Chicks + Coops

[Deactivated] on 15/09/2015 - 18:00
Last edited 29/03/2019 - 23:04 by 1 other user

we're looking into building a chicken coop and get a couple of chooks as pets. This is the design we might be going for:

The outside

The inside

Ideally, we would have like the chooks to roam freely on the property but we have a dog and a cat (and possibly snakes?) and we thought it might be safer for them to be in a coop when we're not home. The coop will be portable and we will be moving it around so that the chooks get access to fresh grass and dirt.

Any thoughts? Suggestions? warnings?

Thank you for stopping by :)

JJB

Poll Options

  • 17
    Sounds good!
  • 2
    Getting backyard chooks is a bad,bad idea.
  • 2
    Other
Home & Garden

Comments

  • mskeggs on 15/09/2015 - 18:45
    +5

    Chooks are great, but they will turn your yard into a moonscape as they forage if you leave them in one place very long.
    You can let them roam free range if the dog is not a killer, but then you have scratched up flower beds and chook poo everywhere. And you need to close them in at night for safety from foxes etc.
    We just wired off a run about the size of a car port in our yard and let them to it.
    I reckon building the coop with the kids is half the fun. Wait till council hard rubbish day to collect all the materials you will need for free.
    My 4 kids produced enough kitchen scraps to just about feed 4 chooks. we fed about 25kg of grain every few months to supplement scraps.
    Figure they will lay about 5 eggs per week while they are in their prime.
    Consider what you will do when the chooks get old. Are you happy for a non-layer to stick around indefinitely? They can live for years after they stop laying.
    Also, it is likely you will have some casualties along the way from predators. Consider making sure your kids understand that is a possibility.

    Also, feeding the chooks and collecting the eggs are great chores for even the youngest kids, but they need to be done every day, no shirking.

    • eatwell365 on 15/09/2015 - 19:11
      +1

      my parents had friend to visit and cook our (pet) chooks behind closed kitchen door when we were kids. I had not touched any poultry since for many years.

      • [Deactivated] on 15/09/2015 - 20:04
        +1

        We're pescetarians. We don't eat poulty ( although we do eat free-range eggs). We'll keep them as pets long after they stop being productive.

    • [Deactivated] on 15/09/2015 - 19:59
      +3

      The dog is not a killer, although he does have a few chook-like squeaky toys :/ He might inadvertently hurt them while trying to 'play' with them. As for foxes, I probably should have mentioned that I live in suburbia ( less than 25 km from Melbourne CBD, in the Bayside area), so unlikely that there are foxes or snakes(hopefully).

      We just wired off a run about the size of a car port in our yard and let them to it

      Between the main house,the front garden (which is semi-landscaped),the guest house, the small pool, the shed and now the veggie garden , we really don't have that much space left. I'd rather not wire off any part of what's left, unless I really have to. Also, I don't mind the backyard looking like a moonscape ( less mowing :) )

      Edit: Thank you.

    • [Deactivated] on 15/09/2015 - 20:11
      +2

      @mskeggs, any advice on which breed to get? We were thinking Isa Browns or leghorns because they are docile.

      • [Deactivated] on 15/09/2015 - 21:48
        +3

        We had various Leghorns and also Rhode Island Red chooks. All good layers.
        Latter were particularly docile.
        The Leghorns produced bigger eggs, but were a little bit more troublesome in their behaviour/tendency to 'fly the coop' (read, fence). Showed the others, by example, if I remember correctly!

        • [Deactivated] on 15/09/2015 - 21:55

          and what would be the magic number? 3?

        • [Deactivated] on 15/09/2015 - 22:03

          @Jar Jar Binks: I have no idea! We had a few more than that. Maybe a couple of each you of those you end up plumping for would be good?

        • Miss Dior on 15/09/2015 - 22:32
          +1

          @Jar Jar Binks:

          Not a bad number - 3. They have a pecking order and if too many then they will peck each other to death to get back to a number they can deal with. I think that happens when you get to over a dozen. Much depends on the size of your yard, the chook tractor etc. Sounds like 3 is enough in your amount of space.

          Forgot to mention, the Isa Browns lay well but not for a long period. The eggs are very nice though. They can become quite attached like other pets and may fret if you go away for any period of time.

