I wish, I could build this for my chickens too. But nobody wants to help me and I have absolutely no carpenter skills, or tools knowledge. I am crying, as I have been looking for a coop on the internet. Just can't find one that is right! Yours looks like the girls really love yours. Making eggs is serious business to the girls. Even enough room for little chicks to be hatched. Fantastic job, mate. I wish, you could come and help me, haha, Australia here. 🤗🤗🤗
What a delightful video! It's so exciting to see your first day owning chickens and getting a tour of the coop. The joy and enthusiasm you have for your new flock are contagious! The coop looks great, and I love how you’ve set everything up for their comfort and happiness. This is a wonderful start to your chicken-keeping journey-can't wait to see how your flock grows and thrives!
A chicken dust bath helps to remove excess oil, as well as external parasites like lice and mites. A dirt bath also maintains the water resistance of the outer feathers of a chicken. Dust bathing is an important part of keeping chickens healthy and clean. So they love to rub in dirt. some people put tires out and fill it full so chickens can get into it and rub their bodies. Your chicken coop is the best one I have ever seen before!! You did an excellent job!! WOW!!!! Did your chickens ever figure out that water system you fixed for them??
I made a gravity feeder also and had the same problem with having to push the food down. To fix it, I shortened the end with the end cap and put a 45 degree elbow instead of a 90 degree so the food drops when they peck at it. Some food falls around the feeder but then they just scratch at it and it gives them something to dig up.
That is a great and sensible idea, wish I had thought of that! I ended up getting a standard feeding basin that hangs which has been great but it's definitely not as cool.
I was really surprised. It may have been a fluke so we shall see over the next few days how they do. I think the average is about 4 eggs a week per bird. They seem to be happy though.
kmb383 that's awesome!! I have been on a roll lately getting 5 for 5 everyday for about a week and a half. They lay later and later then earlier and earlier. It's an interesting cycle they have. Thank you for the great comments. Good luck and ATB
Best chicken photobomb EVER! 5:53 😂😂 I rewatched it twice! Great coop and run setup and I’m thankful you included details about the LED solar lights - I was thinking we should use those too.
Thank you SO much! It has been a learning experience for sure. Some people disagree with the lights but they only stay on for about 20 minutes at the break of day and I think it gives them time to settle and fight for roost position, which is every night. Thanks for the comment, ATB
fireballmalone1 - Our setup is being built over the next month in an urban hen keeping situation (I post progress to my stories/highlights on Instagram under the same username) and I have concerns over predators and hooligans. I was looking into motion sensitive solar LED flood lights like yours for this purpose. It might also be handy for us come winter because sunset is at around 4pm-430pm making the day very short (8hrs daylight max) for any egg layers. So even like you say, if it stayed on for an extra 20min or hour it might be helpful. We back onto a public fence and walking path so passers-by with ears will definitely notice chicken noises in the daytime. Haha!
cybercanuck that sounds really exciting that you’re getting SO CLOSE to getting your chickens and starting a really great and interesting change. They are very rewarding, but you’re right about that responsibility Coming with some stressors and concerns. I am looking into purchasing a bunch of the solar lights I have on the chicken coop and putting them around the property. I’ve had that solar light out there now for a few years and, knock on wood, it has worked flawlessly. I really do wish you guys the best and hope your experience is an exceptional one. Cheers
Your chicken are safe and happy , I like how you build a stand in their coop is low , easy for them , a lot of people they build really high , I bet your chicken said thx to you , Beautyful and comforting chicken coop , ❤
Amazing coop and run. I've not yet seen anyone else treat their animals as well as you do. What a skilled and compassionate man! Congrats on winning at life! Haha, enjoy those eggs.
Nice setup! One suggestion from someone who has had chickens for a few years: rather than a round roosting pole, your chickens will be more comfortable on a 2x4 with the wide side up. This will cause less stress on their feet and will help them keep their toes warm in the winter. I know that their wild ancestors slept in trees, but our wild ancestors slept in caves and on the ground - unless I am camping I prefer my bed.
Buddy Moore thank you for the comment and great suggestion. I actually changed out the round pole and ended up putting in a landscape timber that I sanded down to avoid splintering. They seem to love it. They can sit on it while still grabbing the front due to the rounded edges. It's about as wide as a 2x4 laying flat. Right now I am prepping for their first winter.
fireballmalone1 Good idea on the roost. I'm in Louisiana so I probably won't winter prep until next month. We're still having 90 degree days. All I do to winterize is put plastic over the windows near the roost. That still leaves plenty of ventilation. I've lost chickens to heat but never to cold. I would rather err on the side of too much ventilation.
Eggcellent! You know how to coop. I'm very impressed by how diligent you've been with keeping your flock safe. I loved the lady who came in and started singing the egg song for the camera. Enjoy! Chickens are lovely pets - breakfast and entertainment.
Super love your coop and your set up, especially your forested second run. They are gonna love that! Only thing I see that may prove an issue for you, depending on where you are, is the lack of slope to your clear paneled run roof. I have a similar clear panel cover, but I needed to build mine on a 3:12 slope to avoid snow overload. Those panels do bow over time, so even if snow is not an issue for you, you could end up with pooled rain water or other debris issues.
I’m currently building my coop and it is modeled off yours. So far I have all the walls and roof framed out. Starting on the roof tomorrow. Thanks for the excellent series of videos. I’ve been looking for a couple months at plans and pictures and for whatever reason after watching your coop videos I went for it on your build ideas.
Andrew Kenseth This is seriously one of the best compliments I've gotten on the coop videos. The coop was the first big project I ever tried to build. I really hope your build goes well and you enjoy the process. I learned a lot through building mine and it lead to a lot of other projects. The only main thing I changed was the feeder. It never really worked well. I kept having to help the food work its way past the 90. I wish you guys the best!! And thanks again for the comment
We bought our first ever chickens just a few weeks ago and we're loving them. We bought a ready-made coop and a small run, but I'm planning to build a large run for them next and that's when I found your great videos. I've really enjoyed watching them all, thanks for all your efforts in documenting it all - very inspiring.
