Comments for Coop Thoughts

Comment on Make It Your Own: Colin and Faye’s Australian Garden Coop by Cameron

Cameron — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 08:52:52 +0000

I love the look of your rustic Australian garden coop…You have both done a great job, especially since its the first time you have tried to build something like it. I’m sure the chooks will love it too. Well done.

Comment on Make It Your Own: Colin and Faye’s Australian Garden Coop by Karen

Karen — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 01:04:30 +0000

My husband and I didn’t know what “hardware cloth” was either! Like you guys, we managed to figure it out

Comment on Make It Your Own: Dan’s Garden Coop, Madison, Wisconsin (VIDEO) by The Garden Coop

The Garden Coop — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 04:15:47 +0000

Andy, thanks for your question. The plans for this coop are right under your nose!

http://www.thegardencoop.com/download-chicken-coop-plans.html

Comment on Make It Your Own: Dan’s Garden Coop, Madison, Wisconsin (VIDEO) by andy

andy — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 04:05:25 +0000

We are almost neighbors by about 75 miles or so, was curious to know if you did your own plans or where did you get them?

Thanks for sharing, really enjoyed and informative!

Comment on What’s the best kind of chicken wire and fencing? by hannah

hannah — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 13:13:24 +0000

sweet! totally rocks!

Comment on Make It Your Own: Steve’s Garden Coop and DIY chicken watering system, Seattle, Washington by Bob

Bob — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 23:34:32 +0000

Automation is a great idea, but remember, unless you are running a commerial egg production operation, you should visit with your chickens, see how things are going in and around the coup, give them feed, see if they are healthy or diseased or injured, laying in the nests have a clean environment, etc. These tasks are not easily automated so you have to spend time with your chickens. It is all about observing and enjoying them, so beyond improving the quality of the water, don’t be shy about manually filling the water tank. It gives you the opportunity to inspect their water supply and make sure it is healthy and flowing. You should inspect your coup and chickens every day or so to be sure they in good condition.
Also, it is a good idea to use a black plastic bucket or stainless container where no light can pass through. This prevents the growth of agae which needs light to grow.

Comment on Make It Your Own: Karen’s Connecticut coops by Karen G.

Karen G. — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 02:22:25 +0000

I LOVE the little door for the silkies to enter and exit in the Garden Ark. What a great addition.

Comment on Make It Your Own: Cindy’s “Hen Hilton,” Southern Rhode Island by Cindy

Cindy — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 23:03:31 +0000

Thank you for your kind comments. This is our first winter so we’re learning on the job, so to speak. Yes, I do provide straw or hay in the pen to help keep the ground from freezing. The litter quickly builds up a nice layer of compost and the chickens love scratching through it.

In the fall I raked leaves and pine needles and put those in the chicken pen; the birds had a blast with those materials, too.

Inside the coop itself I keep a small (chick-size) feeder and waterer along with a small bowl of oyster shell. That way, chickens have access to food/water 24/7 whether they are in the coop or in the pen. These items fit neatly just inside the clean-out door; they don’t take up much floor space and have so far never been knocked over.

To prevent water from freezing inside the coop, I use a seedling heat mat on a layer of bricks. So far the seedling heat mat has kept the water from freezing, even on nights that go down into the 20s. I suspect that, in addition to keeping the seedling heat mat from getting covered with pine shavings, the brick platform also serves as a heat sink of sorts.

I will find out this weekend whether the heat mat prevents the water from freezing in the little waterer when temps drop into the teens. We’ve had a mild winter so far but it appears things are changing fast as I write this message.

Comment on Make It Your Own: Karen’s Connecticut coops by The Garden Coop

The Garden Coop — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 22:24:20 +0000

JJ, I haven't heard of it being much of a problem, but I imagine most people who permanently house their flock in a chicken tractor take some kind of added precautions against predators. Here's a post I did a while back of ways to secure the floor of a chicken tractor.

Comment on Make It Your Own: Karen’s Connecticut coops by jj

jj — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 20:41:56 +0000

Wow, they look great together! Just wondering, how do you keep critters from digging underneath? Don’t have that problem with The Garden Coop but is it a problem with The Garden Ark? Thanks.