        • [Deactivated] on 15/09/2015 - 22:40

          @Miss Dior: Thanks :)

        • Miss Dior on 15/09/2015 - 22:56
          +1

          @Jar Jar Binks:

          You're welcome. Another thing… If you can get that chook tractor to sit over the vegie garden at the end of each season they will clean up each bed and fertilise it for you so that it's ready to go for the next crop, weeding done in the process. It all depends on how you have set up your vegie beds (raised or ground level). If they are raised and you can get a chook tractor sized to sit over the top that would work too, but would be difficult to lift on and off as you move it from bed to bed. Your kitchen scraps will turn to fertiliser in no time.

        • [Deactivated] on 16/09/2015 - 08:58

          @Tas: >Maybe a couple of each you of those you end up plumping for would be good?

          *you

          pecks self °v°

          lays egg 0

          egg eaten by ridiculously small snake 0~

          pecks snake ~<°

          Doesn't die but Then gets killed by a Freaking Land Shark

          ¬:> (

          depressed by pathetic attempt at dead-chooky-ghosty-frowny-beak-face

          draws koala for no particularly good reason @°O°@

          Goes and Does Something Useful that Doesn't Involve Bloody OzBargain

        • [Deactivated] on 16/09/2015 - 16:10
          +1

          @Tas: Lolz.. from the kids:)

          And that's an artist's impression of you:
          \\|//
          - -
          o o
          J
          O
          \_/

          also by the kids :)

        • [Deactivated] on 16/09/2015 - 17:36

          @Miss Dior: The veggie garden is fenced. Fence is about 90cm high. Could chooks 'fly' that high if they've had their wings trimmed?

        • Hen on 16/09/2015 - 18:28
          +1

          @Jar Jar Binks: depends on the breed. Even with wings clipped some could, esp with a nice solid top like that to land on. (Only ever trim the flight feathers on one wing btw, make them off balance when they try to jump/'fly' up). Some fatty boom boom breeds wouldn't make it even w/out clipping, neither would silkies. Very nice garden & fence BTW.

        • [Deactivated] on 16/09/2015 - 19:22
          +1

          @Jar Jar Binks:

          Thanks, kids!! EGGSCELLENT!

          I am going to spike my hair up tomorrow to look eggsactly like that.

          Hmm… Is hair gel eggspensive?

          Maybe I should I just use some Chook Poo in my hair, instead??

          NAH!

          P.S. I was wondering why I suddenly couldn't hear, anymore. You haven't given me any ears! (Chickens do have ears, by the way, but they are very small and covered-over with feathers!)
          So that I can hear my phone ring, my chooky-self really needs ears.
          Big

          Koala

          @°v°@

          Ears!

          @
          ¬:>
          @

        • [Deactivated] on 16/09/2015 - 20:30
          +1

          @Tas:

          Dear Tas,

          EWWWWWWWWWWWWW! Not chook poo hair! We much rather shave our hair than have chook poo hair. You should too.

          If you're a teacher, would you like to come to work at our school? You're funny and you know a whole lot about chooks ,snakes and koalas.You cracked us up with your eggs jokes :-) All the kids will like you :-)
          Daddy says its time to get ready for bed :-( So eggscuse us but we need to make our eggsit :-)

          A big hug from both of us.

          Night.

          p.s: Thank you for the koala. You can keep the ears, you will need them to hear your phone ring :-b

          p.p.s: Daddy says that you like sharks. Here's a drawing of a shark just for you

          ¸.·´¯·.´¯·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸>^(((º>

        • [Deactivated] on 16/09/2015 - 20:55

          @Hen: It's not our garden but we hope ours will look like that in a couple of months.

        • Miss Dior on 16/09/2015 - 22:15
          +2

          @Jar Jar Binks:

          Hi JJB, Sorry I'm slow to respond. One of the rare downsides of being in a rural area, even if it is on Sydney's fringe, is the lack of ADSL and NBN making our Internet costs high and our allowance low plus we have poor signal strength. That, and the usual busy-ness of our lifestyle means I don't get to log on as much as other more committed followers (Hi Tas! :) ). It looks as though Hen has given you some very good advice in my absence. Looks like we have an expert in our midst! To answer your question: I've heard of them 'flying' even higher than that. In suburbia they can cause quite a stir when they turn up in someone else's yard, and they know how to wander when they get the chance. Someone I knew had one turn up and the owner couldn't be found so it stayed for good. It was lucky to find a home with other hens. At least they aren't as bad as peacocks, now they really know how to wander!

        • [Deactivated] on 17/09/2015 - 06:31

          @Miss Dior: Thanks!