James Pearson Congratulations on getting your chickens!! They are a trip to watch. I really wish you guys the best with them. Thank you for the kind words as well. ATB
I just found your channel and subscribed. Your chicken enclosure is awesome. Your new chickens seen happy with their new home as they produced eggs sooner than expected. Looking forward to watching your flock.🐓😀
Thank you SO much. A lot has been learned and many changes since this video. They are such a great responsibility to have on the little homestead and we take it very seriously. Hope your'e well and all the best. Cheers!
Awesome planning. I bit the chickens would love the secondary run. I think you need a stop at the bottom of the nest boxes to prevent the pine shavings from falling out.
Outstanding! I am having a coop built since I am not as clever as you and your dad. I am inspired by the secondary run and intend to add something similar. Thanks for posting!
Wow nice set up. I am impressed. The only thing I can see that may improve the coup is a second or third perch a little higher and further from the wall. I'm sure it's fine as it is, it's just you asked for improvements and that's all that i thought of at first. Oh here's another, maybe you could gather a few good size rocks and put them around the perimeter of the run where the wire is buried. It could be done decoratively as a landscaping feature that also made it harder to get under the wire. I cut a pickup tire to make sort of like a kiddy pool with a big hole in the bottom, then filled it with blow sand (it's finer, chickens didn't seem to like the beach sand I tried first), and mixed in some DE and wood ashes, for a dust bath.
Love your setup! I am on my first week having just moved our baby chickens out to the new coop as well. We don't have a run built yet but they are still just little. Youve given me some great ideas! Thanks!
Allie Geiger that's awesome! I wish you the best of luck! I put up a trail camera facing the coop to try and catch any sketchy goings on but none yet. I'm excited for you. They are a blast to sit and watch.
Nice job. I would like to offer some advice. The chicken poop in coop in mostly under the roosting bar. I took plastic lids off of storage containers, wrapped them in newspaper, lined them up under the roosting bar and covered them with 3 to 4 inches of shavings. Once a week I pull them out, dump of shavings and poop into my garden, replace dirty newspaper if needed and cover up with more shavings. It's neat, very clean and easy maintenance in the coop. No ammonia smell and coop stays wonderfully clean. It's time to think about getting yourself a few more hens this spring because I am sure you have fallen in love with chickens!
Diane Veilleux that is a great idea! We have a routine of scooping out the poop every day and adding it to our compost pile but your way is quite a bit less hassle. I am think about getting some more this spring too. I think I could go up to 10 and they would still be comfortable. I am a bit hesitant because of the battle for pecking order I read about. Thanks again, atb
fireballmalone1 you could go up much more than 10... easily 20, tight for 30, but still doable. Just need additional roosting bars. Best coop I have ever seen! I am building #5, 6 & 7 right now. I don’t have the resources to build like you have, but I am defiantly keeping a lot of the things you have done in mind when building mine...but if I did have the resources, i would do what you have done. You are gonna really enjoy those birds. A good coop is so key to the whole enjoyment of the birds! I can’t believe you got eggs on day one. That is for sure those chickens telling you how happy they are with the time and care and love you put into that coop!
Chickmamapalletfarm 7 coops! How many chickens do you have? That's awesome!! I have updated my roosts to thick tree branches and they seem to really like it. How do you tackle leg mites? They don't like to be caught otherwise I'd give them baths. I've got multiple dust baths for them but one of the birds has leg mites and I've tried all kinds of stuff but doesn't seem to help. Any advice would be great. Thanks for the kind comments and good luck with your new builds!
A tip on the inside of your chicken coop wood be to put the roost higher than your nesting boxes because the chickens might sleep inside the nesting boxes
Emma Kay thanks for the info. I've made a few changes since this video and the first was the roost. The first night they didn't seem comfortable so I replaced it with a landscape timber and did raise it up. I should do an update video. After watching this I realize quite a bit has been modified.
I live out in the woods and was wanting chickens..now Thanks to your video..I have the idea how to protect them from all these critters in S.C. I will mention one thing my Dad and Grandpa always did.. to help the Hens lay eggs with strong shells, they always had a small bowl of crushed oyster shell for the hens to eat. The Hens will only eat it if they need the minerals.. I bet you already knew this, in case you didn't ..thought I would mention it.. it's an awesome coop and I hope mine turns out half that good !
Scarlet Compton Bellew thank you for the kind comment. I have since added a crushed oyster shells feeder and an additional waterer out in the large run. Im a little concerned about winter time and predators looking for food so I'm currently working on securing the additional run for them as best I can. I really wish you the best on building your coop! It's exciting!
fireballmalone1 your first run is really good! If you add things for them to do in that first run for the winter, they will very likely be happy. Compost piles to play and scratch in, straw and hay to nibble on, maybe one of those balls with treats or greens or goodies in it. I haven’t watched your any of your other videos, maybe you have already done all of this.
Baby G thanks for the input. I have changed the roosts completely since this video. I added some and the cross the width of the inside and have multiple levels to the highest point they would be comfortable. It’s been a labor of love and a learning experience. Comments like this have really helped. Cheers
Wow, what a great plan. Those chickens are a great breed ,gives you a lot of eggs as you have seen. Looks like you thought of everything . It's like free range chickens, without being out. love it.
Very nice build and set up ! We're a week or two away from being first time chicken owners. I'm going to watch your building videos next and see how it all went together. I just got delivery of a prefab coop for this year with a dog fence style run but looking to build my own for next year. Something a little more substantial !
Thank you SO much for the great comment. There have been many many changes as I have learned and have started to rescue chickens as a result. I hope you like the other videos, Cheers!
Great Coop !! I have had Birds, All my life...I am a retired zoo keeper... But, I cant build a stick LOL... I have an automatic door opener in the house, I can't figure out how to apply it !! all my birds are healthy and happy Though ! Thanks for sharing.............Ron S. You have covered all the bases, with your coop.....good enough to be in a 5 star Zoo.....!
