Chickens...

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exalted512
exalted512 Posts: 10,735
in The Clubhouse
Anyone have them? The wife wanted to get some...so guess who's building the coop? Anyway, just curious if anyone else has been roped into this. We had chickens growing up but I was very little, so everything is very new to me. Backyardchickens.com has been a great help thus far though.

Setup is a little different now since we have some wire up around the sides to make sure they don't escape. My daughter's playpen is the secondary containment and works well keeping our dogs out.
12006182_10107916621773384_6223469561708787973_n.jpg?oh=32d59bd11ec17b213354974e7762f088&oe=5785A61D

Pretty sure the chicks would be dead in about 5 seconds of unattended time with these two vicious killers:
10155441_10107916623829264_3365593977008302372_n.jpg?oh=3d82e0c48e7583c7e7435980013abe03&oe=578E0289

Actually, they'd probably just want to play with them...but end up killing them anyway, haha.

And the start of the coop:
1910305_10107923329675694_3250997614401536283_n.jpg?oh=8a41195f94e0e1132a547e77d7e0763d&oe=579680C0

It'll be an 8x12 "Woods-Style" coop. Neat design that the wife fell in love with when she saw it.

We have 6 Ameracaunas, 6 Production Reds, and will be getting 6 Murans next months. Should have lots of brown, blue, and maroon (Gig 'em!) eggs in a few months.
-Cody
Music is like candy, you have to get rid of the rappers to enjoy it
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Comments

  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,044
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    No chickens here, but I am still empathetic -- our daughter & son-in-law will be getting their first chickens (hens for laying eggs) on or about 15 April. Indeed, I was at the Home Despot with my son-in-law just today buying some "poultry netting" :- )

    They have a 'sugaring house' (for making maple syrup) on their property which they intend to convert to a coop, so no heavy construction planned -- yet.

    Good luck to you with your gallinaceous adventure!
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  • strider
    strider Posts: 2,568
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    We don't have them, yet. Are you going to use them for eggs exclusively? Any plans on saving the manure for fertilizer?
    Wristwatch--->Crisco
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  • voltz
    voltz Posts: 5,384
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    We had some chickens for awhile when I was a teen, think 2 types Barred Plymouth rock and Buff Orpington hen I think. My Dad bought them as chicks and we raised them with one Rooster we called Rooster Cogburn :p
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  • txcoastal1
    txcoastal1 Posts: 13,132
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    strider wrote: »
    We don't have them, yet. Are you going to use them for eggs exclusively? Any plans on saving the manure for fertilizer?

    You interested in Cody's manure....What ya' growing? ;)
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  • exalted512
    exalted512 Posts: 10,735
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    strider wrote: »
    We don't have them, yet. Are you going to use them for eggs exclusively? Any plans on saving the manure for fertilizer?

    Eggs exclusively is the plan. I wanted to go ahead and get a bunch of chickens (18 is a bunch to me) because the initial costs for 5 chickens or 25 chickens is close to the same, just a slightly larger coop and run. And really not much more work either. Figured we could sell excess eggs on Craigslist and maybe at least keep us solvent on feed and anything else. The coop is good up to 25-ish chickens.

    We plan on doing the 'deep litter' method for inside the coop. It reduces the time spent cleaning up as well as provides for great fertilizer as well. We don't have a garden yet though. I'm sure we will in the next couple of years though.
    -Cody
    Music is like candy, you have to get rid of the rappers to enjoy it
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,044
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    Chicken_run_ver1.jpg
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  • exalted512
    exalted512 Posts: 10,735
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    2 months in and I'm still not quite done. Lots of late nights at work from being audited earlier this year means everything got pushed back. But this weekend I was able to get it finished 'enough' to put the chickens in the coop and get them out of my shop. My daughter was helping to spread the pine chips...haha. The tarp is currently covering up a big hole, but eventually there will be a couple of windows right there. Windows, paint, and trim and I'll be done, although it still might take a while as I don't have a weekend to devote to it within the next month.

    toq8v0wcfhjx.jpg
    jr49bq2330uv.jpg
    -Cody
    Music is like candy, you have to get rid of the rappers to enjoy it
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  • mrbiron
    mrbiron Posts: 5,711
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    exalted512 wrote: »
    toq8v0wcfhjx.jpg
    I there is something wrong with the chicken in the middle? Maybe it's the shorts? Never seen a chicken in teal shorts before.