        • [Deactivated] on 18/09/2015 - 17:34

          @AlmostSeven!!:

          Kids, you know how your Dad often won't sit still and just relax? (Yeah, I know, it's a problem - he runs around all the time, a little bit like a crazy chook, doesn't he?)

          So…

          When you get your chickens, practise the techniques in This Video, and when you get really good at them, don't forget to try them on your Dad. They just might work! (Well, it's worth a try…)

          Careful, though. Better not let Dad watch the video, or he'll know what you're up to. ;)

          Hmm… I hadn't thought of that.

          Send him out of the room before you watch it!

        • [Deactivated] on 18/09/2015 - 19:11

          @Tas:

          Dear Tas,

          Do you think that would work on Daddy and Mummy?
          We want 3 chicks, 2 ducklings, a pet python ,cookies and cream ice cream for breakfast everyday for the rest of our lives and 2 bottles of mummy's perfume. The perfume is to spray on ours and Da's pillow because mummy is the best smelling person in the whole world:) Da smells ok.

          We have a big weekend ahead of us: The Melbourne Show, complete our painting for mummy's place,help her move into her new place, test-drive her car, go grocery shopping, water the veggie garden, picnic on the beach, help Da make a kite that can fly, read a story to Ewok and Darth (he likes Dr. Seuss; she likes Enid Blyton and Jules Vernes), skype with our grandparents , email our cousin and so much more :) Can't wait! Hope your weekend will be just as exciting as ours.

          Big hugs from both of us.

          p.s: We can't tell you our real names because sometimes there are bad people online and we can't trust them:( However you may call us Jedi In Training. We are the son and daughter of a Jedi and someday we will be Jedi too!

          pps: The yoda said: "When you become jedi, have ozbargain account, you can. Yes, hmmm." Isn't that something to look forward to :)

          ppps: Da's not really a Jedi but shhh! We don't want to hurt his feelings.

        • [Deactivated] on 18/09/2015 - 20:15
          +1

          @AlmostJediTwins!!:

          Have a great weekend! You have so much to do. Should be FUN!!

          Always listen carefully to the things Mummy and Daddy say to you. They both love you LOTS!

          P.S.Especially listen to Mummy when she says that's it's ok to hypnotise Daddy and make his legs stick up in the air just like 'Orenco' the chicken!

          P.P.S. I reckon that if you just ask Mummy, she might give you some of her perfume to spray on your pillows, and Da's. Don't spray too much. A little bit is great and goes a long way!

          P.P.P.S. Your Dad is definitely a Jedi on OzBargain!

          P.P.P.P.S Don't tell him that I told you that, or he'll get a big head!!

        • [Deactivated] on 18/09/2015 - 20:30

          @Tas: Thanks, Tas :)

          The OZB Jedi

    • tyler.durden on 17/09/2015 - 09:13

      do u kill your non layers and sick chicks?

  • shadowarrior on 15/09/2015 - 19:20
    +1

    Also chooks eat spiders….even the big ones :)

    • [Deactivated] on 15/09/2015 - 20:19

      Check the link in Tas's comment : chook vs snake.

  • [Deactivated] on 15/09/2015 - 21:36
    +1

    Determined to brave the egg-stealing s-s-s-snakes and chook-eating land sh-sh-sh-sharks, I see, JJB…

    As I mentioned in a comment last night, no actual close-quarters chook-keeping since fairly young kid-hood.

    I do remember the chickens making quite a mess (hence the decision since to not-keep/allow, but they really are lovely things and pondering on the subject has taken place and has been prompted.

    Linking the articles below (all worth a glance) to prompt specific comments that may help you.

    When I was a kid, some of our chickens started getting across the back fence - while they were enjoying their free-range expeditions. A bit too 'free-range' for the neighbours' liking, and Dad's.

    Without - maybe - sufficient fore-warning or explanation being offered to us, he clipped their wings… Much bawling-of-eyes-out and 'Not-Forgiving-Of-Dad-For-A-Fortnight' ensued.

    Consider yourself forewarned!

    www.livinghomegrown.com/day-25-how-to-clip-your-chickens-win…

    www.raising-happy-chickens.com/clipping-chicken-wings.html

    https://poultrykeeper.com/general-chickens/how-to-clip-a-win…

    www.permaculture.co.uk/readers-solutions/how-clip-chickens-w…

    www.mypetchicken.com/backyard-chickens/chicken-help/Do-I-nee…

    • [Deactivated] on 15/09/2015 - 22:00

      Determined to brave the egg-stealing s-s-s-snakes and chook-eating land sh-sh-sh-sharks

      Determined to keep busy and have something to look forward to in the mornings.