Hello from New Hampshire. Very nice coop design. We are just finishing a new house In the woods and also have bear, bobcat and fisher cats. I'm considering using electrified chicken fencing. I like your hardware cloth and capping your main coop run. Planning to have Barred Rocks and will dry hatch as well. Great to see how considerate your plan is Fresh eggs are the best!
diane hall thank you very much for the kind words. The hardware cloth is great because of how strong it is, not to mention inexpensive. It sounds like you have moved way way out into the woods. Bears are pretty rare here, but do migrate through a. Electrifying your fencing is probably a really good idea. I hope it goes well, best of luck.
Oneda Zinn thanks! They seem pretty happy. We've had pretty nice weather here the last couple days and we've been letting them out to free range. I've been in the yard starting a greenhouse so they are pretty safe. I had no idea what I was doing when I built this, but the doors, surprisingly, worked out pretty good. Thanks again!!
Stick their beak in the water ... they'll get it. Have a trail cam? Would be interesting to see who's sneaking around at night. Happy girls... giving gifts already.
A trail cam is a great idea. I tried to catch one but they would let me get anywhere near them. I figured I'd wait a couple days until they settled down and try again to teach them the waterer. Thanks for the advice! ATB
Awesome job matey! I did a similar thing but didn't put the wire going outwards from the cage and how have a constant battle with rats burrowoing in. I'll do this with the next one and I'm going to take if out even further because they can tunnel a long way and they're good problem sovlers rats!
Love your set-up! Raising/having chickens is a very rewarding hobby! One suggestion if I may, your fencing for the secondary run I would highly suggest the same fencing around your coop. I have the same fencing and just lost most of my birds from an Ermine, weasel family, that can fit right through the fence. Hence the reason for watching your video for redesign ideas!! Again I think you did a great job!
I'm sorry to hear about your loss with your chickens. Here lately we have been letting them roam all around the yard and we have been lucky. I have recently replaced the small door going in to the big run for a better quality seal at night and have been thinking about adding another layer of wire around that area and keeping them in there. Especially now that I have veggie seeds going getting ready for the garden. They need to be a bit more contained because if it's available, they will eat it lol. Good luck and thanks for the comment and suggestion. Cheers!
Cheers! They were a little older than we were told but super happy regardless. I think that is the most important.. Good luck with your girls and best wishes to a safe and productive experience..
Probably, they were thinking: "Hey, where are we? Nice condo! Looks at those windows. Hey this is brand new! Smells good. " "Checking out the rooms, a/c, etc. Hey, this landlord really set us up!" "Hey look at the garden!"
Love you Coop, Use chicken nipples for water. Use a 5 gallon bucket with lid. My chicks or only 5 weeks old and they figured it out in 40 minutes. Also clip one side of their wings so they cant fly. I made my coop out of a kids fort/swing set/ slide. Will try out your feeder but will try a center feed with only 2 openings.should do the trick.
Greg Gomes the feeder I made is,going to have a complete overhaul. I've already taken it apart and had to clean it because water got in. They have figured out the water cups finally, and I kept the other waterer out so they stay hydrated. I like the nipple idea name will check it out thanks.
MandyNiXX thanks, I have tweaked it a bit more, added a solar fan in the coop, compost piles in the run that they LOVE. And some more obstacles the play on. Appreciate the comment, ATB
I'm sure you figured it out, take out the other water sources and they'll find the water cups super fast lol. I need something like this for the nipples. Nice set up.
Amanda Vadon Thanks! They figured it out after about 3 days or so. I have added a couple watered out in the yard for when I let them out when I'm outside working on something. Appreciate the advice!
That is great to hear, I really appreciate the feedback. I nixed the feeder because it kept bunching up and went with a standard hanging one but maybe you could improve on the idea and get to function better than I did. Good luck on your future build!
And I thought my chickens were spoiled 🙂 One suggestion... don't use other door to avoid disturbing them when eating. They need to get used to you being in there enough to go about their day when you visit. This will be a HUGE advantage for you if something happens to one and you need to be in there playing chicken doctor. Voice of experience on that one 😁
Thanks for the advice. We do tend to spend a lot of time out there and I’m the yard around them. Now they e gotten so used to us being there, and knowing it’s safe, they with actually climb on us and hang out wherever we are. We let them free range in weekends because we’re in the yard the whole time. They are a blast to watch and are way smarter than I assumed. Cheers and atb
I haven't read all of the comments so someone else may have mentioned this, but the locks that you have on your nesting boxes can be opened by raccoons so I would suggest that you should add a secondary lock. Also the perch is a bit narrow for the hens and would be uncomfortable for their feet. Do you get freezing temps where you are located? If so, they should be able to have their feet flat (wide side of 2"x4") in order to cover them entirely with their body for warmth. Your coop looks amazing! I use the Sweet PDZ for horses, too and I love it, it makes clean up so much easier and there isn't any smell.
Paula Beattie this is great information, thank you. I did change out there perch and added a few with some big branches I cleaned up. They seem to love them. I'm have a landscape timber for about 2 days and they never used it so I pulled it out. They were always sitting on some branches out in the run I had made some perches with so I used that idea. We do get a few random days of freezing weather and that's a great point about them being able to cover their little feets. They did finally figure out the waterer and used it more than the other one, at least until winter. I put out an electric one that hangs and it never ever froze. I put up tarps around the bottom area of the coop and on 3 walls of the attached run to cut down on wind and freezing rain but they still had access to the big run and a Chunnel that gave them access to the garden for the winter. For the nesting boxes and both doors to the coop I have carabiners that are attached with a small chain so they don't get lost. Thanks again!
Paula Beattie here's a video a did pitting the Chunnel together if you'd like to see it. th-cam.com/video/5UYW0wz_IaA/w-d-xo.html I am working on an idea to replace the tarps with a more permanent solution but I don't have it figured out quite yet. Thanks for the response, good luck
@fireballmalone1 I watched your video on the chicken tunnel. How much does that fencing cost? Also how much did it cost to enclose your garden like that. Our garden is 70 x 30. We need to make a chicken tunnel all the way around our garden one side to the other our chicken coop is 15 ft from our garden.
