Advice for a newbie: Chicks or Pullets?

[FlyingNunFarm]

When you decide to fix up the shed instead of plywood I highly recommend Advantech. It's not cheap but worth the money in my opinion.

 

[feathermaid]

Regarding using herbicide to get rid of the Sumac, I had thought about it but I was a little bit concerned about the impact the residual chemicals might have on the birds and the groundwater. Did you use it where your chickens forage? And if so, did you notice any difference in the behaviour of your birds or the quality of their eggs?

Using chemicals isn't my preferred method either, but sometimes it's the only thing that works. For most unwanted weeds or shrubs I'll be outside for hours digging up everything by hand. But for rhizome-type plants that send roots far and wide it's almost impossible to just dig them out, and cutting only promotes healthier growth.

Get a chemical made for woody stems (not leafy weeds) and use with care. I only used it in sunny weather when I knew it would be dry for several days. To work effectively it has to be applied within 5 minutes of cutting. Trim the stems close to the ground and use a disposable paint brush to dab the chemical only on the fresh cut. I never tried to completely saturate the area. We have/had other animals as well (horses, dogs, cats, peacocks) and I restricted that area for a couple days, one area was impossible to block so I threw a tarp over the top. The plant absorbs the poison and the roots die, there's no effect to the surrounding ground, especially if there's no rain. Any surviving rhizomes that sprout elsewhere will need a separate treatment and that should be it. None of my animals were ever affected by it.

I don’t have pictures at the moment; the path leading up to the shed is buried under about 3 feet of snow. But it’s an old tool shed built from chip board and logs. It’s 8 feet long, 4 feet wide and 8 feet tall. I wanted to add some 2x4s for extra support because so far as I know it’s been standing for at least 50 years, so it could probably use some TLC. I also wanted to replace the chip board with plywood and add some insulation. I’ve seen temperatures get as low as -40C here in winter; insulation will be a necessity.

The biggest expense would be the run. My plan was to build one from scratch, at least 150 square feet with a full roof to protect the chickens from flying predators, rain and snow. A used dog run could work for now as long as I could figure out a way to put a roof on it and make sure it’s predator-proof. In terms of predators we’ve got just about everything up here, from snakes, raccoons and skunks all the way up to coyotes, wolves and bears. Of course because of this any time I let them free-range they will be closely supervised.

Oh yes, that shed does sound like a bit more work. If you do insulate, be sure to cover it with an interior wall (chickens love to eat insulation and styrofoam) and make sure there's plenty of ventilation.
Here's an article that has some really good advice on free ranging:
Key Points to Successful Free Ranging

 

[LythrumSalicaria]

Using chemicals isn't my preferred method either, but sometimes it's the only thing that works. For most unwanted weeds or shrubs I'll be outside for hours digging up everything by hand. But for rhizome-type plants that send roots far and wide it's almost impossible to just dig them out, and cutting only promotes healthier growth.

Get a chemical made for woody stems (not leafy weeds) and use with care. I only used it in sunny weather when I knew it would be dry for several days. To work effectively it has to be applied within 5 minutes of cutting. Trim the stems close to the ground and use a disposable paint brush to dab the chemical only on the fresh cut. I never tried to completely saturate the area. We have/had other animals as well (horses, dogs, cats, peacocks) and I restricted that area for a couple days, one area was impossible to block so I threw a tarp over the top. The plant absorbs the poison and the roots die, there's no effect to the surrounding ground, especially if there's no rain. Any surviving rhizomes that sprout elsewhere will need a separate treatment and that should be it. None of my animals were ever affected by it.


Oh yes, that shed does sound like a bit more work. If you do insulate, be sure to cover it with an interior wall (chickens love to eat insulation and styrofoam) and make sure there's plenty of ventilation.
Here's an article that has some really good advice on free ranging:
Key Points to Successful Free Ranging

The method of applying herbicide that you’ve outlined here sounds very safe. I’d definitely feel comfortable doing it that way. Thank you for taking the time to offer me so many solutions! It’s greatly appreciated.

 

[feathermaid]

The method of applying herbicide that you’ve outlined here sounds very safe. I’d definitely feel comfortable doing it that way. Thank you for taking the time to offer me so many solutions! It’s greatly appreciated.

Your welcome! But I was just researching sumac and if you have a very established section, it seems to take quite a lot of dedication to completely eradicate the stuff... like 3 seasons of treatment! Maybe what I had wasn't what I thought...?
http://pvcblog.blogspot.com/2012/10/sumac-eradication-techniques.html

Well I think you're very smart to do your research first and take time to sort out your plans. I wish you the very best!

