New Coop for the Girls

[Dad2FourWI]

Thanks all for all the kind words!!!!

This is pretty small compared to some of the buildings other FF members are making... but I agree.... it is so neat to see this coop and know that all these logs were destined to lay in the woods for the "bugs and slugs" to feast upon!!! Red Pine (Norway Pine) does not last long once the bark beetles are done with them!!!!!

We installed the sliding door and the girls will have to deal with a temporary roof for the winter... made of flitches and a tarp. The fun part is... in the morning, when we go to open the door of the new coop.... it is WARM inside!!! So the girls must be happy!

Here are a few random pics of the girls and one of the fence after the bear was done with it....

Nest boxes ready for eggs....


 


Sliding door ready for "Raider" the bear!


 


Maisy and Chuck (the chick who wanted to be a duck!)


 


One of the girls - an Araucana


 


Another - a Buff Orpington... and a Barred Rock hiding below...


 


"Raider" (the bear) was here!!!


 

Tomorrow........ we go to look at a LT 40 with HYDRAULICS......

Take care,
-Dad2FourWI

[beenthere]

Nest boxes ready for eggs....

And the cart ready to haul them off....   ;D

[thecfarm]

I always like the Araucanas. I just feel that you seen one Barred Rock, or RI Red you have seen them all. The Araucanas always seemed to look diffeant,no 2 a like. Not the best layers this time of year here in Maine. There are fair weather fowl.

[Dad2FourWI]

!!!!!!

You are too correct!!!!!

It was cold here in central Wisconsin today.... even with the nice new "digs".... we harvested only two eggs today.... and BOTH were from the ducks!!!!!!!!!!!

Go figure! - no matter, they taste great too!!! (thanks Maisy and Gildy!!!)

-Dad2FourWI

[bandmiller2]

If you plan to sell eggs you don't want arucanas folks are real suspicious of green eggs.Used to have a flock of indian runner ducks they would lay an egg a day without fail. Frank C.

[chevytaHOE5674]

In the last 12 months we have sold just shy of 800 dozen eggs all a mixture of brown, white, and green and we have never had a negative comment about the color. In fact most people are just thrilled when they open the cartons and see the variety of colors inside.

[bandmiller2]

Chevy,you have customers that know,mine were suburban yuppies that were nervous of anything that didn't come from a super market. Frank C.

[Magicman]

   I was hoping for a rear picture.   

I appreciate your statement about making something out of nothing.  Your project was recycling junk logs into something of value in the truest form.   ;D

[thecfarm]

bandmiller,I have one better than that. I use to sell eggs to city people at work. Had one guy that insisted I feed the fowl organic feed. I use to sell my eggs for $1.50 about 10 years ago.I told him I can do that. The price of eggs will be $3.00. He gave me the look. I knew what was coming. I'm all set,don't bother and walked off.  :  :D  They did like all the diffeant colors of eggs. I had a bunch of diffeant girls,some might not of been the best egg producers,but I like to see the differant breeds.
And I never had trouble with bears,but had trouble with all of the other much smaller 4 legged critters. Seem like I had to build something like Fort Knox,spend $500 to get $100 worth of eggs.  :D

[JohnM]

  I was hoping for a rear picture.   

Dad2FourWI, please, please, PLEASE post a pic of a chicken backside!  ;D ;) :D :D

The coop looks great!

[papow22]

Wow!!!!,Now that is a chicken coop of platinum chicken coops .I notice the dirt floor very good,also just another ?, what kind of watering have you got.For I use a plastic 50 gallons roughly sit on a stand enclosed with a electric light & then it is connected to calf water,I used a short chunk of garden hose.I closed it from the chicken area also my feed bind is besides it.I separated the chickens from water tank with a chicken wire fence Then the heat from the chickens keep everything in working order.I also put straw in the boxes in the winter time also on the floor and also I used a small tree to make a roost for them to sit on and they like it better than boards.

[arnold113]

Nice looking chicken digs, Dad2four. If you build that nice of a chicken coop then maybe I should get you to build my next home. It would be a fort knox. NICE!!!