Gavin Miller Thanks for the comment. For a roll of 6ft high by 100 ft long it cost us $128. There are different grades of this type of fencing as well as different size openings (rectangles) that will affect the cost. This type of welded wire is 2 in by 4 in and 14 gauge but is not coated. I hope this helps. There are many different places that carry this and if you are near a rural area, farming co ops would probably have a much better deal than a box box store. ATB! Cheers
Have you try deep bedding system.. ? I am experimenting this system in my chicken house today, so that I don't need to clean the house as often as I did for years.. thought I share this .. 😀
Suriyati S. I have read about the deep litter method but not sure if I'm gonna do that in summer. I read it can increase the temp in the coop. This winter I will probably try it and see how it goes. If you don't mind, let me k is how it works out for you and if you notice the coops inside temp fluctuate. I have a thermometer in mine to keep an eye on it. Thanks for the comment, ATB
I think the temperature is supposed to rise to keep the bedding dry and you have to till it once a month I reckon to keep the bedding dry and add new layer on top of the old layers... the bedding cannot get wet in this system.. anyway, I'll let you know how my experiment going next year though.. 😊
nice job!!! the roost should be a bit bigger diameter though it helps them rest better with out hurting there breast bone that rests on the wood when they roost. other than that it looks about as perfect as i can see.
Gabby Flying Chef Lol! I hope they're happy. We get so many eggs! Even in the winter they have been laying nonstop. Getting ready to seed the run with a combo of grains for them. Thanks for the comment, ATB!
Thanks a lot! Honestly it wasn't too bad. I started building it months before getting chickens to help spread out the cost. I also shopped around to get the best prices on stuff. I live in the country near a Mennonite community and there is a hardware store and lumber yard that is cheaper than anywhere else for most things, and closer. This really helped keep the overall cost down. I tried my best to use every bit of what I bought so there wasn't any wasted investment. Even scraps of wood were used eventually for other projects. Cheers
Lit' AHSr. That is a really great idea. I have noticed if they see water drip or food tossed they go after the movement pretty quick. After the first one figured it out the rest fell in line. Cheers
I wish, I could build this for my chickens too.
But nobody wants to help me and I have absolutely no carpenter skills, or tools knowledge.
I am crying, as I have been looking for a coop on the internet. Just can't find one that is right!
Yours looks like the girls really love yours. Making eggs is serious business to the girls.
Even enough room for little chicks to be hatched. Fantastic job, mate.
I wish, you could come and help me, haha, Australia here. 🤗🤗🤗
Absolute success! They found a luxury new home and moved right in from the joy. Awesome job!
Thanks!
@@fireballmalone1 You are wonderful! Your work is amazing! Can't wait to see a new vid from you! God bless you!
Wow that’s the best chicken coop and run I’ve seen!!!!
Thanks!!!
What a delightful video! It's so exciting to see your first day owning chickens and getting a tour of the coop. The joy and enthusiasm you have for your new flock are contagious! The coop looks great, and I love how you’ve set everything up for their comfort and happiness. This is a wonderful start to your chicken-keeping journey-can't wait to see how your flock grows and thrives!
A chicken dust bath helps to remove excess oil, as well as external parasites like lice and mites. A dirt bath also maintains the water resistance of the outer feathers of a chicken. Dust bathing is an important part of keeping chickens healthy and clean. So they love to rub in dirt. some people put tires out and fill it full so chickens can get into it and rub their bodies. Your chicken coop is the best one I have ever seen before!! You did an excellent job!! WOW!!!! Did your chickens ever figure out that water system you fixed for them??
I made a gravity feeder also and had the same problem with having to push the food down. To fix it, I shortened the end with the end cap and put a 45 degree elbow instead of a 90 degree so the food drops when they peck at it. Some food falls around the feeder but then they just scratch at it and it gives them something to dig up.
That is a great and sensible idea, wish I had thought of that! I ended up getting a standard feeding basin that hangs which has been great but it's definitely not as cool.
Use a laser pointer and shine it on the yellow tab they shod go for it and then they will understand
That is a really great idea! All of the reading and videos and no one has ever suggested that! Cheers
I can't believe you got eggs already! They must be thrilled with their new home!
I was really surprised. It may have been a fluke so we shall see over the next few days how they do. I think the average is about 4 eggs a week per bird. They seem to be happy though.
fireballmalone1 4? My red star lays an egg almost every day!
kmb383 that's awesome!! I have been on a roll lately getting 5 for 5 everyday for about a week and a half. They lay later and later then earlier and earlier. It's an interesting cycle they have. Thank you for the great comments. Good luck and ATB
Best chicken photobomb EVER! 5:53 😂😂 I rewatched it twice! Great coop and run setup and I’m thankful you included details about the LED solar lights - I was thinking we should use those too.
Thank you SO much! It has been a learning experience for sure. Some people disagree with the lights but they only stay on for about 20 minutes at the break of day and I think it gives them time to settle and fight for roost position, which is every night. Thanks for the comment, ATB
fireballmalone1 - Our setup is being built over the next month in an urban hen keeping situation (I post progress to my stories/highlights on Instagram under the same username) and I have concerns over predators and hooligans. I was looking into motion sensitive solar LED flood lights like yours for this purpose. It might also be handy for us come winter because sunset is at around 4pm-430pm making the day very short (8hrs daylight max) for any egg layers. So even like you say, if it stayed on for an extra 20min or hour it might be helpful. We back onto a public fence and walking path so passers-by with ears will definitely notice chicken noises in the daytime. Haha!
cybercanuck that sounds really exciting that you’re getting SO CLOSE to getting your chickens and starting a really great and interesting change. They are very rewarding, but you’re right about that responsibility Coming with some stressors and concerns. I am looking into purchasing a bunch of the solar lights I have on the chicken coop and putting them around the property. I’ve had that solar light out there now for a few years and, knock on wood, it has worked flawlessly. I really do wish you guys the best and hope your experience is an exceptional one. Cheers
cybercanuck PS, I will also check out your Instagram pictures. Thanks for the information.