 

[Eggscaping]

[QUOTE="Oh look...I wrote a novel. Forgive my rambling. I’m just kinda excited about this. When I get my plans drawn up I’ll post a thread about it along with pictures to get opinions and suggestions. Thanks again for the advice, everyone. I’m grateful. [/QUOTE]
Don't apologize for a long post. Seriously, if you don't/can't have chickens YET but are suffused with the itchy glow of "OMGIwantchickensNOW", then talking about it here to others who have been or are in the same boat as you is like an addict's support group. You get some relief from venting to others who completely understand how you feel. For me, it really helps...that, and looking at what others have. It helps me to wait - almost like I'm living vicariously through others' experiences!

 

[cmom]

Not a bad way to start, as long as you know going in it won't work for long term...
...and will be difficult to manage in harsh winter weather.
Just know that the number of birds suggested on the coop box is not accurate.
The tiny dollhouse coops can be great for later down the road as broody/isolation coops.

This is a great idea. Everyone had given you good advice. The TSC coop would make a good one for a broody or isolation. You can start your birds in it but make sure it's predator proof because most predators love chicken. Whether you get started pullets or chicks that is up to you. I hatch out all of my chicks but I do use an incubator and incubate. I may loose some chicks but very few. I do love to watch them grow-out. I have let broody's hatch out chicks. One thing to beware of when thinking about free ranging is, even with a male, the male can also be taken by a predator while trying to protect the females. Most people who free range their birds will loose birds to predators at one time or another. The predator will sneak in and take a bird and you may not see it. I live very rural on a dead end road. I do have game cameras up on my property and most nights see a predator on at least one of the cameras. Mostly coyotes and fox and sometimes coons, bobcat, possums, owls, dogs, cats, skunks. Also during the day hawks once in awhile. I love my birds. They have nice coops and nice large pens/runs. Here now the predators are out in force looking for mates and an easy meal. To get the birds back in their coop, I initially leave them in their coop for a few days. If you have a run they can hang out in the run during the day. I have given the birds treats in the evenings in their coop and they will go in for their treats. I slack off on the treats and they eventually go in by themselves. When free ranging when I want them back in their pens, I get out the treat bucket and the birds see the treat bucket and they come running and I put some treats in their pen and they all go back in for their treats. Good luck and have fun.

 

[chickengoggles]

I am a relative newcomer to chickens, so take my perspective with a grain of salt. I bought a tractor coop last November, and the floor dimensions on the interior (not including nest boxes) are a bit more than 4x4. Discovered the sellers had a two year old Easter Egger and a 5 month old cockerel they couldn't keep, so left with my first chickens! We live on a 10.5 acre horse farm, and always planned to free range without a run. My perspective may dramatically shift once I've lost someone to a predator, but I feel like it's a good quality of life. We put the coop in our barn aisle for a week or so to get them used to "free-ranging" in the barn aisle and stalls, and going in at night. They were not treated like pets previously, and it took about a day (with mealworms) to get them eating from our hands and hopping into our laps.

In January I added 4 seven month old pullets and a year old hen from a friend who handles her 100 chickens quite a bit - it's been lovely. Two of the younger hens will fly up on us (Dominique and New Hampshire) and one will nap in our lap. After quarantine (new birds did have lice) and a period of "see but don't touch" they integrated beautifully.

I brought home 4 more hens (2 younger, 2 two and a half year old hens) from the same friend a few of weeks ago. Our cockerel is really overbreeding the 6 hens, one particularly badly - that 10:1 ratio exists for a reason! Also, when I added the first 5 hens, we converted an 8x10 room in our smaller barn to a coop. The tractor coop is close by, but doesn't really get used.

A couple of conclusions: pullets/hens have been a great way to start, and I agree that it's much more a personality issue than age, in terms of how friendly they end up. They all go into their coop easily, sprint towards us when they see us, and I have a couple who are downright snuggly, but all are easy to handle.

I don't have a run, and our setup seems to work. The barn is "busy" with 5 horses and two cats sharing outdoor space with the chickens, and our backyard shares a fence line with our pasture - we have two vocal dogs who spend a fair amount of time out there. Between the activity and the rooster looking out, we are doing well (so far - knock wood).

I'm sort of a look before you leap kind of person, but I think you could probably work something out to have a few chickens sooner rather than later!

 

[aart]

that 10:1 ratio exists for a reason!

It does....but not for why many think.

The 'rooster' to hen ratio of 1:10 that is often cited is primarily for fertility efficiency in commercial breeding facilities.

It doesn't mean that if a cockbird has 10 hens that he won't abuse or over mate them.

Many breeders keep pairs, trios, quads, etc

It all depends on the temperaments of the cock and hens and sometimes housing provided.

Backyard flocks can achieve good fertility with a larger ratio.

 

[paintedChix]

Hmmm, so many things to consider... Most have already stated good ideas and a lot of the peeps who have replied also have coop pages where you can see what they've built in their own state and with the chickens they have.

