The Price of Eggs

[hendi_alex]

Our chicken run is covered sides and top with wire. We also have a two foot skirt flat on the ground, on the outside, so that critters can't dig under. I'm thinking that egg eating black snakes might be the greatest problem. Of course I'm sure some surprises are likely to crop up along the way.

Our coop and run are very simple. Here are a couple of photos.

Ten foot by 24 foot run has 8 feet on one side covered with PVC sheeting but has two sections of clear polycarbonate to give a bit more light.



The coop is made from two sheets of 4 x 8 exterior siding. The hinged section will drop down in the winter time. Am keeping the food dispenser under the coop, but had to put up this temporary barrier as rain was blowing into the food.

[LGT]

This looks a lot like my Grandma's and with upkeep it has been working for almost 30 years. She had the same problem with rain. She ended up putting tin up on the sides and roof of the back 1/4 of her coop and that solved that problem. She has two shelves along the entire back wall of the coop with the boxes. When you up your number, you might end up making that adjustment. I don't think she has the two foot skirt on the outside. That might have solved the dog issue she had a few years back.

In the first picture, what do you have on the back right corner?

[hendi_alex]

Are you talking about my worm box?

[Susan W]

Let's see if this link works. Hendi, this is a way you can get your $$ back and more. It was on my Twitter, Marketplace. I missed the story as I was working in my own garden.

Marketplace ‏@MarketplaceAPM15m
How to get the freshest eggs? Rent a chicken. https://mktplc.org/13y0xJT

[FriedGreenTomatoes]

That's a nice coop! I didn't notice where it said you were from. Do you live where winters are pretty warm? Or will you board up the coop in the winter? We have a barn that looks like the previous owners had something in there, I'm guessing chickens because there's a section that has boards on the bottom and fence on the top.
That's where we plan to put ours. Then we were gonna fence off a run behind the barn for them. Do you think that sounds ok?

[hendi_alex]

We rarely get below the mid 20's. I don't think that cold is so much a problems here as is heat when the temperatures get over 100 degrees. That is why I have shade cloth the strap in place, also helps keep the wind from whistling through so hard. If temperatures drop down into the teens, though doubt that the birds will need it, I'll likely put a bulb in the coop.

[LGT]

I think I was asking about the shade cloth you have up. I saw an up close when you showed the worm box. My Grandma lives is South Georgia and her chickens had no problem with the heat. I don't know if different kinds can handle different temperatures. Not sure what kind she has. She never did the heat lamp but her coop was more closed in and I bet it gets a little bit colder in South Carolina.

[gepstein]

Ah, the price of eggs. I don't even factor into the cost of eggs other than feed. I don't want to disappoint myself. Anyway, it's about the taste! Feed costs me $16.00/50 pound bag for 8 hens about every 3 - 4 weeks. I sell the eggs at $2/half or 3.50 full doz. I figure I am breaking even. If I go organic...that's double the price of feed.