New Silkie Mom in Southern NH in a Bit of a Panic!

snhchick

Chirping
Jul 6, 2015
72
4
59
Hi,

I just joined the list along with my three Silkie chicks and my 8-year-old son who promises that he will take care of the chickens. I've been reading lots of posts, and am in a bit of a panic about getting a secure outdoor setup for our new family members. One of the chicks is three weeks old, the other two are six weeks. They are still in a Rubbermaid brooder in my dining room and seem to be doing OK.

I am getting part of a stall in my barn set up for their coop, with plans to expand the indoor space before winter. I'm feeling pressured to get the kids outdoors but am concerned about the three week old escaping. We're also on a budget, so I've been trying to find inexpensive materials on Craig's List. I am considering getting a 4'Lx4'Wx6'T pet run made of chain link as the structure for the outdoor run attached to their coop. I know that this is a bit on the small side and that i would need to add hardware cloth on the sides and something on the top, but I'm drawn to the security of the basic cage. I plan to use some sort of mobile pen/tractor in good weather. Given our severe winters, do you think that they will actually make use of a bigger outdoor pen? I have more space, so one thought is to start out with the small run and fence in the larger area as i find materials on Craig's List.

I'm excited to be a part of this community. I have already learned so much, although I'm definitely feeling overwhelmed by all of the information!
 
Welcome to BYC. It's best to start out small and expand as you go, or later as you see fit. It's really up to you how you want to go about it, keeping financial matters in mind.
 
Silkies really aren't flyers but fairly good at jumping. They generally prefer to pile up in a corner on the floor, rather than use roosts. Maybe you could check out the coops/runs section - there are many types from small to huge - free standing coops, tractors (which can be moved daily or so to preserve your lawn, etc. Many are made of repurposed materials. Some appliance stores may have large crates (ie, refrigerator) that they dump out behind the stores. You might ask if they have any and what they would charge. Sometimes they just want them gone. You can work with that, or just use the wood in your own design.
 
Thanks for the advice. The chicks do seem to like perching but, you're right, they huddle together on the floor when they sleep (at least in the brooder). Does that mean that I won't be able to use a poop board under the roost when they move into the coop? I was really hoping to use this as a way to keep up with the poop. Will they tend to sleep in one spot of just wherever they flop down? Is there something I can set up to encourage them to use a particular spot and some good way of keeping it clean (in a plastic box that I can dump in the AM, for example)? Thanks.

Jody
 

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