      I do remember the chickens making quite

      Might have to reconsider getting that wired run as suggested by @mskeggs

      • [Deactivated] on 15/09/2015 - 22:09
        +2

        We had a wired run, too, but let them out fairly regularly. They loved that.
        It was sweet to watch them.

        They are very thorough in their foraging and scratching around. If you let them roam, certain things in the garden will suffer a bit.

  • Miss Dior on 15/09/2015 - 22:21
    +3

    Hi JJB,

    Here is my quick 2c:

    The best Aussie website for all things organic gardening (it also has a video): http://www.organicgardener.com.au/

    An excellent book: https://www.organicgardener.com.au/articles/happy-hens

    The best of all are these 2 guides - issues 7 & 10: http://www.organicgardener.com.au/essential-guides.

    Enjoy the garden and the chooks, the health benefits are fantastic. It will be a mini respite at the end of every day. The dog and cat must stay away though, they will quickly kill chooks. Yes, snakes are attracted to chooks and even suburban foxes will find their way to them. I don't think you have much choice but to wire off. In a couple of days they will have destroyed any vegetation and don't forget that they can fly (though not in the traditional sense).

    • [Deactivated] on 15/09/2015 - 22:24

      Thanks Miss Dior :)

  • ramshead on 16/09/2015 - 09:25
    +1

    The feeder in your picture will ensure a lot of wasted feed.
    Check out this guy. He has some good ideas.
    https://youtu.be/wEs3WxN2owI?list=PLBcWprMIwYYj067Qb0vKvckN1…
    I made a feeder with an old shop vac and PVC elbows to feed my 36 isa browns.

  • Hen on 16/09/2015 - 11:07
    +4

    Are your kids young? If the chooks are more for pets than for eggs then consider excellent pet varieties like Pekins and Silkies. Very cuddly! On breeds, there are loads that tame well and do lay ok. Isa browns& other egg laying hybrids fit this but generally don't live as long as the 'pure breds'. Bantams are MUCH easier on the garden, but also lay smaller eggs (about 1/2 size). I can give more suggestions if you narrow your requirements.
    I would get a min of 3., prob more (but then I'm a bit chook obsessed!) Mixing breeds is fine, esp if you get them all at the same time. We have a mix of 8 diff breeds at the moment….there'll always be a pecking order, so a bit of argy-bargy, but that's normal, and fine so long as they're not confined to too small a space.
    Re the henhouse in your pic: 1. it's not fox proof (there are def plenty of foxes in suburban Melb! Don't take the risk…they will be taken!) as it has no floor. You need to have either a solid floor (for nites), or put a wire skirt around to stop beasties digging under. If you want to go the tractor (moveable coop) option, perhaps consider a tractor (or free range) for day and a secure night house. 2. Don't use dowel for the perch, it's too small. We use decking timber, flat with rounded off edges, and have had no probs. 3. Looks pretty small so only good for a couple of chookies. Remember, if you go away they'll need to be locked in, so allow enuff space for that.
    If you'd like to raise some from chicks, Abundant Layers in Emerald sell sexed (so no worries about getting roosters) and vaccinated chicks of lots of breeds. They'll need to be kept warm under lights (inside) for about 6-8 weeks tho', but terrific fun for the kids (and adult kids) and more likely to be super tame when older.
    I could go on and on and bore you to sleep, so better stop. Can answer any questions if you have tho'.

    • [Deactivated] on 16/09/2015 - 18:31

      The twins will be 7 in a couple of months. They are responsible and very gentle with our shih Tzu and adopted cat. They will be the same with the chooks :)

      I do have a couple of questions:
      1. where do you find a vet for your chooks? Mine doesn't look after chooks.
      2.pet insurance for chooks?
      3. also when is the best time to get chicks? (if there is a best time) We're in no hurry.

      Thank you for all your helpful advice :)

      Edit: Re. silkies : i've never seen chicken like that before, although I think I might have eaten one, a long time ago :/ Do they have black meat and bone?

