chicagochicknlady
In the Brooder
- Jan 22, 2024
- 5
- 25
- 36
hello all!
I am incredibly lucky to be gaining an additional 13 chickens (1 roo) and 2 guineas in the near future. They have their own coop, we are in the Chicago area. I have a lot of decisions to make about their care going forwards and am eager to hear your suggestions, but there are a lot of details so this is going to be a bit long! I will try to be as concise and clear as possible.
First – I have 6 chickens of my own. I could maintain the flocks separately, or integrate. The main problem with integrating (aside from the fact that I would need to create a rather large grow-out section of the coop) is the roosters. I have a RIR rooster, Mr. Benedict, who is, well, not the nicest, but a fierce protector of the ladies, and the new flock has had some trouble with raccoons in the past. I am nervous primarily about how he will deal with another rooster. New roo is named Mr. Pants and is a bantam, very small - if they fought it could be really bad. Or maybe he will not be considered a threat? We are also hoping to rent the farmhouse that the flock comes with periodically, so the noise is an additional consideration.
Second – I won't be there every day. They have an automatic door and a feeder that can last up to a month, so the day-to-day care is minimal. I'm looking for suggestions on bedding - is sand the way to go if I won't be able to clean more than once or twice a week? Deep bedding method? Thoughts on poop boards vs not? Right now they have pine shavings, which I'm not a huge fan of, but it's been working so far I guess. (I know this is more of a coop question, but wanted to have everything in one place!)
Third – the previous owner has heat lights inside the coop during the winter, keeping it above freezing, and also keeps the whole flock indoors during the coldest months. I've heard many times that the heat lights are NOT a good idea, and also generally would lean towards letting them be outside all year round if they choose, but curious if folks have different opinions. It is a brick building, so fire risk is slightly lower? They do seem to be laying a lot more than my girls, even though the lights are red and not white.
That's most of it, I'll add something in comments if I think of it. Thanks very much in advance, sorry for the essay lol. Photos attached of new flock !
I am incredibly lucky to be gaining an additional 13 chickens (1 roo) and 2 guineas in the near future. They have their own coop, we are in the Chicago area. I have a lot of decisions to make about their care going forwards and am eager to hear your suggestions, but there are a lot of details so this is going to be a bit long! I will try to be as concise and clear as possible.
First – I have 6 chickens of my own. I could maintain the flocks separately, or integrate. The main problem with integrating (aside from the fact that I would need to create a rather large grow-out section of the coop) is the roosters. I have a RIR rooster, Mr. Benedict, who is, well, not the nicest, but a fierce protector of the ladies, and the new flock has had some trouble with raccoons in the past. I am nervous primarily about how he will deal with another rooster. New roo is named Mr. Pants and is a bantam, very small - if they fought it could be really bad. Or maybe he will not be considered a threat? We are also hoping to rent the farmhouse that the flock comes with periodically, so the noise is an additional consideration.
Second – I won't be there every day. They have an automatic door and a feeder that can last up to a month, so the day-to-day care is minimal. I'm looking for suggestions on bedding - is sand the way to go if I won't be able to clean more than once or twice a week? Deep bedding method? Thoughts on poop boards vs not? Right now they have pine shavings, which I'm not a huge fan of, but it's been working so far I guess. (I know this is more of a coop question, but wanted to have everything in one place!)
Third – the previous owner has heat lights inside the coop during the winter, keeping it above freezing, and also keeps the whole flock indoors during the coldest months. I've heard many times that the heat lights are NOT a good idea, and also generally would lean towards letting them be outside all year round if they choose, but curious if folks have different opinions. It is a brick building, so fire risk is slightly lower? They do seem to be laying a lot more than my girls, even though the lights are red and not white.
That's most of it, I'll add something in comments if I think of it. Thanks very much in advance, sorry for the essay lol. Photos attached of new flock !