Hello Chicken enthusiasts

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brushy_chicks

In the Brooder
Aug 26, 2022
2
16
31
Western NC
I'm not yet a chicken owner but am in the planning stages. I live in Western NC and have known I would be getting a coop for several years but had to wait until the timing was right to make the commitment. Well, the timing is looking like it will be next Spring!

I've been enjoying learning about the different breeds and raising chicks and coops. What kind of litter to use and how to not feed chickens too much scratch or mealworms. I'm constantly changing my mind about what chickens to order (Speckled Sussex, New Hampshire, Bienfeilder, Delaware?!?) and from where. Should by first batch just be a couple Easter eggers from Tractor Supply so I can see if my coop is really predator proof and see if I can keep them alive?

I especially enjoyed the post by @Tre3hugger regarding the NH from freedom ranger as I had been looking at those. I had almost given up on using a dual purpose bird for a sustainable meat and eggs combo until I read his very exciting post. I'd like to try something like that myself!

My biggest challenge will be predators and what to do with all the roosters I want to keep. And not letting Chicken Math get out of hand. lol I don't have chickens yet and can already see how it can be a problem. I already explained to my dear husband that I would be needing 2 coops/runs but will I need 3??
 
You seem to Have a lot of the knowledge a lot of us wish we had before we started.

Since you are still in the planning stage. Let me give you something to consider.

One large coop and two separate runs on opposite sides. A coop that can be separated has worked very well for me. It has made integration super simple and peaceful. It also allows for me to easily dedicate a maternity ward for broodies.

I have never kept a bachelor flock before so the partition inside the coop may need to be solid instead of chicken wire or something. But I did do meat birds and housed them in the separate section, which worked out beautifully.

But keeping chicken math in mind having a large coop can accommodate more chickens and allow you to re-engineer some things depending on how your flock changes over time.

And if you were to run power to the coop, you can make a brooder right there. It would get chicks and your flocks integrated at the earliest stage possible.

The second run doesn’t have to be as big, but I’d still make it big enough for a happy chicken. Dual purpose are much more active than the engineered meat birds. So they will want space while they get big enough.
 

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