Your chicken are safe and happy , I like how you build a stand in their coop is low , easy for them , a lot of people they build really high , I bet your chicken said thx to you , Beautyful and comforting chicken coop , ❤
Thank you for the kind words. All the best!
Amazing coop and run. I've not yet seen anyone else treat their animals as well as you do. What a skilled and compassionate man! Congrats on winning at life! Haha, enjoy those eggs.
Good job buddy, nice chicken mansion 👍👍💚
Thanks! We have 11 packed in now and they seem comfortable and happy. Cheers
Ahh back when lumber was cheap. Awesome setup man hope y'all stuck with it all these years later ,those were definitely some happy birds
Thanks! We’ve made lots of upgrades and changes as we’ve learned. Cheers
Nice setup! One suggestion from someone who has had chickens for a few years: rather than a round roosting pole, your chickens will be more comfortable on a 2x4 with the wide side up. This will cause less stress on their feet and will help them keep their toes warm in the winter. I know that their wild ancestors slept in trees, but our wild ancestors slept in caves and on the ground - unless I am camping I prefer my bed.
Buddy Moore thank you for the comment and great suggestion. I actually changed out the round pole and ended up putting in a landscape timber that I sanded down to avoid splintering. They seem to love it. They can sit on it while still grabbing the front due to the rounded edges. It's about as wide as a 2x4 laying flat. Right now I am prepping for their first winter.
fireballmalone1 Good idea on the roost. I'm in Louisiana so I probably won't winter prep until next month. We're still having 90 degree days. All I do to winterize is put plastic over the windows near the roost. That still leaves plenty of ventilation. I've lost chickens to heat but never to cold. I would rather err on the side of too much ventilation.
Great video- thanks for sharing. Nothing like picking up a warm, freshly laid egg.
Absolutely! Thank you and have an awesome week!
Eggcellent! You know how to coop. I'm very impressed by how diligent you've been with keeping your flock safe. I loved the lady who came in and started singing the egg song for the camera. Enjoy! Chickens are lovely pets - breakfast and entertainment.
kmb383 they have been so much fun so far. I have tweaked some things and knew it would be a learning experience. Right now I'm planning for winter!
What a life 💜 Thanks for sharing! Glad your chickens were comfortable enough to give you a couple eggs on their first day with you!
Thanks! We are up to 11 now and have surely learned a lot. Hope you're doing well! ATB
they are so spoiled!! this chicken coop is so nice !!
Riley Lockard thanks! I am planning on a new feeder build soon. The one I made isn't as low maintenance as I thought. Cheers!
Super love your coop and your set up, especially your forested second run. They are gonna love that! Only thing I see that may prove an issue for you, depending on where you are, is the lack of slope to your clear paneled run roof. I have a similar clear panel cover, but I needed to build mine on a 3:12 slope to avoid snow overload. Those panels do bow over time, so even if snow is not an issue for you, you could end up with pooled rain water or other debris issues.
I’m currently building my coop and it is modeled off yours. So far I have all the walls and roof framed out. Starting on the roof tomorrow. Thanks for the excellent series of videos. I’ve been looking for a couple months at plans and pictures and for whatever reason after watching your coop videos I went for it on your build ideas.
Andrew Kenseth This is seriously one of the best compliments I've gotten on the coop videos. The coop was the first big project I ever tried to build. I really hope your build goes well and you enjoy the process. I learned a lot through building mine and it lead to a lot of other projects. The only main thing I changed was the feeder. It never really worked well. I kept having to help the food work its way past the 90. I wish you guys the best!! And thanks again for the comment
Bags are best and safest way to transport chickens, see how calm they were and didn't run out of bags. Great video and really awesome coop!
I like how it's all painted white inside the coop.
We bought our first ever chickens just a few weeks ago and we're loving them. We bought a ready-made coop and a small run, but I'm planning to build a large run for them next and that's when I found your great videos. I've really enjoyed watching them all, thanks for all your efforts in documenting it all - very inspiring.
James Pearson Congratulations on getting your chickens!! They are a trip to watch. I really wish you guys the best with them. Thank you for the kind words as well. ATB
I just found your channel and subscribed. Your chicken enclosure is awesome. Your new chickens seen happy with their new home as they produced eggs sooner than expected. Looking forward to watching your flock.🐓😀
Thank you very much. It has definitely been a labor of love and a learning experience. Cheers!
Two eggs in the first day?! You sir have gotten magic chickens.
Stupid Dragon I was really surprised. I read it would take weeks sometimes for them to acclimate to a new home. They lay like clockwork now.
That is a fine chicken coop right there. It is well-maintained and clean. Your chickens are beautiful
Thank you SO much. A lot has been learned and many changes since this video. They are such a great responsibility to have on the little homestead and we take it very seriously. Hope your'e well and all the best. Cheers!
Awesome planning. I bit the chickens would love the secondary run.
I think you need a stop at the bottom of the nest boxes to prevent the pine shavings from falling out.
LY01 that is a really great idea. I may actually do that today! Thanks
Awesome home for the girls!! Well done to you and your dad!
Caroline Allen Thanks! They seem to be pretty happy. Always making improvements and learning. Appreciate the comment, ATB
Outstanding! I am having a coop built since I am not as clever as you and your dad. I am inspired by the secondary run and intend to add something similar. Thanks for posting!
Very talented builder your chickens are in an amazing place
Thank you very much, they seem to like it. Cheers!
Wow nice set up. I am impressed. The only thing I can see that may improve the coup is a second or third perch a little higher and further from the wall. I'm sure it's fine as it is, it's just you asked for improvements and that's all that i thought of at first.
Oh here's another, maybe you could gather a few good size rocks and put them around the perimeter of the run where the wire is buried. It could be done decoratively as a landscaping feature that also made it harder to get under the wire.
I cut a pickup tire to make sort of like a kiddy pool with a big hole in the bottom, then filled it with blow sand (it's finer, chickens didn't seem to like the beach sand I tried first), and mixed in some DE and wood ashes, for a dust bath.
Love your setup! I am on my first week having just moved our baby chickens out to the new coop as well. We don't have a run built yet but they are still just little. Youve given me some great ideas! Thanks!
