We got our first batch of seven chicks, from Tractor Supply, on April 23, 2022. We put them in a brooder we got from Tractor Supply as well. We then began preparing our coop. We had started by purchasing a Producer's Pride Defender Coop from Tractor Supply, and we set it up next to an existing shade structure in our pasture. We figured the shade structure would shade the henhouse, and keep it a little cooler than if it were in direct sunlight, here in Fresno, where we have pretty hot summers.
Our first batch of chickens included four Leghorns, two New Hampshire Reds, and one Buckeye.
The brooder we got from Tractor Supply, is the Producer's Pride Brooder, which has a plate heater, with two settings, a 40 watt brooder setting and a 200 watt heater setting. The advertised capacity of the brooder is 20 chicks. (UPDATE 3/28/2024: We have now used this brooder for five batches of chicks. We had as many as 15 in it, up to about 4 weeks. That was about as crowded as I think I would push it. Pros we have noted, feed on one side, water on the other, with wire covers that keeps chick from sitting in it, easy to clean, adjustable height of heat plate is nice. Cons we have noted, plastic mesh floor works great to start, but got holes in it. We can't find replacement. Have recovered floor with coated hardware cloth. Seems to work, but a better floor would have been nice.)
One of the New Hampshire Reds died the first night home, and later, after they were moved to the coop, a predator, probably a racoon or possum, somehow managed to reach through and get the buckeye, killing her, but couldn't get into the run to eat her. That left the four Leghorns and one New Hampshire Red. We then put hardware cloth around the exterior of the run, up about three feet, in addition to the predator apron we had done to prevent digging into the run, so that predators couldn't reach in.
We wanted about 8-10 chickens, so with only five we were thinking about more. We wanted to get some variety, and we looked at Easter Eggers, etc. Through My Pet Chicken, we found what we wanted, but there was a seven chick minimum, which would bring our total to 12. We went ahead and got two each of Easter Eggers, Olive Eggers and Black Copper Marans, then one Barred Plymouth Rock to round out the order.
But as we got our new chicks, and integrated them over the following weeks, with our existing chicks (which were 6 weeks older), we began to feel the coop and run setup was too small. We have been free ranging the chickens during the day, and we have a roost bar in the run, up about 18 inches below the ceiling, which is covered by a tarp, and the hens prefer roosting there, to inside the henhouse.
As of October 24, 2022, the five older hens are all laying, and using the nest boxes in the henhouse (with the exception of one Leghorn, that likes to lay her egg nearby in some raspberry brambles), but they still prefer to roost in the run, with occasional exceptions. In order to make sure the hens have plenty of run space, and to help correct the hen that occasionally lays outside, and to make sure the hens have a safe place to be confined to when we are out of town for a day or two, we decided to build a run extension, and that is what is visible and under construction in the photos of this weekend. The run extension, when complete, will more than double the run size by adding an additional 128 square feet. It is close up to the fence, with the raspberry brambles on the other side, which will provide a lot of shade in summer, and was the hens favorite place to hang out last summer.
Our first batch of chickens included four Leghorns, two New Hampshire Reds, and one Buckeye.
The brooder we got from Tractor Supply, is the Producer's Pride Brooder, which has a plate heater, with two settings, a 40 watt brooder setting and a 200 watt heater setting. The advertised capacity of the brooder is 20 chicks. (UPDATE 3/28/2024: We have now used this brooder for five batches of chicks. We had as many as 15 in it, up to about 4 weeks. That was about as crowded as I think I would push it. Pros we have noted, feed on one side, water on the other, with wire covers that keeps chick from sitting in it, easy to clean, adjustable height of heat plate is nice. Cons we have noted, plastic mesh floor works great to start, but got holes in it. We can't find replacement. Have recovered floor with coated hardware cloth. Seems to work, but a better floor would have been nice.)
One of the New Hampshire Reds died the first night home, and later, after they were moved to the coop, a predator, probably a racoon or possum, somehow managed to reach through and get the buckeye, killing her, but couldn't get into the run to eat her. That left the four Leghorns and one New Hampshire Red. We then put hardware cloth around the exterior of the run, up about three feet, in addition to the predator apron we had done to prevent digging into the run, so that predators couldn't reach in.
We wanted about 8-10 chickens, so with only five we were thinking about more. We wanted to get some variety, and we looked at Easter Eggers, etc. Through My Pet Chicken, we found what we wanted, but there was a seven chick minimum, which would bring our total to 12. We went ahead and got two each of Easter Eggers, Olive Eggers and Black Copper Marans, then one Barred Plymouth Rock to round out the order.
But as we got our new chicks, and integrated them over the following weeks, with our existing chicks (which were 6 weeks older), we began to feel the coop and run setup was too small. We have been free ranging the chickens during the day, and we have a roost bar in the run, up about 18 inches below the ceiling, which is covered by a tarp, and the hens prefer roosting there, to inside the henhouse.
As of October 24, 2022, the five older hens are all laying, and using the nest boxes in the henhouse (with the exception of one Leghorn, that likes to lay her egg nearby in some raspberry brambles), but they still prefer to roost in the run, with occasional exceptions. In order to make sure the hens have plenty of run space, and to help correct the hen that occasionally lays outside, and to make sure the hens have a safe place to be confined to when we are out of town for a day or two, we decided to build a run extension, and that is what is visible and under construction in the photos of this weekend. The run extension, when complete, will more than double the run size by adding an additional 128 square feet. It is close up to the fence, with the raspberry brambles on the other side, which will provide a lot of shade in summer, and was the hens favorite place to hang out last summer.
