Rock Springs Wyoming new to chickens!

[KaliFox]

Hi all! Been researching the whole of homesteading really for a while, (my boyfriend and I have a dream of buying land in Saratoga) I digress, chickens became a fascination for me and as it turns out, I’m perfectly in a spot where I live on the actual EDGE of town and have the coolest landlord ever. So far I was able to get a super deal on this coop that someone was selling and I’m trying like heck to figure out the run part without spending an arm and a leg (as I mentioned we want to move eventually so nothing super duper permanent preferably) I’ll have to upload a pic of the backyard we intend on housing the chickens in. We’ve begun cleanup got all the old tires and whatnot out of there, some raking to do I’m sure and debating on whether I’m in a bit of a hurry, or if I may want to try to plant some foraging crops next year. I also happen to know I’m getting an indoor hydroponics system for my birthday in about a month that I could easily grow some greens in. I’ve also thought about getting into sprouting as I myself enjoy sprouts and it seems relatively easy with a jar and some mesh. Obviously there will be the normal feed and scratch, along with the necessary grit for digestion, but with Wyoming being so… well at least in my area, quite desolate, I’d like to provide them with other fresh options than bugs. I’ve considered trying perhaps some bird blinders in the top part of the tree where they would only be seen by birds of prey and perhaps some sturdy pinwheels facing outwards on the back fence and attaching some hardware cloth to the fence and burying it. We have a dark wood fence that’s difficult to see through so the only predator sight that’s an issue is hawks/owls. (Obviously I understand they can hear and smell them as well, but hey, one less advantage is one less advantage.) My understanding is that mostly hawks are the daytime predators that are a worry, and locking them up securely in the coop at night with solar predator eyes should keep them mostly safe at night, so I’m just trying to let them have some legroom without a WHOLE lot of restriction with the most safety possible. Then of course comes the breed choice. I thought I had it all figured out until I went all over every corner of the internet. The level of security I really desired while giving them what many chicken specifications would consider to be quite generous would have me become a cement mason, figure out how to put up a dog run, spend a couple thousand on materials, or hire a crew with the same result, and suddenly, my poor sweet landlord would regret his decision to say “Ya, a few chickens is fine. I just don’t want a farm”. So now I’m trying to figure out all kinds of stuff, including, if there are any chicks available in Wyoming as I imagine being reared here would make them a bit more likely to survive. I also should add that the coop came with a heated waterer and a heat lamp, but I’m not fond of the idea of a heat lamp in that plastic coop so I’m needing to do a bit of research on heating pads, the red comb birds and sage alternative coop heating methods. Also in my consideration of breed is since I’m reallly trying for a roofless run, should I go for fatter hens that can’t fly as high, knowing they do fare better in the winter? If I’m honest though, Wyoming Summers are as hot as the winters are cold, and I’ve got myself into a bit of a stumped tizzy if I’m honest.
Nevertheless, the goal is chickens and the results will be chickens. Sometimes pieces fall in a weird order, but they’ll fall regardless.
If anyone has any comments, advice, etc., I would be glad to hear it if you can manage with what I’ve rambled here.

 

[sourland]

Plan and prepare and you will be successful in establishing and maintaining your flock.

 

[R2elk]

Hi all! Been researching the whole of homesteading really for a while, (my boyfriend and I have a dream of buying land in Saratoga) I digress, chickens became a fascination for me and as it turns out, I’m perfectly in a spot where I live on the actual EDGE of town and have the coolest landlord ever. So far I was able to get a super deal on this coop that someone was selling and I’m trying like heck to figure out the run part without spending an arm and a leg (as I mentioned we want to move eventually so nothing super duper permanent preferably) I’ll have to upload a pic of the backyard we intend on housing the chickens in. We’ve begun cleanup got all the old tires and whatnot out of there, some raking to do I’m sure and debating on whether I’m in a bit of a hurry, or if I may want to try to plant some foraging crops next year. I also happen to know I’m getting an indoor hydroponics system for my birthday in about a month that I could easily grow some greens in. I’ve also thought about getting into sprouting as I myself enjoy sprouts and it seems relatively easy with a jar and some mesh. Obviously there will be the normal feed and scratch, along with the necessary grit for digestion, but with Wyoming being so… well at least in my area, quite desolate, I’d like to provide them with other fresh options than bugs. I’ve considered trying perhaps some bird blinders in the top part of the tree where they would only be seen by birds of prey and perhaps some sturdy pinwheels facing outwards on the back fence and attaching some hardware cloth to the fence and burying it. We have a dark wood fence that’s difficult to see through so the only predator sight that’s an issue is hawks/owls. (Obviously I understand they can hear and smell them as well, but hey, one less advantage is one less advantage.) My understanding is that mostly hawks are the daytime predators that are a worry, and locking them up securely in the coop at night with solar predator eyes should keep them mostly safe at night, so I’m just trying to let them have some legroom without a WHOLE lot of restriction with the most safety possible. Then of course comes the breed choice. I thought I had it all figured out until I went all over every corner of the internet. The level of security I really desired while giving them what many chicken specifications would consider to be quite generous would have me become a cement mason, figure out how to put up a dog run, spend a couple thousand on materials, or hire a crew with the same result, and suddenly, my poor sweet landlord would regret his decision to say “Ya, a few chickens is fine. I just don’t want a farm”. So now I’m trying to figure out all kinds of stuff, including, if there are any chicks available in Wyoming as I imagine being reared here would make them a bit more likely to survive. I also should add that the coop came with a heated waterer and a heat lamp, but I’m not fond of the idea of a heat lamp in that plastic coop so I’m needing to do a bit of research on heating pads, the red comb birds and sage alternative coop heating methods. Also in my consideration of breed is since I’m reallly trying for a roofless run, should I go for fatter hens that can’t fly as high, knowing they do fare better in the winter? If I’m honest though, Wyoming Summers are as hot as the winters are cold, and I’ve got myself into a bit of a stumped tizzy if I’m honest.
Nevertheless, the goal is chickens and the results will be chickens. Sometimes pieces fall in a weird order, but they’ll fall regardless.
If anyone has any comments, advice, etc., I would be glad to hear it if you can manage with what I’ve rambled here.

For better reading by other members, in the future break your post up into paragraphs.

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