I live on Kauai where there are lots of wild chickens. I love animals of all kinds and when I heard frantic peeping coming from the bushes at the community college a few weeks ago, I found 4 newly-hatched chicks stuck in a grate. I recruited some children with hands small enough to reach inside and grab them, but they were only able to rescue 3, as the last one was very small and weak. The three we did get are doing amazingly well and growing like weeks. They are currently living in a refrigerator box in my spare room and will be 3 weeks tomorrow. This is the first time I've ever raised chickens and have no experience at all with them, so the information I've found here has been invaluable. They are growing like weeds, however, and will soon outgrow the box and need a real (preferably outdoor) space.
I rent a small two bedroom home where I live alone, so keeping them in the house has not been a problem so far. I have a cat and a large dog who both get along with them very well. We also have many cats and dogs who roam the neighborhood freely and have attacked and killed chickens in the past, so letting my chickens roam in my un-fenced, very small side yard is not an option, as they have learned not to be afraid of my pets. The yard is mostly mud/dirt (and grows weeds VERY quickly if not maintained by the gardener) and is sloped. There is a bit of grass toward the front, but I don't know how my landlord would feel about having a chicken coop near the front of the house, on some of the last remaining living grass. I also have a fair sized carport with a large stone gravel bottom that I could potentially rig something up in as I never park my car in there.
So I guess my question is, what would be the best set-up for long-term housing for my three?
I rent a small two bedroom home where I live alone, so keeping them in the house has not been a problem so far. I have a cat and a large dog who both get along with them very well. We also have many cats and dogs who roam the neighborhood freely and have attacked and killed chickens in the past, so letting my chickens roam in my un-fenced, very small side yard is not an option, as they have learned not to be afraid of my pets. The yard is mostly mud/dirt (and grows weeds VERY quickly if not maintained by the gardener) and is sloped. There is a bit of grass toward the front, but I don't know how my landlord would feel about having a chicken coop near the front of the house, on some of the last remaining living grass. I also have a fair sized carport with a large stone gravel bottom that I could potentially rig something up in as I never park my car in there.
So I guess my question is, what would be the best set-up for long-term housing for my three?
