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Comment by Damon on May 18, 2012 at 2:50pm

I also need to plan and line up some interviews for my podcast and refine my content production a bit. 

Comment by Damon on May 18, 2012 at 2:49pm

Same here. I launched my Raised Bed Growing Mastery course a week ago, so I'm wiped out from that.

Comment by Sheri Schmeckpeper on May 18, 2012 at 8:32am

We ran our poultry class on the 5th and are running another tomorrow. I'm teaching an aquaponics class on the 24th. Beyond that, working the paying jobs while just keeping our heads above water and wishing we had 48 hour days!

Comment by Karen Wortman on May 16, 2012 at 8:26pm

We've been a quiet group lately.  I know everyone is in full swing this time of year.  Just wanted to check in with everyone to see how things are going.

Comment by Sheri Schmeckpeper on May 10, 2012 at 3:17pm

That's totally exciting, Karen! Best of luck with it; I hope it pays off with great contracts!

Comment by Karen Wortman on May 9, 2012 at 7:24pm

Well, I am jumping in with both feet and attending a trade show that is being hosted in Nashville.  It is for the "Pick Tennessee Products" group and the TN Grocer's Association.  I will highlight my Goat's Milk Soap, Herbal Jelly, and Fresh herbs to Chefs, Grocery Stores, Small retailers, etc.  I am excited, nervous, you name it!  Would love to come home with some wholesale orders!!!

Comment by Karen Wortman on May 9, 2012 at 7:21pm

Damon,

  I have several chicken tractors that I build out of repurposed materials.  Old tin, PVC pipe, basically anything I had on hand.  I keep my meat birds in those once they get their feathers.  As for my main coop where the laying hens stay, we built a garden shed. (16 X 20).  1/2 of it is my garden tool storage, the other 1/2 is where the hens and George go at night and where they lay their eggs.  There are some really cool coops online if you search.  They are easy to build. 

Jean,

  You might check with local resturants as well.  A pretty flower as a centerpiece would be lovely at dinner.

Comment by Sheri Schmeckpeper on May 9, 2012 at 2:27pm

You're welcome, Damon. Others here can probably add a lot of wisdom to this, too. :)

Jean, I love the looks we get when we tell them we use a Whizbang. :)

Can you take your flowers to local small-business florists? Maybe they would buy them...?

Comment by Damon on May 9, 2012 at 2:22pm

Thanks, Sheri!

Comment by Sheri Schmeckpeper on May 9, 2012 at 2:11pm

Damon,

You can see a lot of great coops online if you google the images, or go to Backyard Chickens and hunt through those forums. They're easy to construct just from copying others, and by using your imagination. Our chicken tractor was made out of a small trailer used for carpet cleaning. it had a roof and frame, and we did the rest.

There are four main considerations for your coop: space, protection, maintenance, and cost.

Space:
Your chickens need space to roost (about 1'/bird), lay (1 or 2 boxes are fine for 5 birds), eat & drink (a couple feet of space around the feeder & waterer),  move about (a good coop should be attached to a run) and to take dust baths to get rid of parasites & oil.

Protection from predators:
For us, predators are owls, coyotes, and domestic dogs, mostly (we free-range on an unfenced pasture). Smaller concerns are snakes, scorpions, and ants. For you, it may mean very different things. If you have powerful ground animals (coyote can eat through chicken wire), you need to make certain the base is strong, and you may need to dig it into the ground a ways if you have digging critters. You need a cover over the coop and run to protect them from large birds, especially when the chickens are small. You also may have problems with smaller birds eating your chickens' food, so using 1x2 wiring or netting can help.

Protection from weather:
For us, weather protection is needed against blazing western sun in the summer, monsoon winds from the south, and suffocation from a lack of aeration. So we need a roof and two walls, and all else can be wire. We don't do well with three walls because its too stifling, but wire windows can help with the ventilation.  Where it snows, the roof construction should be considered to it falls off, and where there are major rains, the birds need to be off the ground. Weather is one of the biggest concerns for construction. Most coops designs are generically built for places with four traditional seasons. Here in the desert we have Spring, Summer, Convection, Fall and Almost-winter. :) Alabama is very different than Arizona, so you need to take the features that fit your location best.

Maintenance:
The coop should be good for you, not just for the chickens. That means it should be easy to clean, easy to get to the eggs, and easy to change feed and water. If it's too far from the house, or in an awkward corner, or you have to stoop and get back aches to clean it, you're less likely to maintain it well.

You also need to think about where the poop with be. Under the roost will be quite a pile up, so don't put anything under there unless it's to catch the droppings.

Study feeders and waterers. There are a lot of options for low-maintenance, homemade feeders & waterers.

If you have normal sized birds, consider building your nests between 9 & 10" high, rather than 12" or open at the top. Chickens won't poop when they squat, so if they can't stand up fully in the box, they won't poop in it and it will be easier to clean. We have ours lined with some yoga mat foam, so we don't change media. A few times/year we pull it out and shake it off. Easy breezy.

Cost
Finally, the cost. We're "repurposers" which means we use materials on hand & spend very little. If you buy plans and new material, that's cool, too. But no matter what your budget is, you can build a good coop. Decide what you're willing to spend, then decide how you'll build it...not the other way around.

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