All Cooped Up~the coop and run thread

[frustratedearthmother]

Im dying from moving snow

Ok - maybe I don't want snow!

 

[treerooted]

It looks to be a pretty fair size, so that's all good. Is the roof still in good shape? Does it feel sturdy, even though it leans a little?

The last coop I had was ancient like that and it sort of leaned on the next building and that one leaned on the next, etc. Besides it leaning, though, it was sturdy as a rock and the roof and wood seemed in great shape. I used it as is, though I did open up some windows for more cross ventilation.

Roof is not in good condition, and though it's got that old style sturdy beam building, the feet are rotting. We had to do a lot of structural repairs to feel better about housing any animals. Luckily there was lots or wood lying around so we were able to prop up several places.
But it leaks from the roof, we keep trying to repair but I'm thinking it might be a lost cause. We never intended this to be the final coop, but I was hoping to get more then one year out of it

 

[NH Homesteader]

Snow is fun when you're a little kid and get to play in it. Like, before anyone figures out that you can use a shovel!

I would think cattle panels would work for you @Hinotori, wire them together and they're pretty strong. Not positive though, DH is the resident builder here! Our hoop coops are not that wide.

 

[Beekissed]

Roof is not in good condition, and though it's got that old style sturdy beam building, the feet are rotting. We had to do a lot of structural repairs to feel better about housing any animals. Luckily there was lots or wood lying around so we were able to prop up several places.
But it leaks from the roof, we keep trying to repair but I'm thinking it might be a lost cause. We never intended this to be the final coop, but I was hoping to get more then one year out of it

On the bright side, if you leave it with a soil floor and want to use DL as your preferred bedding method, those leaks may come in handy! I had a leaky coop before last year's new winter tarp was applied and I had MUCH better composting of my DL than I did this past year, when the coop no longer leaked.

Now I have to intentionally CREATE a way for rain and snow to leak into my DL under the roosts, unless I want to tote water up there to do the same thing...add more moisture to my composting pit.

 

[treerooted]

Fixed up a bit:

On the bright side, if you leave it with a soil floor and want to use DL as your preferred bedding method, those leaks may come in handy! I had a leaky coop before last year's new winter tarp was applied and I had MUCH better composting of my DL than I did this past year, when the coop no longer leaked.

Now I have to intentionally CREATE a way for rain and snow to leak into my DL under the roosts, unless I want to tote water up there to do the same thing...add more moisture to my composting pit.

Ha, well, we had a full flood in that coop this year...so moisture was not problem! I'm all about the DL as well

 

[Beekissed]

Winter coop achieved....now just need to do leaf collection in town to fill it full of dry, soft leaves. This patched up old hoop coop is none too pretty but it's greatly functional and cheap to make, so it serves me well.

Sometimes I miss the old traditional wood built coop where you don't need to change much to get ready for seasonal changes, but I'm very grateful to have a coop that I could build by myself...I'd never be able to build a traditional wooden coop, of the size I'd need, all by me onesies.

Put on a dust mask and dusted it all down...the funnel spiders LOVE this coop, washed down the nest box tops and front of the coop as much as possible with Murphy's Oil Soap, installed and filled the heated waterers for chicken and dogs, fixed one of the front "window" shutters that's been needing fixed, removed my utility niche/box off the work surface and replaced it with one that is smaller, more shallow and not as scary to put my hand into when I need something out of it.

Re-positioned my chicken hammock in preparation for the fall/winter flock checkups and castor oil application to feet, legs, combs and wattles. Just need to get a straw bale to put in there for days I want to sit in the coop or when the chickens want a different level of being when they are snowed in.

Early to the roost with the clear tarp on...a much brighter and lighter setup. I think they liked soaking up the last rays of the sun as it went down. Some of the birds were still out foraging but the older gals were sure to get in early to preserve their spaces.

 

[treerooted]

Great!

 

[Hinotori]

We finally got a chance to pick up a few cattle panels. I got the first of 5 installed on the pen. Went really well and attached to the chainlink panels better than I thought it would. Hopefully no more issues.

 

[Beekissed]

Winter coop is working fine so far. Temps at 6* when I went to feed and were 3* when I got up...but in the coop, at roosting height, it's 20*. No heater, no lights, just good ol' compost mass under the roosts and deep litter throughout, clear winter tarp to let the sunshine in.

No frostbit combs, even though the rooster roosts with his head even with 4 in. of ventilation within a foot of him and a square foot of open pop door under his roost and HUGE open areas right across from him where the upper part of the door is just screen and 6 in. window gaps on either side of the door, not to mention various wide cracks throughout the wood structure of the coop.

It's a good coop and a good system. I can leave the eggs overnight in the nests and collect them the next evening with that day's take and never have to worry about frozen eggs, even in single digit temps.

Makes for peace in the winter, not having to worry about frozen eggs, frozen water, uncomfortably chilled chooks. Even feeding wet feed each day doesn't present a problem.

 

[Mini Horses]

Since this is a coop thread, I'll say that I've use bales of hay that have a lot of seed due to time of cut, moistened it, set in sun &/or sunny spot....inside coop, under clear tarp/window for sun....and got good sprout from those seeds. Chickens loved the early green.

If you have a coop large enough -- and decent temps -- this may be a consideration at some point before grasses appear outside. Oh, the chickens will eat & spread it once you cut strings.

The bale will be warmer than you think due to composting & thickness. You can even put some seed in it, like a straw bale garden.

My coops are wooden, mostly, with fenced runs for any I need to confine (select fertilizing of eggs, bachelor roos, etc). Otherwise, free range all. Deep litter large coops, small ones have DL on smaller scale due to size.