Capt Quirk
Senior Member
You don't really need to run power, they have solar fence chargers. Just add a 12v deep cycle to it, and you're good to go.
Nice coop,,,, how are you keeping the critters out?
Predator proof your coop. We did fine for nearly 10 years, but since the second week in January we`ve lost 14 hens as of last week.
Understood. Being as close to the marsh as we are, coons will be my #1 Predator. I plan to lay blocks along the foundation, coop will sit on top and then bury fencing a couple feet around the perimeter. That should at least give me a fighting chance.
The exact coop I’m looking to have built (with a few modifications) is the 4th in this CL link:
https://macon.craigslist.org/grd/d/chicken-coops/6479885679.html
not even that I just bought solar don't need a deep cycle battery
I would use Cackle Hatchery if I ordered online. We are pretty much raising our own now. I have 2 of the 10x10 dog pens which makes it a 10x30 together. I put 18 inch chicken wire around the bottom. When nothing is growing in the garden we let them free range. I did buy 3 of the tops with a tarp for the pens which has lasted far longer than I expected at 5 years and still look good. Definately better than the tarps at most stores. I made some nest out of OSB and some are 6 gallon buckets. I can't remember but want to say there is a 15 chick minimum on mail order birds. Here's 7 of 12 that I have. Also have 2 roosters(father and son) that hate each other.
I’ll take a look at Cackle. I ran the prices for 6 birds from McMurray last night and it was $350 after shipping!!!
I may be trying to find some locally.
Predator proof your coop. We did fine for nearly 10 years, but since the second week in January we`ve lost 14 hens as of last week.
I’ll take a look at Cackle. I ran the prices for 6 birds from McMurray last night and it was $350 after shipping!!!
I may be trying to find some locally.
The main predator around here are the Eagles,,,, but our farm dog is on the lookout and keeps them away,,,,
Cackle is about 62.00 shipped for 6 chicks and 71.00 for 15
That's hen pricing.
That was for common brown egg layers.
You should get a free chick on the 6 order and 2 on the 15 order.