You don't mention (or I don't remember seeing) what breed of chicken you are ultimately looking to have OR for what purpose (when you mention D'Uclles, I'm thinking you want a pretty, possibly mixed, flock w/o regard to regular egg laying). Many breeds have different requirements based on size and type and there are specific breeds that do well or were specifically bred in Canada and are considered dual purpose birds (and can be VERY friendly, too).

I agree the TSC coop is too small for LF breeds. Their durability in your weather patterns is questionable. I'm surprised they even market them in your area, maybe I'm not understanding weather patterns N of the Great Lakes. Snow until MAY??? 3' of snow right now where you are looking at building? I'm figuring it is also a very wet, heavy snow, but could be wrong...

Even an 8x4 coop is too small for 2 LF birds in that type of weather - like others - ask me how I know. After 8 straight days of alternating heavy rains w/ drizzling mists and lots of wind every day, my 2 - 4x8' coops are pretty nasty and I have a very unhappy pair of Ameraucana in one and a trio of Ameraucana in the other. Ameraucana are not very big LF birds - and they aren't full grown yet. Even when I set up some small, temporary, covered pens for them to venture out in while I was around to observe - they did not. The wire covered runs aren't even started yet. I started with a quad of Bielefelders in each of these coops just 4 months ago - once they got bigger - they are too large for this size coop but 8 will fit on the roost...

As to chicks or pullets? Again different requirements... I LOVE chicks. I also LOVE eggs. I ultimately started with chicks BEFORE I even had any type of coop (Y did they need one?) since I was given 15 CUTE bantams of unknown sex or breed at Christmas 2010... They and LF production type, hatchery purchased birds "survived" our learning - while free ranging and nesting/cooping in our very large tin covered barn. It was almost 3 full years before I found BYC and learned I had done a lot of things "wrong" - yet we had lots of eggs to eat and chicken in the freezer (mostly bantam cockerels). Built our first CP hoop coop/tractor in 2014 and we go on from there...

Here on our new and much larger property - we have different predators at different times of the year. While having a lot more open space - chickens usually die here when free ranging (& sometimes in uncovered runs) - especially between 1 December & 1 March - when larger animals are HUNGRY (even domestic dogs that are allowed to run loose - their collar tags point out that they came from miles away).

In 2018, I have gotten many different breeds from breeders instead of through hatcheries from TSC and the feed store that brings in chicks. Some as 3 day old chicks, some as "started birds" (both cockerels & pullets) & some fully mature breeding birds. I am still discovering which breeds I like - I know I was surprised that some of my birds didn't even start laying until they were 9-11 months old (I purchased those as "started" birds at 3 months of age - 55 Flowery Hens, Cream Legbars & Rhodebars. The first set of 11- 55 Flowery Hen incubated eggs were all fertile, but none made it to hatch). I found other birds (buff & lavender Orpingtons) that I was recommended to purchase and that are supposed to be great dual purpose birds for farms & homesteads to be unthrifty (for us - you sneezed in the brooder area and they'd keel over dead!), not very big when processed (lots of pretty, fluffy, lavender and buff feathers, though) BUT do live up to their name as VERY friendly birds - even the mature rooster. W/O predator loss, I had the most loss from that breed of birds w/ unrelated bloodlines from 2 breeders. Of 20 birds purchased over a 4 month period, the ones I'm left with today are all related lavenders, none of the buffs - a mature rooster & 1 (of 4) mature hens I purchased him with, 1 cockerel he sired & 2 pullets he sired. The two pullets are both laying - but not consistently yet. One hatched in April and 1 in June. The last mature hen was laying and is now back to not. She is the oldest and will be 3 yrs old this summer. She molted last fall.

While you wait to build - you can purchase items on sale, gather free items & take them apart (pallets, partial sheds, ??) in preparation for building or purchase supplies you may need just so you aren't having to pay for everything all at once and even build your own feeders and waters, so you spend less money on those, too. I personally LOVE Cattle Panels (CP) and we found that they do work in the snow and wind of MT (& Blooie, a member here, had hers in WY) as well as here in NC in the rain, sand and humidity. Many different styles to make with them, too. Our next one will be made using old tires as the base to raise the panels to accommodate DLM. Hopefully, I will start that one soon, but I have to start/finish the run between the 2 - 4x8 hoop coops, first. In the pic below, you can see the two 4x8 coops from our front porch (two blue tarps are the roofs w/ the big pine tree almost centered between the two) and a couple close ups showing with birds in them... I don't have pics of the Ameraucana in either of them yet - just the Bielefelders. The outsides of the pallets all now have wire attached and the bottle walls have been replaced by wire.



& pics before the DLM bedding & chickens put in them





O, and I am a true novel writer in forums!!

 

[aart]

O, and I am a true novel writer in forums!!

Indeed you are!