fuck the coop, this garage is like a fucking trump penthouse!!!"

farmerfischer · Nov 15, 2016

cat of curiosity said:
if it's boxed up well and not drafty, plenty of hay, then it should be. you can always ad another lamp, but i'd not recommend the 150+w heat bulbs, as they are a potential fire hazard. i like mine fried in the pan and not on the vine, if you know what i mean, lol.

Damb. For real their the bulbs dude at the store said I need.. That fuckin fucker

cat of curiosity · Nov 15, 2016

farmerfischer said:
Mine too. He's 8months going on 9.

my cock gotten eaten by the neighbors. it was huge, solid white and red in the tenders.

@roseypeach was NOT happy about THAT!

cat of curiosity · Nov 15, 2016

farmerfischer said:
Damb. For real their the bulbs dude at the store said I need.. That fuckin fucker

nah, it's ok. just ceiling mount the 150w's, don't allow within two feet of straw or pine, and you're good.

i just don't like really hot stuff around really flammable materials close enough to my house to spread and become a danger...

farmerfischer · Nov 15, 2016

cat of curiosity said:
i keep a tennis racket hung on our coop, in case some dick want's to shank me (ie, bastard cock wants to spur the eyes). one or two swats is enough to get them growling and bitching, and generally stops the attacks for about 5-10 minutes. then, they forget and attack again. i know people say chickens are smart, but after 30 years and thousands eaten, i'm sorry to say that i just don't fucking believe that. at all, lol... they get props for creativity, but their smartness in free range means more for me to fix/clean. ours like to perch over my truck and shit on it all night, they say, ''fuck the coop, this garage is like a fucking trump penthouse!!!"

Yeah I use a rake at the moment. And the basterd can jump . Lol. I almost killed the fucker once.Lol
Almost nailed me in the eye.

chicken coupe ideas? (sorry don't know where to post this)

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