I’d meant to build a coop since before we actually got chicks, however life and the weather got in the way.
Chicks started to become chickens, and I still didn’t have a coop built. I have plenty of wood waiting to be put back to use.
But I ended up looking for coops online. In all reality, they are not as expensive as I thought they would be, but as with all things, you can spend as much as you want.
The one I settled on said it was the right size for two to four birds. However, it seems a bit small for four birds in all honesty. It’s a combination coop / chicken tractor.
I’m going to have to make a new bottom part for it to raise the coop part a bit higher. The lone duck can barely stand up underneath the coop part.
Also, a full sized feeder and waterer pretty much block off the ramp going up to the roost area.
I’d originally started this post as a draft months ago and am just getting back to it. Long story I’d bought a 6’X10′ run to attach to the coop.
Things were going great. The chickens and lone duck demolished the weeds wherever I placed the tractor and made short work of kitchen scraps. They all seemed quite happy and were close to starting to lay eggs.
I checked the tracking on the run I ordered, and it showed to be two days out. I went out at lunch break and gave them some fresh food and water. At the time, I thought I saw something reddish in color zoom through the yard but thought little of it after finding nothing as I looked around.
However, upon coming home, I found there was a large reddish dog running around in front of the house. The oldest took it back to its owner. What I could not have foreseen until I took scraps out for the chickens was that this dog had ripped the coop apart and killed our birds. I was beyond lived. Had I realized what had happened, things may have played out a bit differently.
The dogs owner overheard my rant about what the dog had done and came over to talk to me. They gave me a dollar amount that made me feel bad, not only for taking it but for having my melt down as I was taking care of the mess.
They, however, insisted I take the money, and all these months later, the dog has not returned.
The run I had ordered a week before showed up the day after our little flock was wiped out. It still sits in the box it arrived in.
A word or warning, the small cheap coops are fine for a well protected area, but I wouldn’t personally recommend one for an open space.
I haven’t replaced our flock yet but will come spring. The next coop will be built from pallets and have chain link fence laid all around the base and covered with dirt to prevent anything digging in from outside and I may cover the pallets with a layer of paper pulp adobe bricks. The boys and I made some around six years ago, and they were left laying around to see how they would hold up.
They were just left bare, and even though we had over twenty inches of rain this year, other than having faded out in color, they are still solid and in great shape
As we dig out our root celler/storm shelter, we will deal with the excess dirt by making adobe bricks. Some dirt will of course be used to fill raised bed gardens.
Both are stories for a later date. Thank you for taking the time to read this. We realize your time is valuable. Please like and subscribe or share our posts to help us grow. May your ventures be me with success.
Slocum's Creak 