Allie Geiger that's awesome! I wish you the best of luck! I put up a trail camera facing the coop to try and catch any sketchy goings on but none yet. I'm excited for you. They are a blast to sit and watch.
Super nice coop. Yours are a lucky bunch of hens. Great job.
Thank YOU!! They definitely seem to be happy and it has paid itself off in some great "chicken TV" and of course, eggs haha. ATB
Nice job. I would like to offer some advice. The chicken poop in coop in mostly under the roosting bar. I took plastic lids off of storage containers, wrapped them in newspaper, lined them up under the roosting bar and covered them with 3 to 4 inches of shavings. Once a week I pull them out, dump of shavings and poop into my garden, replace dirty newspaper if needed and cover up with more shavings. It's neat, very clean and easy maintenance in the coop. No ammonia smell and coop stays wonderfully clean. It's time to think about getting yourself a few more hens this spring because I am sure you have fallen in love with chickens!
Diane Veilleux that is a great idea! We have a routine of scooping out the poop every day and adding it to our compost pile but your way is quite a bit less hassle. I am think about getting some more this spring too. I think I could go up to 10 and they would still be comfortable. I am a bit hesitant because of the battle for pecking order I read about. Thanks again, atb
fireballmalone1 you could go up much more than 10... easily 20, tight for 30, but still doable. Just need additional roosting bars. Best coop I have ever seen! I am building #5, 6 & 7 right now. I don’t have the resources to build like you have, but I am defiantly keeping a lot of the things you have done in mind when building mine...but if I did have the resources, i would do what you have done. You are gonna really enjoy those birds. A good coop is so key to the whole enjoyment of the birds! I can’t believe you got eggs on day one. That is for sure those chickens telling you how happy they are with the time and care and love you put into that coop!
Chickmamapalletfarm 7 coops! How many chickens do you have? That's awesome!! I have updated my roosts to thick tree branches and they seem to really like it. How do you tackle leg mites? They don't like to be caught otherwise I'd give them baths. I've got multiple dust baths for them but one of the birds has leg mites and I've tried all kinds of stuff but doesn't seem to help. Any advice would be great. Thanks for the kind comments and good luck with your new builds!
A tip on the inside of your chicken coop wood be to put the roost higher than your nesting boxes because the chickens might sleep inside the nesting boxes
Emma Kay thanks for the info. I've made a few changes since this video and the first was the roost. The first night they didn't seem comfortable so I replaced it with a landscape timber and did raise it up. I should do an update video. After watching this I realize quite a bit has been modified.
...just came across this vid... Fantastic...!!!...
...it's been 3 years, and will do a quick binge on the updates...
Sure fire way to know your chickens are happy: they're already in the nesting boxes a few hours in 😊🤣they look so happy in there.
Thanks! They have been doing really well over the years. Cheers!
Those are happy chickens! They love their new coop and gave you eggs to tell you about it👌
I live out in the woods and was wanting chickens..now Thanks to your video..I have the idea how to protect them from all these critters in S.C. I will mention one thing my Dad and Grandpa always did.. to help the Hens lay eggs with strong shells, they always had a small bowl of crushed oyster shell for the hens to eat. The Hens will only eat it if they need the minerals.. I bet you already knew this, in case you didn't ..thought I would mention it.. it's an awesome coop and I hope mine turns out half that good !
Scarlet Compton Bellew thank you for the kind comment. I have since added a crushed oyster shells feeder and an additional waterer out in the large run. Im a little concerned about winter time and predators looking for food so I'm currently working on securing the additional run for them as best I can. I really wish you the best on building your coop! It's exciting!
fireballmalone1 your first run is really good! If you add things for them to do in that first run for the winter, they will very likely be happy. Compost piles to play and scratch in, straw and hay to nibble on, maybe one of those balls with treats or greens or goodies in it. I haven’t watched your any of your other videos, maybe you have already done all of this.
Great chicken run. A tip is to elevate the roosting bar inside of the coops. Chickens like to sleep at a high location.
Baby G thanks for the input. I have changed the roosts completely since this video. I added some and the cross the width of the inside and have multiple levels to the highest point they would be comfortable. It’s been a labor of love and a learning experience. Comments like this have really helped. Cheers
Wow, what a great plan. Those chickens are a great breed ,gives you a lot of eggs as you have seen. Looks like you thought of everything . It's like free range chickens, without being out. love it.
That’s a great life for your chickens! You deserve those first eggs!
Very nice build and set up ! We're a week or two away from being first time chicken owners. I'm going to watch your building videos next and see how it all went together. I just got delivery of a prefab coop for this year with a dog fence style run but looking to build my own for next year. Something a little more substantial !
What a gorgeous set up. I watched this one first then found the rest of the series. Heading to the beginning, thanks for sharing!
Thank you SO much for the great comment. There have been many many changes as I have learned and have started to rescue chickens as a result. I hope you like the other videos, Cheers!
Great Coop !! I have had Birds, All my life...I am a retired zoo keeper... But, I cant build a stick LOL... I have an automatic door opener in the house, I can't figure out how to apply it !! all my birds are healthy and happy Though ! Thanks for sharing.............Ron S. You have covered all the bases, with your coop.....good enough to be in a 5 star Zoo.....!
Hello from New Hampshire. Very nice coop design. We are just finishing a new house In the woods and also have bear, bobcat and fisher cats. I'm considering using electrified chicken fencing. I like your hardware cloth and capping your main coop run. Planning to have Barred Rocks and will dry hatch as well. Great to see how considerate your plan is Fresh eggs are the best!
diane hall thank you very much for the kind words. The hardware cloth is great because of how strong it is, not to mention inexpensive. It sounds like you have moved way way out into the woods. Bears are pretty rare here, but do migrate through a. Electrifying your fencing is probably a really good idea. I hope it goes well, best of luck.
Those sure are some lucky chickens ;) I'd say that's the best run I've seen yet....love the homemade doors.
