Let's face it, life gets the best of all of us sometimes. But a friend of mine, Kate, invited me along on a coop tour last weekend. It is one of those things that is easy to fall be the way side when the schedule is crazy, but when you are going with friends, you set aside the time. So Kate, Charlene, and her son and I hopped in Kate's car and headed off to check out backyard coops around town.
There were some very creative ideas, and some fun things to try...
This one was built out of an old trampoline. The trampoline mat was reattached at the top. The chicken wire that enclosed the coop, was carried up and folded over to overlap with the edge of the trampoline mat for full enclosure. The trampoline is partly opened up so that it is a bit larger and goes flush with the wall behind it, where wood was used to hook in the chicken wire.
They have had hawks, but only during free range time, so they make sure the chicens are always supervised during that.
They had some cute ideas for reusing materials for play areas outside of the chicken house, and roosts and play places.
This was at the botanical gardens. THey recently acquired chickens, working with all donated materials and volunteer labor for painting and putting together things. Love the Arizona flag!
This house has an alliance with a group that deals with water management. The water collection cistern is made of concrete and rebar and chicken wire, as would be done in remote place like remote villages in Africa.
This had the drain valves, and everything.
The placard posted...
This house had a wide variety of displays, including a tippy tap, which is essentially a recycled jug filled with water and a bar of soap tied to a tree for hand washing in remote areas without plumbing, or out in the fields.
Rather wild, there was a neat little metal shed built in the middle of the back yard, and outside was the tippy tap above, inside they had set up for composting using a composting toilet.
These are photos of that setup, you can click on the photos to enlarge them if you would like to read the notes they had posted.
I have to admit, I like the idea of having a box like this one, which could protect seedlings as well as baby chicks getting a little outside time (if given some shade).
I think it is really pretty when folks use sticks for roosting poles. I have never had much luck with finding the right sizes for doing that in our own coops, but I expect that the varying size of the stick/ branch allows for more comfort for the chickens who are growing.
This house also had an interesting system for allowing free ranging with the chickens trained to the house/ cabinet for laying.
The largest roosting area is directly over the compost pile. I know how much ours love to get into the compost when the are out on free range. This gentleman had set them up to use the poop from while they are roosting in the compost, then allow the hens to till the compost for him. While I like the idea, we have had trouble with bugs insode bricks before, so it would take a little more engineering for our house. Perhaps there is more to his sustem than just what I see. Funny how thinks work out a little differently at every person's yard/ farm, isn't it?
The area from the outside. The cabinet for laying is on the left, the compost area is on the right, that is a door to it you see at the bottom right. They also had employed a large metal treadle
feeder. He had nothing but good to say about it,
He had lots of beds. Some of the folks had used every inch of urban backyards for sustainable living.
This is the outside of the outhouse I showed earlier.
They had used the springs from an old mattress as a bulletin board...
Home made trellis with a trough garden our front.
At another home, garden boxes from old pallets were used to house compost and separate different gardens. The nice thing about this with the inground beds is easy covering for frost.
Hoop covers with a raised bed of bricks.
more of the same
a large commercially made cistern
Separate side by side coops for older and younger hens
This house had lots of neat stuff too! There were two side by side coops again, one for the younger chickens. There was a door between, set just high enough the little ones could be introduce to the big chickens but easily run back to their own area if they felt threatened.
There was a gravity fed nipple water system. We had lots of talks about cleaning the systems and freeze prevention. Also note, they were using sprouting seeds in a "salad bar" style concept. Of the two folks we saw doing this, the ones in the sun seemed to be doing the best. Interesting for Arizona, also interesting in that we had just had our first big freeze at this time.
They had hay suspended on blocks for the chickens to play with.
THe nest box design.
The hoe lon the far right allowed entry from the coop to the box. The door in the middle can be closed so that broody mama could be left alone, but could get out when they wanted by pushing the door open.
The water system.
The tree growing out of the top.
What a wonderful day! Thanks so much to Kate. I would never have made it out the door by myself, but had a great time with you all!
