Advice

[kathyinmo]

A concrete foundation is great.

Go to the top of this page and click on the Learning Center. I think you will find most of your questions answered there.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[PVILLAGO]

I did! Lol. She basically said I shouldn't hatch them myself. Do you all think the concrete idea is a good one?

I'm new myself and there are tons of advice and opinions out here. I even bought a coop and was going with that one until i got a nice reply from Rosemarythyme. I have decided to go with a bigger coop 8x12 and purchase 6 instead of 4. I doubt I ever have more than 8 OK 10 TOPS. When the weather gets better we are going to start building it. I would love concrete but it's a hard no. However, I am hopeful the Horse Stall Mats will help me keep the floor in decent shape. I am putting my first aid kit together now. I don't want to get my pullets until I have everything in place including my first aid kit.
I am making my grow mix including my store bought feed too. I've been collecting egg shells. I am also putting their dust bath in a container. I also am making my waterer's and feeders out of PVC piping to hopefully avoid some mess. I'm not putting water in the coop but will feed. It will be in the run. I am having 5 nesting boxes 12x12x12. I also have a nice corner storage spot for my feed storage as well as my first aid kit. That way I'll have everything I need in the coop and won't be running back and forth. I am going to collect rain water and use that in the future. I also am using solar for the lighting(not inside but outside) it will be a motion sensor. I am covering the entire bottom of coop as well as the windows and vents with hardware cloth. I am caulking all open spaces. I am also painting the entire interior with a durable high gloss enamel that will stand up to continual cleaning. The coop and run will have a metal roof. The dust bath will be in the run as well as a few tree limbs for them to climb up on. Again with the feeder and waterer will be outside. The nesting boxes will have the DE(diatamatous earth food grade)they say it is a deterrent for rodents. I've selected a few feed recipes but want to read about them a bit more. I also have a small infirmary just in case I have a sick one.
I am getting what they call Barred Rock Chickens. It seems to be a good fit for me at this time. Good Luck. I am hoping to get my coop built soon and chickens by April. Lot's of work to do before they arrive.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I'm new myself and there are tons of advice and opinions out here. I even bought a coop and was going with that one until i got a nice reply from Rosemarythyme. I have decided to go with a bigger coop 8x12 and purchase 6 instead of 4. I doubt I ever have more than 8 OK 10 TOPS. When the weather gets better we are going to start building it. I would love concrete but it's a hard no. However, I am hopeful the Horse Stall Mats will help me keep the floor in decent shape. I am putting my first aid kit together now. I don't want to get my pullets until I have everything in place including my first aid kit.
I am making my grow mix including my store bought feed too. I've been collecting egg shells. I am also putting their dust bath in a container. I also am making my waterer's and feeders out of PVC piping to hopefully avoid some mess. I'm not putting water in the coop but will feed. It will be in the run. I am having 5 nesting boxes 12x12x12. I also have a nice corner storage spot for my feed storage as well as my first aid kit. That way I'll have everything I need in the coop and won't be running back and forth. I am going to collect rain water and use that in the future. I also am using solar for the lighting(not inside but outside) it will be a motion sensor. I am covering the entire bottom of coop as well as the windows and vents with hardware cloth. I am caulking all open spaces. I am also painting the entire interior with a durable high gloss enamel that will stand up to continual cleaning. The coop and run will have a metal roof. The dust bath will be in the run as well as a few tree limbs for them to climb up on. Again with the feeder and waterer will be outside. The nesting boxes will have the DE(diatamatous earth food grade)they say it is a deterrent for rodents. I've selected a few feed recipes but want to read about them a bit more. I also have a small infirmary just in case I have a sick one.
I am getting what they call Barred Rock Chickens. It seems to be a good fit for me at this time. Good Luck. I am hoping to get my coop built soon and chickens by April. Lot's of work to do before they arrive.

Old thread

 

[Brooks_]

1. What is one thing you wish you'd known before you started raising chickens?

Realizing it's an old thread, I still want to reply to this part. I wish I had known that I'd want more. More birds. More breeds. More.

I didn't even want chickens (my wife did, so we have chickens), now I want MORE!

 

[Mrs. K]

Some DIE, it happens. People come on here in anguish, positive they did something wrong. Not all of them live. Keep them dry, and most will live.

Get a mix of chickens - I do not know how often I have been sure, I will like this kind...only not too so much.

Start with hatchery chicks, they are inexpensive, and available, and will get you going. Chickens take some experience and you get that by doing.

Know that if they are active, eating, pooping, and being chickens they are just fine.

Get the same number of chickens as the people in your home. + 1 if less than 5, +2 if more than ten. Just a general rule of thumb.

Mrs K