"Kids don't give us eggs! ;)

Ruth"

"Soooooo sweet! I wish we could have goats!

Thanks for sharing!"

"Yes they do work with the collie rescue! It's a small world!

I'm sorry you lost your girl. I know how hard it is to lose a beloved dog. When you are ready to adopt again, SWCR is a great option. They don't have as many puppies as they do adult and…"

"I'm so sorry to hear about your birds. It's simply baffling and heart-wrenching to hear.

Unfortunately I can't be of any help on the chicken front, but if you decide to get a dog, I highly recommend looking at South West Collie Rescue. It's a great…"

"A Rhode Island Red:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhode_Island_Red"

"Are they missing feathers because the other hens are pecking them? Just to clarify, since that's what I assumed from the title of your post, but see you didn't mention it in the post itself. I'm no chicken expert, but it would seem odd to have four…"

"Thank you so much to everyone for responding!!

We're going to keep it open and work out how to provide them with some form of portable, temporary shelter if and when they need it.

Thanks again and Happy New Year!"

"Ruth, as Susan said, the heat is the worst enemy, so provide lots of shade in the summer. In the summer they also benefit from a breeze, hence the value of open coops. If the coop is too closed in, they can get heat stroke in the summer. You really…"

"You do have a nice coop setup, Becky!
We use the nipple feeders, in fact my husband makes them & sells them. They're fantastic, but you're right, when they free-range they drink from whatever sources they find.
Kathryn, the raised waterer is much…"

"My roost is enclosed, but is well ventilated near the ceiling, and it is in the shade of a large tree.  Each side has a hinged wall that is the same size as a box fan.  In the summer I open one side and put a box fan blowing in, on high, all summer…"

"Thank you for that info!! (I love Backyardchickens!!)"

"Thanks.  We wanted to be able to move it if we wanted to.  It's not a tractor, it would be a small project to move, but it isn't permanent either.
Elevating the water keeps it cleaner and they seem to prefer it anyway. 
I use to use a nipple waterer…"

"Hi Becky-
Great coop!
I noticed in your coop photo, that your waterer is elevated. Does everybody do that or is that just how your birds like it? I am getting my coop together (no birds yet).
(Im a newbie...)....so any details on elevated water,…"

"Here's our coop and our grow-out coop.  They are both open on one side and our chickens have survived the winters just fine.
Just make sure they have shade and a wading pan in the summer!DSC_0153.JPG"

"Definately don't worry about draft or cold! It's the heat that kills em' here in Phoenix. If you do leave it open and it is in direct sun in the summer you will need to shade it somehow.
Susan"