Reviews by TaylorGlade

So cute - but also so thoughtful. Your coop and run are perfect for 9 birds. And I love the thoughtfulness you put into protection for them. Burying the mesh, the screens for the windows - and the covered run.

You don't need electricity for an automatic pop door though. Ours is solar (Run Chicken) and we swear by them. However, we are running an extension cable for fans and lighting to make cleaning poop boards easier. It's not ideal and we plan on running electric. Thankfully, my husband (like yours) is one of those handy men with good looking calves. He's also an electrician.

We also plan on running wifi enabled cameras for our own chick cams. Like you - we live in an area surrounded by predators living on site.

Your coop is just fabulous and I may steal your closet design!

I'm surprised to see nuts and raw meat listed on the do not feed lists. Feeding either will not harm your flock.

A quick search of this site will show that lots of people use both to treat their flocks. Just make sure the raw meat isn't bad. We gave our chickens a pint of hamburger meat (we have 30, so not as much as it seems) and they loved it. Additionally, free range chickens catch and eat mice and frogs - and insects. Here is an article from a person certified in chicken health about meat:
https://www.raising-happy-chickens.com/can-chickens-eat-meat.html

Also, some commercial chicken treats have nuts and seeds in them.

Are there particular reasons these are included on your list? Are there particular nuts which are no-nos?

Here is a link to many things chickens can eat - notice that nuts is in the list. The infographic is made by a commercial treat producer
https://grubblyfarms.com/blogs/the-flyer/the-complete-guide-to-what-chickens-can-eat#:~:text=Almonds are a great source,chicken piñata for added enrichment!

I admit that raw meat is controversial. Grubbly Farms discourages it, but many other chicken keepers actively feed their flocks raw meat with no harm. You just want to make sure it is very fresh. If you wouldn't eat it, don't feed it to your birds. And you want to make sure it is in moderation because meat tends to be high fat - cooked or raw. But we aren't talking about a steady diet. We are talking about their treats.

I also consider myself to be a freebie queen and used to have one of the top REAL freebies and coupon websites in the country (before spam sites gave it a bad name).

I wondered about asking for bagged leaves but was concerned about chemicals neighbors may use on their lawn.

I like to use clippings off feed bags to decorate my coop. I wish our grocery stores had a food recovery program, but I do have a garden, and we keep all unseasoned table scraps for the birds. We have 38, so it's a supplement.

I find Getting pallets from local lumber yards helpful, as well. They work for gardening and making herb gardens for the chicken run.

I cannot express how adorable this is. I love all the tiny details

Your fiance gave you a challenge (and it's the same one I issued to David) and you definitely lived up to it. Beautiful workmanship! I am in love with the rounded door and antique hardware.

I do agree with others, though. Hardware cloth is a must. Predators are exceptional at hiding and chicken wire will probably not be enough. One of our neighbors had something kill all their chickens by digging under. So, you may also want to consider a predator apron.

And do consider what others said about mice. Your hopper looks adorable, but will attract rodents to visit.

I really like the gravity fes water system and complete aesthetic. I can feel your heart and soul in this design.