2+ years to get approval for chickens

[Acre4Me]

This is so helpful @Acre4Me. It looks like you put linoleum down on your floor. I couldn't find a piece small enough for my coop and I didn't want to do the individual tile, too hard on the back and knees. I want to maximize the floorspace in the coop since I plan on adding a few birds. I'm adding an extension to the run to house the new chickens and will put in a gate so I can open it to all the birds once they adapt. Any advice is always welcome. Thank you.

Nice! Yes, we found a section of flooring, and its been durable, but not perfect. It has a nick in it, near the door now, but probably from when we've scraped the floor when cleaning it out. It got cleaned out today - first warm day in quite some time. I know some people use the roofing "paint" called "BlackJack" to coat the floors. Another posters used the epoxy-type floor coating, but in a flecked white/black/grey pattern so it masks the poopy look better - made me laugh (bc what a good idea) when I saw it!

When we've separated the run, we've used moveable pet fencing. Our run is 10'x50', which includes the shady area under the coop since we elevated it 2.5' above the ground. We plan to add a roof over the entire run, but part of it will be the clear corrugated roofing, the rest corrugated metal (coop is traditional roof for better weather/temp protection). Then we plan to build a meat chicken "coop" in a nearby area for a couple of meat chicken batches a year.

Chicken Math will get you every time! I've got some more chickens on order already!

 

[Danielstribe]

28 birds in 50sqft is factory farming type spacing.

@Acre4Me has good points about ventilation.

 

[Danielstribe]

Please remember i said 15-20 birds not 28.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

Actually it's 50 sq ft with 8ft walls 10 ft to peak inside with enough roosts for 28 birds and has 8 nesting boxes. And the run is 380sq ft. 16'x24' At 6.5 ft high 1/2 opened (covered w/one inch chicken wire) and 1/2 covered. I should be fine. I always over build just in case.

Like @aart said, it will be crowded for 15-20 birds.

Gary

 

[Danielstribe]

Like @aart said, it will be crowded for 15-20 birds.

Gary

 

[Danielstribe]

Have a blessed evening.

 

[starri33]

Have a blessed evening.

Welcome to BYC Danielstribe. From everything I read on raising chickens (I'm a self admitted Nerd to doing more research than needed) yes, the area will be a little snug for 20 chickens, but you are not raising them in factory setting where they never see the sun, your's will be out in the open air and just sleeping and laying in the coop. At 5 degree's, I'd want to cuddle myself to keep warm, so your feathered children won't have much of a problem, I started out with 12 chickens and a 8 x 10 coop. I've lost a couple of girls and gained 3 from a friend, then I bought a incubator.. YIKES, I've got the hatching bug.. so I've added another 5 to the group, bringing my total to 18 now.. and they are happily co-existing in the 8 x 10, while I am building them a 8 x 24 (192 sq ft) coop. I've recently purchased a 24 count incubator and had a friend who's a realtor tell me she has a client that I might need to inherit her 22 chickens. Beware of the hatching bug.. you might be moving into that coop and giving your chickens the house..lol.

 

[Danielstribe]

Welcome to BYC Danielstribe. From everything I read on raising chickens (I'm a self admitted Nerd to doing more research than needed) yes, the area will be a little snug for 20 chickens, but you are not raising them in factory setting where they never see the sun, your's will be out in the open air and just sleeping and laying in the coop. At 5 degree's, I'd want to cuddle myself to keep warm, so your feathered children won't have much of a problem, I started out with 12 chickens and a 8 x 10 coop. I've lost a couple of girls and gained 3 from a friend, then I bought a incubator.. YIKES, I've got the hatching bug.. so I've added another 5 to the group, bringing my total to 18 now.. and they are happily co-existing in the 8 x 10, while I am building them a 8 x 24 (192 sq ft) coop. I've recently purchased a 24 count incubator and had a friend who's a realtor tell me she has a client that I might need to inherit her 22 chickens. Beware of the hatching bug.. you might be moving into that coop and giving your chickens the house..lol.

 

[starri33]

Shame on me, forgot to tell you Congratulations on winning the battle with the Supervisors.. That is one of my favorite past times is irritating ours. To many people will just give up if they even bother to try, you stuck it out, be proud.

 

[Danielstribe]

It is very addictive and I am right there with you on the over doing the research (but I've never regretted over building anything... ) and the Lord has me therefore He has this.
Plan is 15 constant birds and introducing more as needed never exceeding 20. Their main purpose will be part of our eco-system. We do "Back to Eden gardening " completely organic as well as with our fruit trees and grapes. The chickens will be our cultivators and will be supplemented with our own organic mix of feed. The eggs will be a bonus. And yes they will be out most days to forge and free range. And with the incubator BECAREFUL there you'll be building a 20 x 50 coop... My brother and uncle both hatch their own chicks as well as turkey, quail, pheasant and whatever other eggs come their way. Happy hatching!