      • Hen on 16/09/2015 - 19:00
        +3

        Seven is the perfect age for having pet chooks, so prob all quiet breeds would be fine. The kids will love them! So then depends on the 'look' you're after. If they appeal, Pekins are really terrific as pets (will sit on knees for ages, very docile, ok layers but will go broody from time to time, lots and lots of color choices). Another totally different look, but good for kids & beginners, is Old English Game bantams. Vey hardy and often very quiet. Bit better fliers than silkies or pekins etc tho'. So, so many breeds to choose from.

        We have a fantastic Avian vet - Knox bird clinic, Scoresby. Well worth travelling to. Lots of their business is chooks. There's also a few other bird vets around melbourne. I think backyard poultry website might have a list.

        We don't do the pet insurance thing as it's per pet, and we have a bunch, so not really worth it. Have spent a fortune at the vet though, as we treat them as we would cats or dogs (they can live as long). Some people think it's weird, but they're terrific animals with very distinct personalities and deserve to be well looked after. Having said that tho, some of our girls have never cost a cent medically.

        Breeding time is from now until about Xmas, so you'll be able to find baby chicks from now on, and POL (point of lay, ie about 4 mths old) a bit later on. Backyard Poultry also have a notice board of birds & eggs for sale which will give you an idea of prices and what's around at the moment. You will have to be VERY careful with your four legged pets, esp if you get baby chicks.

        Yes, silkies have black skin, flesh and bones and. Funny looking chooks to some but we love them. Can be very affectionate.

        If you are able to get to the Melb show, or other regional show you could check out various different chook breeds to help consolidate your preferences.

        Additional questions welcome :-)

        • [Deactivated] on 16/09/2015 - 20:01

          We are going to the Melbourne show this Saturday :)

          I have 1 question from the twins:

          We love the silkies! They look so cuddly, like little balls of fluff :) If we have 3, will we be able to tell them apart?
          p.s: we have read online that silkies have 5 toes! Is that true? 5 toes sounds like an awful lot of toes for a chook… Thank you.
          p.p.s: Is it ok to give the chooks funny name, like Miss-fluffy-pants or Tas-the-silly-billy or would that hurt their feelings?

        • Hen on 16/09/2015 - 21:57
          +2

          @Jar Jar Binks: perfect timing then! They no longer have the poultry competition there (sadly), but I think there's still info and a display of different breeds. Enjoy

          To the twins: silkies come in lots of lovely colors so if you chose diff colors you could easily tell them apart! Even the same color there's usually little differences so you shouldn't have too much trouble. Yes, they do have 5 toes, but a couple of them are very small so you hardly notice. Anyway, 5's a good number! And silkies definitely like silly names and I'm sure wouldn't be insulted :-)

        • [Deactivated] on 17/09/2015 - 06:33

          @Hen: looks like we're getting Silkies then :-)

        • Hen on 17/09/2015 - 11:45
          +1

          @Jar Jar Binks: great!

          If you buy pullets (teenagers) make sure they've been handled or had a fair bit of people contact so that they'll tame easily. And before you bite the bullet, the slight downside of silkies is they're super keen on motherhood, so tend to lay about 10 eggs then try to hatch them (even if they've been collected!). They're the broodiest of all breeds (some people keep them just for this purpose), so it means for 3 wks they'll be on the nest, trying to be mums, then get up, take a rest from laying while they put weight back on, then the cycle starts again. It's no drama, so long as you understand what's going on and that they only lay approx 80 eggs/yr. If you'd like more eggs, get a couple of a non-broody breed at the same time. If the chooks are simply pets, you can't go wrong with silkies I think. Have fun!

        • [Deactivated] on 17/09/2015 - 20:18

          @Hen: Thanks!

  • Hen on 16/09/2015 - 11:13
    +1

    A great website: http://www.backyardpoultry.com

    Excellent feeders and waterers: http://www.dineachook.com.au

    IMHO

  • ramshead on 16/09/2015 - 11:27
    +2

    Here is an example of a wire skirt. https://youtu.be/vlmDf-wTXzcple .
    It's a bit rough but protection is important.
    I live in a large regional town and there are more foxes in town than in the bush - some idiots even feed the pests.
    2 months ago I lost 18 good hens to a night attack. The aftermarth is not something you would want to witness (let alone your kids).
    The bantams are a good idea, but definitely need protection from the ferals.

  • Hen on 16/09/2015 - 13:27

    JJB, maybe mention chickens or coops in your title???

    • tyler.durden on 17/09/2015 - 09:17
      -4

      "Chicks + Coops"

      Sounds like some sort of sex fetish, Jar Jar Binks is into

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join