Oneda Zinn thanks! They seem pretty happy. We've had pretty nice weather here the last couple days and we've been letting them out to free range. I've been in the yard starting a greenhouse so they are pretty safe. I had no idea what I was doing when I built this, but the doors, surprisingly, worked out pretty good. Thanks again!!
Stick their beak in the water ... they'll get it. Have a trail cam? Would be interesting to see who's sneaking around at night. Happy girls... giving gifts already.
A trail cam is a great idea. I tried to catch one but they would let me get anywhere near them. I figured I'd wait a couple days until they settled down and try again to teach them the waterer. Thanks for the advice! ATB
azalea5560 they have finally figured out the waterer! I caught one......eventually and took your advice, half hour later, presto. Big thanks
Awesome job matey! I did a similar thing but didn't put the wire going outwards from the cage and how have a constant battle with rats burrowoing in. I'll do this with the next one and I'm going to take if out even further because they can tunnel a long way and they're good problem sovlers rats!
Love your set-up! Raising/having chickens is a very rewarding hobby! One suggestion if I may, your fencing for the secondary run I would highly suggest the same fencing around your coop. I have the same fencing and just lost most of my birds from an Ermine, weasel family, that can fit right through the fence. Hence the reason for watching your video for redesign ideas!! Again I think you did a great job!
I'm sorry to hear about your loss with your chickens. Here lately we have been letting them roam all around the yard and we have been lucky. I have recently replaced the small door going in to the big run for a better quality seal at night and have been thinking about adding another layer of wire around that area and keeping them in there. Especially now that I have veggie seeds going getting ready for the garden. They need to be a bit more contained because if it's available, they will eat it lol. Good luck and thanks for the comment and suggestion. Cheers!
great job. we just did the same thing making are back yard the chicken run. your chickens are super fast at laying eggs
Cheers! They were a little older than we were told but super happy regardless. I think that is the most important.. Good luck with your girls and best wishes to a safe and productive experience..
and I've been following your channel for a while, I like it a lot, today I signed up
Thank you so much! Have an amazing weekend!
the verry hapy chicken of the world...congratulations...saludos desde Tamaulipas México...
Love the coup. Hi from Australia 🇦🇺
Renee Sheil Thank you! Cheers
Bro you're raising your chickens in a chicken country townhouse!!!! Good stuff!
CHEERS!!! They do seem to be happy and I have learned ALOT over the passed few years. ATB
Great job, beautiful coop
David Aguirre Thank you so much. It has been a learning experience for sure.
This chicken coop is magnificent
NTHUSANG BOEMELWANG Thank you SO much! It was a labor of love. Cheers
I loooove your chicken run
Nice setup! Them chickens should love it.
Thanks! They seem to really enjoy it. Up to 10 now and looking for more. Cheers
aw I'm glad they settled in. they looked a little stressed right out of the bag (mouths open) but they seem to be settling in!
Probably, they were thinking: "Hey, where are we? Nice condo! Looks at those windows. Hey this is brand new! Smells good. "
"Checking out the rooms, a/c, etc. Hey, this landlord really set us up!"
"Hey look at the garden!"
Love you Coop, Use chicken nipples for water. Use a 5 gallon bucket with lid. My chicks or only 5 weeks old and they figured it out in 40 minutes. Also clip one side of their wings so they cant fly. I made my coop out of a kids fort/swing set/ slide. Will try out your feeder but will try a center feed with only 2 openings.should do the trick.
Greg Gomes the feeder I made is,going to have a complete overhaul. I've already taken it apart and had to clean it because water got in. They have figured out the water cups finally, and I kept the other waterer out so they stay hydrated. I like the nipple idea name will check it out thanks.
Awesome coop! I love that you added a huge second run great job!
MandyNiXX thanks, I have tweaked it a bit more, added a solar fan in the coop, compost piles in the run that they LOVE. And some more obstacles the play on. Appreciate the comment, ATB
Just viewed, your chicken coop is totally Awesome!
Thanks!! The girls seem to be really happy. Cheers!!
I'm sure you figured it out, take out the other water sources and they'll find the water cups super fast lol. I need something like this for the nipples. Nice set up.
Amanda Vadon Thanks! They figured it out after about 3 days or so. I have added a couple watered out in the yard for when I let them out when I'm outside working on something. Appreciate the advice!
Great chicken run, coop is awesome
John Martinez Thank you SO much!! It has been a good investment and they seem to be really happy, and safe. Cheers!
Way cool you finally have your ladies!
it is addictive to sit out there and watch them!
It looks great. Well thought out.
Great video, you did a very good job. I got alot of ideas for in the future, thank you so much.
That is great to hear, I really appreciate the feedback. I nixed the feeder because it kept bunching up and went with a standard hanging one but maybe you could improve on the idea and get to function better than I did. Good luck on your future build!
Great design and awesome job. I think you have room for way more than 5! I am relocating mine at the moment but won't be anything as cool as yours!
Thank you! I am thinking about getting more this summer. Good luck relocating yours! How many do you have?
@@fireballmalone1 No problem. I have 4 Australops. I had 6 but a fox killed 2. I will get some more when I finish their new home!
They are some very happy girls 🥰
You did a great job on the run and coop
Ross George thanks!! Planning an update video to highlight some changes I’ve made. Cheers
Nice. Thanks for sharing. Appreciate it!
Cindy Majors Thank you for all the great comments! It’s definitely been a learning process. Cheers!
Just about the best chicken coop I've seen so far, do you live in the south, what town or city is this 🤔🙂
Thanks!
Awesome!!
Excellent work.
NICE WORK. INSPIRING. CONGRATULATIONS 👍👍👍
Thank you!!
Fabulous coop!
Thanks!
You're great with animals. But you have a cat so we already know that! Best coop I've ever seen.
nwroadrat thanks bud, it's kind of weirdly addictive to sit and watch them run around. Now I just gotta train them to ride mini mini bikes lol
im sure they will have a great life.
So far they seem to enjoy it. I went 5 for 5 with eggs on the first day! atb
Beautiful coop!
joanne tillis Thank you! I’ve made some changes over the first year. They seem happy. ATB
Ah, yes. The chicken resort and spa. Nice work.
