The Chicken Coop Mistakes You DON'T Want to Make!

Links to the things I mentioned and the coop door are down below this paragraph. The metai material info is (links to coop door and info on the wire mesh below this paragraph 👇🏼 )
Thinking of starting your own backyard chicken coop? Watch this video to learn from our real-life experiences! We'll be sharing the mistakes we made and what we did right so you can be successful in raising happy chickens. We'll cover all the essential things you need to know before getting a chicken coop, including chicken coop designs and how to care for chickens. Whether you're a beginner or experienced, this video is perfect for anyone who wants to learn more about backyard chicken keeping.
•••Metal mesh material we used on coop: lowes 27” by 97” Galvanized steel Stucco netting. Model # LAM simialr is also available at Home Depot.
This video IS NOT sponsored Some product links are affiliate links which means if you buy something I will receive a small commission.
=============================
Find the Products in this video:
🐓Chicken coop door (the exact one I have is no longer Available, but this is the other one I have used that comes with an APP. amzn.to/3E233Sh
=============================
This Video was Filmed Using:
Camera: Sony FX30 ➡ amzn.to/3hrY6JV
Rode Mic ➡ amzn.to/3FuA6PW
=============================
Connect with Olya on Instagram and Facebook
IG: / holistichomesteadlife
FB: / holistichomesteadlife
=============================
My mission is to help others start living holistically regardless of where they are, in the suburbs or on a farm.
For Support inquiries, or Business inquiries, please go to: olyakonell.com/
QUESTION - Have a question about something? Post in the comments section of this video!
Subscribe to Holistic Homestead Health: / @holistichomesteadlife
Licensed Music Music provided by Artlist.io. Check it out here ➡️ artlist.io/Oly...
#olyakonell #holistichomesteadlife #chickens #Eggs #chickencoope

[@Holistichomesteadlife]

Chicken coop door Amazon affiliate Link: amzn.to/3E233Sh (this is one I have previously used and we liked it because it comes with an app. The exact one in vid on coop #2 is no longer avail, but this one is!)

[@victorybeginsinthegarden]

You need to raise your roosting bars to be higher than your nesting boxes. The bottom roosting bar is too low chickens like to roost as high as they can get. So the bottom roosting bar looks like it is lower or even with the nesting box so that is probably why they perch there at night. Build them a ladder if you think they can't reach the top.

[@ruthcondit2971]

I just found your channel. Thanks for the great information on chicken coops - sharing your good and poor decisions was very helpful. I see you haven’t made videos in a year. Hope all is going well for you. Blessings!

[@centurione6489]

I am planning my chicken coop right now. The suggestion to clear the automatic door from the drop zone was very helpful.

[@Holistichomesteadlife]

Oh that is awesome! Yeah, it’s one of those things we didn’t really consider lol 😂 what it is a ⚠️ zone for sure! Haha

[@MosaicHomestead]

I delayed my coop build one year just for research, I'm building right now, im calling it the chicken bunker, it will be a hurricane proof coop with a ton of features including, being able to stand up, having it elevated for predators and easy cleanup and a 100% sustainable solar water feeder, its actually a above ground bunker build lol

[@Holistichomesteadlife]

Wow that sounds amazing!!! I hope you do a video on it and share you coop progress! We definitely have some things to tweak on ours. Live and learn!

[@MosaicHomestead]

@@Holistichomesteadlife The last video I put up is chicken bunker roof up, Search chicken bunker roof up

[@ideagd1414]

Great advice !!!

[@sunnysweetspot6499]

Usually nesting boxes are outside the coop but still contained within the coop. This is a great video to make you think! Thank you.

[@SeekerSmith]

Welded wire mesh is what we called it in construction. Hardware cloth is a popular term now.

[@p.shermanfortytwowallabyla9488]

I would switch your 2x4 perches to the 4inch side up. They'll like it better and it keeps their feet warmer in the winter. I wouldn't place nesting boxes on the floor to help keep eggs cleaner. You should have kept the floor in the shed and just installed linoleum or Vinyl flooring. They like the top of the nesting box you have there bc their roost is uncomfortable. I also wouldn't keep that hay in there regardless if they don't poop on it or not. There is a lot of humidity and poop particles in there and it won't keep as well if it weren't surrounded by all that humidity, ammonia and poo. It can also attract rats to nest in there bc they eat the chicken feed.. and the hay makes great nesting.

