Waited too long!

[Beekissed]

I see them on our area craigslist all the time also. Speaking of craigslist ... is this really big enough for 6-8 hens?... http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/wsh/grd/4959299830.html

Coop is 5' by 3.75'... pen 7' by 4'

Not even. I wouldn't even put two hens in that space and only as temporary holding...it's just too, too small, has too little light and air in the coop, the floor is made of material that will start to fall apart when it gets damp from manure and is not easily cleaned, the roosts~as has been mentioned~are too slender for comfortable perching, the run is way too small even if a person moves it daily which they would have to do to keep the birds on clean, healthy soil.

These people who advertise these dollhouse coops as big enough for 6-8 birds have obviously never had chickens or they don't care if other people's chickens die as long as they can sucker them for big money. Makes me angry to see them doing that.

 

[Nyboy]

I guess if you think of how battery chickens are kept, that coop would be fine. But why would you want to keep chickens then?

 

[baymule]

These dollhouse coops just aren't practical. My old coop was a walk in tall coop with plenty of room. My temp coop for now.....I have to stoop over a little to go in it......hate it.

 

[bobm]

Not even. I wouldn't even put two hens in that space and only as temporary holding...it's just too, too small, has too little light and air in the coop, the floor is made of material that will start to fall apart when it gets damp from manure and is not easily cleaned, the roosts~as has been mentioned~are too slender for comfortable perching, the run is way too small even if a person moves it daily which they would have to do to keep the birds on clean, healthy soil.

These people who advertise these dollhouse coops as big enough for 6-8 birds have obviously never had chickens or they don't care if other people's chickens die as long as they can sucker them for big money. Makes me angry to see them doing that.

2 X + total ripoff.

 

[Nyboy]

http://newyork.craigslist.org/wch/grd/4971790175.html cute but $600 looks like ex large doghouse.

 

[Smart Red]

I just checked today. I can order chicks up until this Monday and get them from the feed store. Stuck with the '5 of each' problem, though. Or, for twice as much, I can order through Cackle hatchery myself and get 9 mixed breed pullets mailed to me.

Sigh! What to do? What to do?

 

[journey11]

I just checked today. I can order chicks up until this Monday and get them from the feed store. Stuck with the '5 of each' problem, though. Or, for twice as much, I can order through Cackle hatchery myself and get 9 mixed breed pullets mailed to me.

Sigh! What to do? What to do?

Any luck with your local Craigslist or trader's bulletin? I did find a few options in mine. Maybe even put an ad in one of those asking to buy chicks? Something else to check is the livestock market. People who do their own hatching will often sell the extras at auction. I once got a dozen chicks from a man whose wife worked with my MIL and they said that was what he did for a hobby, sell them at the livestock auction. I wouldn't have known about it if I hadn't heard by word of mouth. Perhaps a wanted ad in the paper, online or trader's bulletin should stir up a few leads.

 

[Smart Red]

No real luck with Craigslist. Selling for $20 each or selling all of one breed for around $2.00, quite a way from here, and I don't know who I'm dealing with.

I could check a bit more, but the deadline is fast approaching. My son's MIL went to a livestock sale last week, but didn't let me know ahead this time or I'd have gone.

 

[Nyboy]

Be very careful of livestock auctions there is a few threads on BYC about them. You really need to know about what your buying its a dumping ground for sick and trouble animals.

 

[journey11]

http://newyork.craigslist.org/wch/grd/4971790175.html cute but $600 looks like ex large doghouse.

I love this! I showed it to Ava and she was all for it. I think I would paint the coop part barn red and then trim it in white instead. If only the ad had pics of the inside. I am going to look on BYC for some ideas for how to do that.