A few not-yet-chicken-owner questions!

[Revelle]

Hello! I've been reading a lot of the threads on here, and am waiting for paypal to buy some hatching eggs. But, I have a few questions! Well, more than a few. Mostly on everyone's own experiences.

1) What was the size of your first flock?

2) Do you recommend any chicken that catches fancy, like... well, any from mixes to ornamental, or sticking with a goal? Like all egg-layers, or fryers, or purebred with no mixes?

3) What was your first coop? Did you build it yourself, or bought it? And, how much?

4) What was your first feed for them, and did you end up changing it later? Is medicated better than not-medicated?

5) What would/did you do if a predator got through the coop? Can they cause enough trouble where the entire investment is lost?


I have a lot more, but I think I should stop before I look like I never did any reading.

Thank you for any answers!

 

[PandoraTaylor]

Quote:
1) my first (current) Flock on my own 39
2) depends on what you want. I have cold hardy birds because of where I live. LF Light Brahma, Barred Plymouth Rocks, & Black Sex link
3) my first coop was a 4' x 7' x 6' still have it attached to a 10' x 20' x 6' Covered run.
4) medicated chick starter then Flock Raiser with grit available free choice. then Layer pellets, till I did some more reading, now back to just Flock Raiser, with grit & Oystershell free choice, and free range several hours a day (in summer). Winter feed they get scratch or cracked Corn in the evening before bed, and fresh greens and vegetables at least 2 a week and leftovers Daily.
5) I cooped the chickens and set a Jaw Trap baited with Pork grease and got rid of the mink!

 

[pkeeler]

1) What was the size of your first flock?

2) Do you recommend any chicken that catches fancy, like... well, any from mixes to ornamental, or sticking with a goal? Like all egg-layers, or fryers, or purebred with no mixes?

3) What was your first coop? Did you build it yourself, or bought it? And, how much?

4) What was your first feed for them, and did you end up changing it later? Is medicated better than not-medicated?

5) What would/did you do if a predator got through the coop? Can they cause enough trouble where the entire investment is lost?

1) 26 birds mail order
2) Unless you want to breed birds for show, or maximize egg production, then get a mix. It makes it easier to keep track of the birds and it is fun. You will get more than enough eggs from any dual purpose breed and from many ornamental breeds.
3) I built a coop, cost about $800 in lumber and materials.
4) I got medicated chick feed at the local Agway. I don't think it is better, but it is usually no more expensive to get medicated. And while it probably is least important in a flock started from scratch, it might help with rookie mistakes.
5) Coops and runs have to be made predator proof. It is part of the bargain with your chickens.​

 

[schmije]

1. We started with 2 girls, but after about 6 months, we added 9 peeps for a total of 11.

2. We have a mix of heavy breeds, because we only want them for the eggs (and their entertainment value). The types that you get depends on what you want to do with them. We've been very happy with the heavies.

3. Our first coop was a chicken tractor that DH built from scrap materials around our property. I think he only bought the wheels and hinges.

Before the peeps moved outside we built them a coop. Most of the materials were scrap from our property, so we probably only spent a couple hundred on some plywood, 2x4's, shingles, hardware, etc.

4. We've bought whatever brand of feed that our local farm supply stores sell. I think they're on Nutrena now. They get chick starter when they're little, and when they start laying we change them to layer crumbles. We're not picky about the brand, but ours like crumbles better than mash.

5. A predator has never made it into our coop, but if one does, it can easily kill all of the birds at one time. We free range them, so we've lost a number of birds to predators in the yard.

I hope this helps. Good luck with your flock!

 

[kezabel]

1. 4 bantam pullets - 16 weeks old
2. depends on climate and your choice, I chose bantams because they are cute

3. Still using my first coop- we built it from spare material we had left over from doing renovations on the house - its an a Frame coop

- thats our coop.
4. layer pellets and am still using the same brand - for chicks starter crumble - I have 5 silkie chicks now - 3 are 9 weeks old and 2 are 2 weeks old. I don't know if the feed is medicated, shell grit and table scraps and veges, oats and weat bix
5.I'm lucky we don't have to many preditors down here, next doors dog got into the yard and was trying to dig under the coop but thats it so far.

 

[chickletranch]

1) What was the size of your first flock?
1 rooster and 6 hens. An old rooster wandered onto our property, so we bought 3 chicks at the feed store and raised them to keep him company. Now we have 31 standards and 10 bantams. How did that happen?

