[singlepic id=178 w=320 h=240 float=right]I received pictures of from a couple friends that visited my site and they were kind enough to send me some pictures of their chickens coops.
This picture is of my new Buff Orpington Rooster and a couple hens. It appears that it is slightly blurred, but it does show what Buff Orpingtons look like at about 4 1/2 months.
One is very fancy, I assume at least some of the small doors open to allow for ventilation, and I don’t know how many chickens are kept by them, but it would seem that this is before an outside pen is added, or it is a relatively small number of chickens.
[singlepic id=172 w=320 h=240 float=right]My guess is that this (second) picture is approximately 2 weeks old as the wing feathers seem to be nearly developed.
[singlepic id=173 w=320 h=240 float=right]From this point on I would be guessing, but I would say the pictures of the birds were taken about two weeks apart. As many chicks as I have raised, I really can’t pinpoint the ages just from looking, I need dated pictures or something to refer to.
[singlepic id=174 w=320 h=240 float=right]What the post is really about is home made coops. This shows that this coop doesn’t include a large amount of fancy materials. It does however show, how someone might build their coop fairly inexpensively and end up with an excellent building that is very adequate for the task of providing food, water, and shelter for a few birds.
[singlepic id=175 w=320 h=240 float=right]The coop has all the necessary equipment and is obviously very clean and well kept. The equipment looks new and would appear to have been bought for this flock.
[singlepic id=50 w=320 h=240 float=right]I personally do not like the hanging feeders. They take up less space that an wooden trough, but experiments done show that they waste a terrible amount of feed. I do see that the edges of the feeder are shaped slightly different from the old fashioned feeders, so I assume this new design is much better about waste.
[singlepic id=176 w=320 h=240 float=right]Although I have raised chickens for many years, I really can’t find fault with it at all. I put it here and I think it’s very nice. It was nice of the visitor to send the pictures, and it shows that the birds are well taken care of. I do feel that the outside area is somewhat smaller than I would like if it were mine, but from the last picture it is obvious that they are allowed some “ranging” time.
[singlepic id=177 w=320 h=240 float=right]Obviously it would need a solid door if the coop is located in northern or cold climates.
The young person holding the chicken shows just how tame chickens can become if handled gently and often. If you have a rooster, this can be quite a trick to get hens or the rooster to be that tame. It can be done because they do train them for showing purposes, but it takes a lot of time and patience, and it is best that you start very early.
The second coop doesn’t show the inside but is very well built and great for housing a small flock. It is another example of a home made coop.
The small doors, I believe, are for ventilation as well as access to the nests. This is often done, a small outside door to access the nests so you don’t have to go inside the coop.
It is impossible to tell from the pictures, but any coop should have windows to provide sunlight. Chickens need sunlight to lay well and it helps warm the coop in the winter. Naturally in warmer climates, opening windows, or just screens of some type are needed to provide ventilation.
I assume there will be an outside exercise pen built in the future although it is possible to raise chickens for eggs without ever having them leave their house.
Tags: Home Made Chicken Coops