And I thought my chickens were spoiled 🙂 One suggestion... don't use other door to avoid disturbing them when eating. They need to get used to you being in there enough to go about their day when you visit. This will be a HUGE advantage for you if something happens to one and you need to be in there playing chicken doctor. Voice of experience on that one 😁
Thanks for the advice. We do tend to spend a lot of time out there and I’m the yard around them. Now they e gotten so used to us being there, and knowing it’s safe, they with actually climb on us and hang out wherever we are. We let them free range in weekends because we’re in the yard the whole time. They are a blast to watch and are way smarter than I assumed. Cheers and atb
heaven for your chickens.
n by Thanks!! They seem to really enjoy it!
Mine couldn't figure out those waterers, either. The vertical nipples leaked all over the place but the horizontal side mount nipples are great!
I haven't read all of the comments so someone else may have mentioned this, but the locks that you have on your nesting boxes can be opened by raccoons so I would suggest that you should add a secondary lock. Also the perch is a bit narrow for the hens and would be uncomfortable for their feet. Do you get freezing temps where you are located? If so, they should be able to have their feet flat (wide side of 2"x4") in order to cover them entirely with their body for warmth. Your coop looks amazing! I use the Sweet PDZ for horses, too and I love it, it makes clean up so much easier and there isn't any smell.
Paula Beattie this is great information, thank you. I did change out there perch and added a few with some big branches I cleaned up. They seem to love them. I'm have a landscape timber for about 2 days and they never used it so I pulled it out. They were always sitting on some branches out in the run I had made some perches with so I used that idea. We do get a few random days of freezing weather and that's a great point about them being able to cover their little feets. They did finally figure out the waterer and used it more than the other one, at least until winter. I put out an electric one that hangs and it never ever froze. I put up tarps around the bottom area of the coop and on 3 walls of the attached run to cut down on wind and freezing rain but they still had access to the big run and a Chunnel that gave them access to the garden for the winter. For the nesting boxes and both doors to the coop I have carabiners that are attached with a small chain so they don't get lost. Thanks again!
You are welcome, I am glad that I could help.
I would like to see the chunnel. I have the run wrapped in a large tarp, too.
Paula Beattie here's a video a did pitting the Chunnel together if you'd like to see it. th-cam.com/video/5UYW0wz_IaA/w-d-xo.html
I am working on an idea to replace the tarps with a more permanent solution but I don't have it figured out quite yet. Thanks for the response, good luck
Sweet setup!
DellsDad86 Thanks! I did an update video recently if your interested. ATB!
Thats how I'm building my coop. no plans, just a vison
we have an armpit hen at home and it roars exactly like your shouted one - kokokoko koooo kokokoko koooo kokokoko koo
@fireballmalone1 I watched your video on the chicken tunnel. How much does that fencing cost? Also how much did it cost to enclose your garden like that. Our garden is 70 x 30.
We need to make a chicken tunnel all the way around our garden one side to the other our chicken coop is 15 ft from our garden.
Gavin Miller Thanks for the comment. For a roll of 6ft high by 100 ft long it cost us $128. There are different grades of this type of fencing as well as different size openings (rectangles) that will affect the cost. This type of welded wire is 2 in by 4 in and 14 gauge but is not coated. I hope this helps. There are many different places that carry this and if you are near a rural area, farming co ops would probably have a much better deal than a box box store. ATB! Cheers
I just purchased five 4’ x 25 ‘ 1/2 “ 19 gauge hardware cloth at Home Depot, $60 per roll. Them better be some fine eggs.
Have you try deep bedding system.. ? I am experimenting this system in my chicken house today, so that I don't need to clean the house as often as I did for years.. thought I share this .. 😀
Suriyati S. I have read about the deep litter method but not sure if I'm gonna do that in summer. I read it can increase the temp in the coop. This winter I will probably try it and see how it goes. If you don't mind, let me k is how it works out for you and if you notice the coops inside temp fluctuate. I have a thermometer in mine to keep an eye on it. Thanks for the comment, ATB
I think the temperature is supposed to rise to keep the bedding dry and you have to till it once a month I reckon to keep the bedding dry and add new layer on top of the old layers... the bedding cannot get wet in this system.. anyway, I'll let you know how my experiment going next year though.. 😊
How is your) Deep Bedding experiment going?
Looks like great plan for a people coup.
Lol…I have thought it would make for a good tiny camping cabin..
nice job!!! the roost should be a bit bigger diameter though it helps them rest better with out hurting there breast bone that rests on the wood when they roost. other than that it looks about as perfect as i can see.
Those are the most spoiled chooks ever! I second the 2x4 roosts.
Can I be one of your chickens? A lovely life they are/will be having. I hope they give you many delicious eggs!
Gabby Flying Chef Lol! I hope they're happy. We get so many eggs! Even in the winter they have been laying nonstop. Getting ready to seed the run with a combo of grains for them. Thanks for the comment, ATB!
Awesome setup man..... the best I have seen... one question.... what do you do for a living I mean that thing cost $$$$$
Thanks a lot! Honestly it wasn't too bad. I started building it months before getting chickens to help spread out the cost. I also shopped around to get the best prices on stuff. I live in the country near a Mennonite community and there is a hardware store and lumber yard that is cheaper than anywhere else for most things, and closer. This really helped keep the overall cost down. I tried my best to use every bit of what I bought so there wasn't any wasted investment. Even scraps of wood were used eventually for other projects. Cheers
nice coop but seems a bit overkill but really nice attach a barn to it and you can keep goats or something as-well
great start bro
THANKS!
easiest way to make them drink water is put food on it and they will peck it the water will drip down 😉light bulb -->💡
Lit' AHSr. That is a really great idea. I have noticed if they see water drip or food tossed they go after the movement pretty quick. After the first one figured it out the rest fell in line. Cheers
We have Golden Comets too! Great hens! Do you have the plans for your coop and run? I want to build one just like it!
Wow! That is fantastic!
You need buy some more hen probably 10 or 12 the coop is big! You make the coop by yourself?
Random world I agree. Getting more this spring