2) Do you recommend any chicken that catches fancy, like... well, any from mixes to ornamental, or sticking with a goal? Like all egg-layers, or fryers, or purebred with no mixes?
I like to mix it up. We have barred rocks, white rocks, RIR's, buff orps, wyandottes, brahmas and red sexlinks. It's kind of nice to have a variety.

3) What was your first coop? Did you build it yourself, or bought it? And, how much?
We used an old shed that was on the property and converted it. We've since added a coop bought from TuffShed.

4) What was your first feed for them, and did you end up changing it later? Is medicated better than not-medicated?
Medicated chick starter. I'm a fan of medicated feed...saves on the heartbreak of losing a chick or having to treat the whole flock for coccidiosis.

5) What would/did you do if a predator got through the coop? Can they cause enough trouble where the entire investment is lost?
We've only had predator issues outside the coop (hawks, possums, raccoons, stray dogs). It's not hard to make your coop safe. You just need to think like a predator. Honestly, if a predator was big/strong enough to get into our coop, I'd probably forego raising chickens.

Good luck with your hatch!
Lynn

 

[fordmommy]

1-I started with 5.... 3 month old pullets. Within a month I had gotten 4 more and a couple weeks later, 8 laying hens more. I couldn't help myself.

2-I got the ones I got because I wanted one of everything.

3- my first and current coop, DH got for free off craigslist. It's a building 13x24. He got 2 buildings for frre actually. This one he gave me a 6x12 room. We added windows and a door and a chicken door. Through in some sand and build a shelf out of our old counter top that's 3x6. Added perches and nesting boxes. None.

4-My girls were old enough to go on layer.

5-I had a preditor. On Jan. 14th a neighbor's loose dog forced his way into my coop. I lost more than half of my flock.

2 were favorites. I was able to get a few replacement pullets off craigslist. But now I am just waiting for baby chicks.

Pics of my coop and run under construction this summer. I also have 4 nesting boxes but it only shows 2 in this pic. And it also has 2 perches above the nesting boxes.

Now it will be getting a little more up grade. I am going to block off the bottom of that counter with old farm storm windows and that's where the babies will live!

 

[REINABUGY]

 

[gritsar]

1) What was the size of your first flock?

I started with 21 chicks, all one breed (brahmas) but in three different colors. I ordered two roosters, but ended up with five due to a sexing mistake at the hatchery. I gave the extra three away, leaving me 18 chickens. Then a friend lost her entire flock to a dog attack, so I gave her a roo and two hens, leaving me with 15. One hen died of a heart attack last spring, so now I have 14 chickens; a roo and 13 hens.

2) Do you recommend any chicken that catches fancy, like... well, any from mixes to ornamental, or sticking with a goal? Like all egg-layers, or fryers, or purebred with no mixes?
Mix it up, but since broilers have different feed requirements you might want to stick with egg layers and ornamentals unless you are going to house the broilers seperately. Look for birds suited to your climate and you'll be better off come wintertime or in scorching hot summers.

3) What was your first coop? Did you build it yourself, or bought it? And, how much?
I don't like to think about the cost of our first coop, but yes we built it.

4) What was your first feed for them, and did you end up changing it later? Is medicated better than not-medicated?
My chickens were on medicated starter/grower until I got my first egg at 19 weeks, then everybody went on layer pellets.

5) What would/did you do if a predator got through the coop? Can they cause enough trouble where the entire investment is lost?
Predators can wipe out an entire flock in minutes.

 

[BarredBuff]

Quote:
1. My first flock was 11 Hens and 1 Rooster.
2. I dont personally because I dont see a use for them we dont get them, we like brown eggs so we have Rhode Island Reds and Barred Rocks both good egglayers with a nice meaty carcass. I would say keep one breed because if you have a broody you have purebred chicks.
3. My first coop was an 8 by 8, me and my uncle built my first coop and it was between 500 and 1000 but we got it built how we wanted it.
4. I made the mistake of feeding just scratch and we changed it to Layena after 50 % of them died of coccidiosis which is why chick starter is medicated so feed medicated feed for coccidiosis prevention
5. We had a raccoon get in the coop and killed one of the sick chickens we then put wire in every crevice of the coop and run. The entire investment can be lost my cousin lost 43 of the 47 chickens she had to a group of german shepherds who killed the chickens just for sport

Good Luck and if you need any help or advice you can PM me.