Saturday, October 27, 2012

Checking in at the Chick Inn

The Chick Inn has expanded, and it's bigger and better than ever.


Our chicken coop is a prominent feature of our backyard landscape.  The coop sits almost in the center of our backyard and is easily viewed from the house and all the backyard seating areas.  I wanted the coop to blend with the surrounding woodlands, so I selected paint colors that mimic those found in the nearby post oaks.


The original coop is an 8 X 12 foot structure with a high roof and open floor plan to keep the space cool in the summer.  The expansion consists of an additional 12 X 24 foot space that we added to the back.  From the front, the change is hardly noticeable.



A side view of the addition, shows the open run area and entry door. The run is accessible to both the original coop and the smaller coop at the back.  All of the walls and the roof have been made predator proof with 1/2 inch welded wire secured with screws and fender washers.  The white limestone block and river rock foundation have been continued around the building to discourage digging predators.



The roofed portion at the back is a smaller coop and run combination.   Green shade cloth is currently protecting the western exposure.  Additionally, I've planted a weeping bamboo and some fruit trees for protection in this back area.  The weeping bamboo was purchased recently at Vivero Gardens.   

We've had a lot of trees die off due to the drought and the area is now very exposed to sun.  Next summer, I will need to evaluate the area and add additional shade cloth on the south facing wall, which is currently open.  



The smaller coop/run is a 6 X 12 foot structure designed for Pansy and her babies.  The space can accommodate chicks from babyhood through grow-out.  They can safely live here until they are ready to be merged with the existing flock.  This will not happen until they can defend themselves and fight for a spot in the pecking order, which happens at about 4-5 months.

I know it's just a chicken coop, but that solid wall is screaming out for some art work.  I was initially thinking of painting a mural, but honestly, I'll never have time with all my other projects.  I think some simple outdoor wall hangings and maybe a window would be a huge improvement.



This interior view of the small coop, we call the baby bungalow, shows multiple chicken ladders designed to accommodate chicks of different ages.  Pansy started training the chicks to roost on the ladder style roost at about 6 weeks.  Prior to that they roosted on the floor in a protected area I created with a milk crate and some hay.  



Pansy, who is an excellent forager, has been doing a great job of showing her babies how to scratch and find food.  You can tell when they've found something good because the babies make a very high pitched, excited peeping noise.  



One day I heard the babies sounding a little more excited than usual and I knew they must have found something good.  Curious, I headed over to where they were, but my walk soon turned into a run when I heard Pansy make a loud, shrill warning noise.  The babies had found a coral snake.



Red and black, friend of Jack, red and yeller, kill a feller... apparently, even chickens know the rhyme.  This little guy is lethal, so he's collected into a bucket and taken to the far backside of our property.  It's good to know Pansy is teaching her babies such valuable lessons.





18 comments:

  1. That coop is ENORMOUS and awesome! Your girls are so lucky. I need to start thinking about what our next coop will look like and how it will function. Perhaps I can have chickies again in the Spring. BTW, I cannot believe you let that snake live. Shudder.

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    1. Killing all the snakes out here would be a full time job. LOL! My property borders 160 raw acres, so I usually just toss them over the ranch fence and let them go on their way.

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  2. Oh and I love that you picked colors that made it fade into nature--- bravo lady!

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    1. I really love bright colors in the garden, especially cobalt blue. Somehow blending the buildings into nature felt right for this particular project, because the buildings were constructed back in a wilder, undeveloped area of our property.

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  3. It's like that PBS special about the guy who raised a bunch of wild turkeys - he said those birds just made the forest come alive because they knew where all the animals were all the time.

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    1. Sounds like I need to check out that PBS special. I haven't seen it yet.

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  4. Also - according to Bob Pool, coral snakes are very docile and can easily be caught to be released further away - it's the rattlesnakes that can be problematic - especially the female ones looking for a place to lay eggs.

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    1. I once stepped on a coral snake. Apparently, the snake didn't appreciate me standing on it, and it started bapping me on the ankle until I finally noticed it. When I finally moved, the little guy slithered away with no hard feelings. My heart was racing a bit, but all was well.

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  5. WOW! That is one nice looking chicken coop. Loved the color you picked to paint your coop. Those must be some happy chickens. Sounds like Pansy has been a terrific mother to her adopted chicks.

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    1. Thanks Steph. Pansy has been a great mom. The Welsummer breed is not known for it's mothering instinct, but she's done a fantastic job.

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  6. I agree with Steph....those must be happy chickens. That's a very nice looking coop.

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    1. I can tell they are a lot happier with the extra space. There seems to be noticeably less pecking and everyone is getting along wonderfully.

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  7. What a great coop! AAAHHHH that snake! Isn't it wild how animals just know / have that sense? So glad you got there in time to get it before it hurt any of the chicks. Nice bamboo! =0) Your place looks beautiful- I don't think I have seen such a nice chicken coop to be honest- most are not as large- they have lots and lots of space- you must have very very happy chickens!

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    1. Yes, that bamboo is great! Please tell your hubby thank you for helping us make such a nice choice. I think it's going to work perfectly in that space and hopefully, provide a nice screen from the hot afternoon sun.

      Our coop is maybe a little bigger than necessary ;-) It's definitely a pleasure for me to be able to have a nice high ceiling when I'm visiting the girls, and they seem pretty happy about it too.

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  8. It looks great. I'm really going to have to see it in person one of these days.

    We are going to have to build one of those baby bungalows.

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    1. The baby bungalow is working out wonderfully. Hen reared chicks are the way to go when possible. Watching the chicks interact with Pansy has been priceless. Pansy has been an awesome mom. The chicks are 10 weeks old now and she's still hanging in there even though the chicks already seem to know everything... ahhh, teenagers :)

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  9. You're a good mom for collecting him and relocating him far, far away. I'm sure your chicks appreciate that you're looking out for them.

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  10. Thank you, I try to be a good chick mom to my little feather puppies.

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