Chickens

We are getting chickens mid June and I have been spending too much time looking at coops online. If anyone has a coop I would love to see a pic and hear what you love about your coop and what you would change. Thanks.

I don't have a picture, but I can tell you that being able to walk in, without having to be on hands and knees is a very good thing. A double door is helpful if you are worried about escapees. Cover the top, sides and under ground with chicken wire to prevent critters from "shopping". I like having a house for them as well as a large run. Put electric to the coop for cold winters. Add a heat lamp for them, they love it, and it keeps the water from freezing. They like having a perch to sleep on that is about chest high at least and they like their laying boxes to be lined with straw. Insulation is good too to keep them warm in winter and cool in summer.

Hello LopingAlong,
Thanks for the advice. We almost have the floor done, next week we will be working on the walls. We did buy insulations, thanks for the input there. I was worried I was going overboard. I have an acre and one quarter of it is fenced in. They will have that to run in during the day when we are out there, and a smaller fenced in covered run for when we are not out there. I do know their smaller run will be at least 10sq feet per bird. I'm glad you mentioned heat, I was planning on running electric out there, which is close to the greenhouse so why not add electric there too right? lol . Thanks for the input, I'm a city girl so I need all the help I can get.

Well have fun with them, I know you will. We had peafowl for awhile too. But one day, the door got jammed and we couldn't close it fast enough. A couple of chickens and a peacock escaped and out of nowhere, quick as lightning, two coyotes got the peacock (he'd flown about 20 feet from us) and one of the chickens. We were right there! Be careful about that and remember the hawks will get them from above if there is no wire over the top. You big area will be wonderful for them, but you might brace yourself for some loss just in case.

As an aside, and I know this is terrible, but we had one rooster that turned super agressive toward us. He'd fly at our faces, flapping wings and trying to 'spur' us and peck us. After about two weeks of this, I just opened the door and wished him luck. I never saw him after about 2 hours....I know. Bad of me, huh? I looked at it that nature was simply taking its course. We were all happier after that. Except for maybe him.

Oh my goodness I wanted to try peacocks or ducks too. I was hoping next year if this goes well. I'm sorry you lost yours, that is terrible that it happened right in front of you. I plan on putting wire over the top of the smaller run and hope that the big birds will stay away. The hawks do seem to consider our small dogs, but think better of it because we are out there. I hope the same is true for the chickens but like you said we do have to be prepared for loss. We have done tons of reading about chicken care, but I'm sure there are lessons we will have to learn the hard way.

Btw, I think letting an attack rooster loose before you end up with an eye patch is a super idea LOL. Human eyes before rooster life, that's how I see it!