[@LettiesLife]

Im about to take the plunge but going slow motion! Just ordered my shed 👀 and went to 🚜 supply and got fencing for their run 🙈 your video was so real’atable 🥰🤗🥰 thank you! 💜🦋🐓

[@Holistichomesteadlife]

You’re welcome!!!! we’ve learned that there’s so many different ways of doing things, and it’s just finding what works best for us and along the way made some mistakes, but then also learned some lessons lol 😆 congrats and good luck on your 🐓 adventure!!!!🤩

[@Holistichomesteadlife]

Hey @lettieslife I wanted to check in with you and see how your chicken journey was going!

[@torim1265]

This is so helpful! I want to get into owning chickens but had no idea what to do!

[@Holistichomesteadlife]

Oh, I’m excited for you! I am not an expert by any means, but I’ve had chickens for almost 10 years now, and it’s been such a fun adventure. There are so many good videos on KZbin about chicken keeping 101. If I have time, maybe I’ll make one of my own videos with just the basics. They say that chickens are the Gateway animal because they’re really easy to get the hang of:)) if you have any specific questions, feel free to comment them if you don’t find the answers anywhere else and if I happen to know, I’m happy to share the information!

[@normbograham]

My chickens hate the 2x4 roosting bars, every time. You need to find a small straight tree, and cut it for them. They will find the position of the tree, that fits their feet best. take a small 2x4, and secure the ends of the roost.

[@christynm.8933]

YOUR HAIR IS SOOOO PRETTY!❤️

[@Holistichomesteadlife]

Awe thank you! I started using less stuff in my hair, cut out as many chemicals as I could, and it started to grow! I realize that with hair skin everything sometimes less is more:)

[@davidjalof77]

Very informative thanks 😊

[@Holistichomesteadlife]

You’re welcome!:)

[@paramedicchrisbookseries]

Thank you. My latest book involves a chicken, paramedic Chris and the runaway chicken

[@larrysavard2343]

Thank you for the tips much appreciated 👍🏻👍🏻

[@richieanything333]

really secure..... great...!

[@standandknowgod]

Absolutely loved this video.

[@Holistichomesteadlife]

Thank you!! :)

[@anonz975]

If you have a broody hen it is important that the flock see her every day (during incubation and especially when the chicks arrive). If she is out of sight from the flock for several days/weeks the chicks will NOT be accepted as flock members and you will have to go through a messy integration period which isn't good (and can cause serious or even fatal health problems if the chicks get too stressed from bullying). If the mother is an active flock member the chicks are too and they can usually start mixing with the big birds at a few days old.

[@d.a.tsun5104]

If I may offer a suggestion on poop management ;-). I wanted to do it but the configuration of my hen house doesn't allow it, yours, however is perfect. Instead of removing the floor of the shed, install a poop tray underneath the roosting bars. Put sand and sweet pdz on the tray. Since chickens poop only in one spot when they sleep on the roost, you can easily clean their poop with one sweep, or use cat poop scoop. You can still use the space under the tray as storage without fear of it being drenched with chicken excretes. And if you measure properly, you can install the automated slide-up chicken door also under the tray, *inside* the coop so it's protected from the weather. Put it next to the human door so it's easy for you to reach the control panel. If the metal that slides up extends above the plane of the tray, make a slot on the tray so the metal can easily pass through, and install a piece of plywood or left over roofing panel (not the asphalt kind but the metal or undulating one) on an angle to protect the chicken door from the poop rain. As for the nesting box, your initial idea was great. I would do that if I had a shed coop but I would install a door with wire mesh for brooder or quarantining injured chickens (not contagious-sick ones though). When there's none, the space is still good for storage and the meshed door would keep chickens from roosting. On my current hen house, which I built on the style of Carolina Coop, my nesting boxes are inside the house, not overhang outside like Carolina Coops'. Because I want to use deep litter method, I built the nesting boxes 12 inches above the floor of the coop. That space is enough for hens to slide under and chickens roost at the highest point possible but lay egg at the lowest and deepest recesses possible. So, I blocked that space under the next and since the wall outside the nest is basically a drop down door to access the eggs, I built a door also for the space under the nesting boxes as a storage. That storage was a handy place to put my egg basket in safely when I am still working around the coop so the chickens wouldn't knock the eggs or if it's raining the eggs are safely protected and dry in the cupboard.

