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The ideal coop would be a shed or mini barn that would allow you to walk in and clean/water/feed. 20 to 25 birds may be crowded unless it Is an oversized shed. I've got 32 hens and a couple of roosters and they need two coops and one is well oversized. A single rooster can be handy to keep...

Great article! A coop add on can also be key if you add several new chickens to an existing flock. The existing flock will have an established roost spot and fights will happen if new birds try to establish territory. We added 25 new birds to the flock and they joined the existing flock with no...

Thanks for the tip Rooster. He was laying dead still out in the yard a few hours later. I went to the barn and fetched a long handled net for fishing and surprised him. He was a heavy sucker! Does not look it in the pictures but he must have been 35 to 45 lbs. he was fighting in the...

Ah... You guys are good! Woodchuck or Ground Hog sounds logical. Just never seen either on open ground like this. He must be moving through. Thanks!

We had this up on our porch today and I got a picture from the cell phone. Looks like a baby beaver to me but my wife thinks maybe a muskrat or badger. Very odd since we are on several acres of fenced farm land with no rivers anywhere near. We do have a farm pond but I have never seen any...

Straw in the coop is not a great bedding choice (very difficult to clean and remove poop). You may want to switch to pine chips. You can get a big block at Tractor Supply for 5 bucks. Opening up your coop as much as possible will help as well as keeping it dry. I open coop doors to the...

Sorry about your pullet! Yup... dogs can get through chicken wire and screen doors pretty easy. We have 7 dogs and the chicken/goat area is fenced off from them with no climb horse fencing. The goats are in with the chickens so the run has to be sturdy and also horse fence. Goats love to...

Sounds OK... I use 12x12x12 inches as a minimum for my nest boxes.

Thanks for your service and good luck!

Welcome and good ideas posted so far. For sure replace the tarp with some type of tin or plywood sheets anchored and angled to drain rain water. High winds will throw that tarp off pretty quick. May need better run fencing if you have predators in your area. You need a roosting bar in the...

A fan would be nice for sure. I am not familiar with misting systems but I have walked through a few out on the Vegas Strip. No doubt that the chickens would enjoy the cooling. With such high temps I would for sure have a coop with very large wall openings and even a three sided coop. I am...

It may be nice to cut a square up high on the back above the nest boxes along with a hinged flap. Even an opening on the opposite wall of the one you have would be nice. I would make some type of awning or hinged board for the existing opening for stormy weather.

I don't know about ghetto but the neighbors will soon be thanking you for bringing some country living up close.... I think. :-o Be sure to let them know that you will have fresh eggs to offer. :-)

+1 Cut boards the same size as your windows or a bit larger, paint, and add hinges on the top edge. Attach them above each window. You will then need to add some type of hinged pole or a way to prop them open partially or full open as well as the ability for them to be fully closed. My...

For me..... I don't even have one. Leaving a small opening from the coop to the run full time works great! This allows fresh air into the coop and full time access for the chickens into the run. Of course the run needs to be predator proof. During severe storms will I put a board up...

Looks like a nice run area "as is"! Build a coop inside or on the outside with a cut hole in the fence to the run. The only problem with a fence with a top bar is that it is a tempting place for the chickens to fly up and roost on (and then fly over). What you could do is to get a ladder...

Pine chips and hay are ideal for the nesting boxes. If you only use chips then they tend to get kicked out a lot. The hay is great since it can be rounded into a nice nest. I put carpet remnants on the nest bottoms which works great. Pine chips are generally the best for the coop flooring...

Insulation most definitely reduces radiant heat and cold through a roof or wall. You have to make the call as to how much of a benefit you will gain compared to the cost of installation. I used insulated panels for our dog houses (floor, roof, and walls) and they are for sure cooler in the...

You can add curtains if you wish but they will get filled with coop dust pretty quickly. It would be a stretch to think that the moon light is a problem with too much light. Give them time and they will all be up on the roost bar at night. They will even line up in the same order each night...

The distance of the poop board below the roost bar looks good to me. Hard to tell but the bar will need to be at least 12' from the wall and hopefully no drafty wind at the bar height. Your ladder looks like it could use more rungs! The spacing of the rungs is pretty far apart. Overall it...