My disabled husband and I built our first (and only) coop.

[Iamgerbear]

We thought it was a lovely little thing for our then 4 girls (we lost one to some thing that came out of the woods into our back yard). We also own a small shetland pony that runs loose on the farm. Well she took to rubbing her neck or butt on the coop and now it has to be rebuilt. The house is still good but this time we will use 2 x 4's building it and .... no we can't hit Zora! But I will build that bigger day time chicken run around the the coop and keep her and whatever it was that came into the back yard, away from it.

 

[jetdog]

Try electric poultry netting pretty cheap if you shop around and very affective, it will keep the horse away.

 

[JanetS]

Hope you can post some pictures!!!

 

[Nicole01]

Congrats on your new coop! My husband built a coop for me. I'm also disabled from a neck injury. The chickens have kept me very busy. We were only going to have 2, but hubby built such a big coop and run that I had to fill it!LOL I do take 100% care of them.

I wish I lived on a farm or owned at least 15-20 acres, but I settle with the 4 acres we have. You'll often find me inside the coop hanging out with the flock.

 

[Iamgerbear]

Can't think of a better place to hang out. Paul has Parkinson's and has had a stroke, he loves watching the girls. I want him to be able to enjoy them from the house so they are just outside the door. We do have more land, 40 acres of Ozark Mountain land. Which is beautifully green but has no top soil. The vines and even the oak trees will take over cleared land in a short time. That is why we are selling, at 69 and 70 yrs old, we can't fight the fight any longer. ;o( So there is some good in owning less land, especially if you can grow more than rocks!

 

[chynasparks]

Hi everyone. It sounds like y'all have great places to raise chickens. We have 1/2 acher in liverpool texas. That's between Houston and Galveston. My husband built our first coop and I was his helper. I hammered and fetched, held posts up secured wire, ect. It took us about 6 weeks to complete. Jobs and rain delays. I cans free ranges 4 peeps. They've been confined to the enclosure, but, whoot whoot we finally constructed a cattle panel whoop run. They can go in the run and be moved around the yard. They're still confined, but this is much better, they can dig for bugs. We have their coop on concrete with play sand and all the safe additives so, they can't dig for bugs. I just started my flock in June. It's been fun, and good for me gets me out of the recliner and moving my muscles. I've got some fine tuning to do on the run then the peeps go in. They aren't laying yet hubby says they are on the credit plan right now. I'm having fun watching them, love watching chicken TV. I'm and am very glad I decided to do this. I don't know what we'd do with 40 achers. It must be beautiful.