9/9
Well, its been over a month and no letter from the HOA yet. The chickens are spending a fair amount of time in the garage coop I built. From the street you can hear them when they are loud. This is because I used welded wire for the walls. If I wanted to be really stealthy I should have used plywood on all 4 sides. I guess I will consider that later.
The big change this week is that I made the popdoor. Before this I would just take the chickens out when I felt it was safe and let them roam about the backyard.
Black australorps are very quiet. In the afternoons, they don't make a peep. They can make noise at other times.
When are chickens noisy?
1) If you leave the light on all night, they are really complaining by 6am. The quiet down when you turn off the light.
2) If half of the flock is in the coop, and half is out of the coop, they seem to be much noisier. They seem to want to talk to each other.
3) In the morning, they are generally louder.
My advice to those wanting to keep chickens against HOA rules:
1) Only let them into the run Monday through Friday, from about 10am to 3pm.
Coop Costs:
Welded Wire:
Cage Wire:
Chicken costs:
1 laying hen, 2 young hens, and 2 chicks for $16
Continuing costs:
Chick feed: about $9
Grain scratch: about $11
4 lb of oyster shells: $1.40
5 lb of Grit: $6.95
8 lb of diatomaceous earth (organic, food grade): $14.95
pine shavings: $4.50 for 5.5 cu yards, bought 4 bags, only really needed 1
$47.80
made chicken feeder and waterer out of surplus parts
made nesting box, perches, and other items out of surplus wood
Basic coop frame is surplus warehouse rack.
Chicken run not started yet.
Well, its been over a month and no letter from the HOA yet. The chickens are spending a fair amount of time in the garage coop I built. From the street you can hear them when they are loud. This is because I used welded wire for the walls. If I wanted to be really stealthy I should have used plywood on all 4 sides. I guess I will consider that later.
The big change this week is that I made the popdoor. Before this I would just take the chickens out when I felt it was safe and let them roam about the backyard.
Black australorps are very quiet. In the afternoons, they don't make a peep. They can make noise at other times.
When are chickens noisy?
1) If you leave the light on all night, they are really complaining by 6am. The quiet down when you turn off the light.
2) If half of the flock is in the coop, and half is out of the coop, they seem to be much noisier. They seem to want to talk to each other.
3) In the morning, they are generally louder.
My advice to those wanting to keep chickens against HOA rules:
1) Only let them into the run Monday through Friday, from about 10am to 3pm.
Coop Costs:
Welded Wire:
Cage Wire:
Chicken costs:
1 laying hen, 2 young hens, and 2 chicks for $16
Continuing costs:
Chick feed: about $9
Grain scratch: about $11
4 lb of oyster shells: $1.40
5 lb of Grit: $6.95
8 lb of diatomaceous earth (organic, food grade): $14.95
pine shavings: $4.50 for 5.5 cu yards, bought 4 bags, only really needed 1
$47.80
made chicken feeder and waterer out of surplus parts
made nesting box, perches, and other items out of surplus wood
Basic coop frame is surplus warehouse rack.
Chicken run not started yet.