    Looks good from where i'm sitting but i know virtually squat about chickens except that they taste good.
    Where’s the KABOOM?!?! There’s supposed to be an Earth shattering KABOOM!!!
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  • exalted512
    exalted512 Posts: 10,735
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    That's the craziest one!
    Music is like candy, you have to get rid of the rappers to enjoy it
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  • rooftop59
    rooftop59 Posts: 7,981
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    Dude I need to get one of those pens for MY little, um, chickens. yea lets just say they're chickens, they look like ur crazy cute one!

    But seriously, looks good!
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  • scottyboy76
    scottyboy76 Posts: 2,905
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    Love the little red headed monkey in with the chicks, is she pretty good at knowing to be gentle with them?

    I would surely not have been from what my mom said of me.

    We get free fresh eggs from the neighbor who has three coops and I don't know how many chicks.

    One thing is for sure, you will never ever want to go back to store bought for breakfast dishes, baking or any rocky type training table menu item, they are that much better than store bought, Imho
    humpty dumpty was pushed
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  • oldrocker
    oldrocker Posts: 2,590
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    ^^ Yep, store bought does not compare..
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,044
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    Whoa that chicken coop is worthy of Architectural Digest!
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  • exalted512
    exalted512 Posts: 10,735
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    She's actually surprisingly gentle with them. Here's a video that her grandma took of her petting all the chickens.

    https://goo.gl/photos/GNhAXnCKagZWLvrd8

    I've had farm fresh eggs a lot before and I absolutely agree that they're terrific! I appreciate the compliments on the coop. I was basically building it off a photo and some rough dimensions so it's taking me longer than I had hoped, but I really like how it's turned out so far.
    -Cody
    Music is like candy, you have to get rid of the rappers to enjoy it
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  • footwedge
    footwedge Posts: 475
    edited May 2016
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    exalted512 wrote: »
    2 months in and I'm still not quite done. Lots of late nights at work from being audited earlier this year means everything got pushed back. But this weekend I was able to get it finished 'enough' to put the chickens in the coop and get them out of my shop. My daughter was helping to spread the pine chips...haha. The tarp is currently covering up a big hole, but eventually there will be a couple of windows right there. Windows, paint, and trim and I'll be done, although it still might take a while as I don't have a weekend to devote to it within the next month.

    toq8v0wcfhjx.jpg
    jr49bq2330uv.jpg
    -Cody

    Nice coop. Where did you get the plan?

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  • txcoastal1
    txcoastal1 Posts: 13,132
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    Precious

    Post your craigslist ad when you get up and running
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  • txcoastal1
    txcoastal1 Posts: 13,132
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    @exalted512
    Hey dude, you ok out there in College Station
    That rain was a bear
    2-channel: Modwright KWI-200 Integrated, Dynaudio C1-II Signatures
    Desktop rig: LSi7, Polk 110sub, Dayens Ampino amp, W4S DAC/pre, Sonos, JRiver
    Gear on standby: Melody 101 tube pre, Unison Research Simply Italy Integrated
    Gone to new homes: (Matt Polk's)Threshold Stasis SA12e monoblocks, Pass XA30.5 amp, Usher MD2 speakers, Dynaudio C4 platinum speakers, Modwright LS100 (voltz), Simaudio 780D DAC

    erat interfectorem cesar et **** dictatorem dicere a
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  • exalted512
    exalted512 Posts: 10,735
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    txcoastal1 wrote: »
    @exalted512
    Hey dude, you ok out there in College Station
    That rain was a bear

    Yup, I'm okay. I actually live about halfway between College Station and Huntsville. We got our share of rain (12-ish inches in 3 days with more to come this week), but we were spared the tornados that were just north in Bryan. One of my co-workers houses was hit. Lots of damage.

    Chickens were a little wet, but they're doing good too :)
    -Cody
    Music is like candy, you have to get rid of the rappers to enjoy it
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