[@Holistichomesteadlife]

Oh wow! Thank you for taking the time to share your design ideas and experiences! Yeah we are definitely going to be making some “revisions “ haha we were remodeling our house and were attempting to be thrifty and scored some used storage sheds - gave them a little TLC and then put them to use haha but for sure we need to reconfigure the door and the nesting box situation. I will pass your comment onto my husband for ideas! Thank you! 🙌🏼

[@oldchickenlady]

I built my roost bar over a poop tray also but tucked the nest boxes in under the poop tray. It saves lots of space, there is about 15" under the nest boxes where I store bales of pine shavings. My current coop is about my 7th that I have built over probably 40 some years. Each time I fix something I didn't like about the one before. The chickens must laugh behind our backs for how much we stress over their coops!!!🙄

[@d.a.tsun5104]

@@oldchickenlady Oh what we do for our chickens... and they don't even care.

[@a123phi5]

@@oldchickenlady 😂

[@PertanianTerpadu]

Wow.. nice info Nice sharing, I like it.... 👍👍

[@Holistichomesteadlife]

You’re welcome!!

[@Amy-qd9ec]

Best to have wire over the top of the courtyard as well. We have hawks and buzzards. Big trouble.

[@robingalloway3541]

Great advice. Thank you

[@peterwhelan6144]

The cladding is a type of MESH

[@kirklynedwards6107]

When my wife and I bought our house we live in the city and it had an old shed and I said what can we do with it, and instead of getting rid of it I decided to turn it into a chicken coop

[@curthickman7750]

Looks like stucco wire sheets

[@Holistichomesteadlife]

Yup or something like that but that stuff is so sharp! We used it underneath the dirt underground and on the walls.

[@molallaretreat1]

What is the covering you used on the first coop? The stuff you buried into the ground?

[@Holistichomesteadlife]

Thank you for your question I realized I forgot to add that to the description! So we got it at lowes ( husband says prob next to the rebar). It comes in sheets 27” by 97” galvanized steel stucco netting. Also called metal lath at other stores. Lowes model #lam . I know Home Depot has similar the pattern on it is like in a diamond shape and if you rub your hand on the surface of it, it’s very sharp so it’s a great deterrent against animals. Mice can’t get through either and it’s very strong.

[@paulagg9524]

Could also be hardware cloth that you can buy from Bi Mart, Tractor Supply / Wilco ...

[@Holistichomesteadlife]

Yup can use other material as well. (We found this stuff to be a little sturdier against rodents and that’s why my husband used it.) But yes it’s possible to use other things that are avail that will stand up being hurried or be rodent proof . (We had issues with burrowing rays and mice at out last place

[@glorialaster8880]

I had some of that stucco wire before. Straight to the ER for stitches. Like one huge razor blade 😢

[@Holistichomesteadlife]

Yes it is very sharp and sturdy which is one of the reasons why we used it because it would do that to a predator.. but definitely do not recommend rubbing up against it. Thankfully we’ve never had a problem but I am so sorry to hear about what happened I am sure that was painful!

[@kalikale3969]

Don't think a fox can't dig under the coop walls if there's nothing to prevent it. I had a fox dig under my run fence and then under the coop wall. He ended up taking over half my chickens before I managed to stop it. I had to go into the coop and dig a trench then I placed bricks I had stacked up all the way around and covered them over. NOW the critter can't get into the coop. It can still dig under the run fence though. Also, you could just put an awning over the automatic door even putting side shields on it to protect from blowing rain.

[@Holistichomesteadlife]

Oh wow! That’s horrifying! I’m so sorry to hear that happened to you! Well that’s why my husband actually secured it like a box so we excavated into the ground and he laid down the same material that we have on the walls we have it underneath the dirt so we’ve had rats try to get in and they’re not able to get in because it’s fully enclosed. Just like how you explained we were thinking about that if a critter really wants to get in and we’re not home or not around they will find away unless we secure it . It was definitely a lot of extra work but well worth it because it’s been five years and it’s been five years of peace of mind!

[@DrewJacobson61]

Is there a reason that the chicken coop door into the playpen area is higher above the ground?

[@Holistichomesteadlife]

Great q! So yes (snow) when we get snow it’s nice to have it a little above so it doesn’t get buried. We get less in the area right by door but it helps to have a little bit of clearance.

[@heartsdreamshomestead8930]

that's how the door is in our coop. it was made by previous owners

[@dontbea7237]

lathe

[@asdfjkl2600]

Chickens will eat a mouse if they invade their space.

[@beebop9808]

lol Chickens are a lot like feathered pigs. Chicigs. 😂

[@JuaneDoses-zk9dm]

Biggest mistake is allowing some people to do this at all

[@cardinalcar]

Note to self: chickens… poop…