ALABAMA!!

[mamaschnecke]

Our little family lives in Jacksonville Alabama (Calhoun Co.). Our son just adopted three chicks from his school after doing a science unit on chickens. Looking forward to continuing the learning here at home. We know NOTHING about raising chickens, so this should be lots of fun. They have only been here one day and we are all smitten!

 

[Back2MyRoots]

Our little family lives in Jacksonville Alabama (Calhoun Co.). Our son just adopted three chicks from his school after doing a science unit on chickens. Looking forward to continuing the learning here at home. We know NOTHING about raising chickens, so this should be lots of fun. They have only been here one day and we are all smitten!

Yeah, it's impossible to not fall in love with them! We adore our little ladies too!

 

[Wisher1000]

Our little family lives in Jacksonville Alabama (Calhoun Co.). Our son just adopted three chicks from his school after doing a science unit on chickens. Looking forward to continuing the learning here at home. We know NOTHING about raising chickens, so this should be lots of fun. They have only been here one day and we are all smitten!

First things first, do you have them in a draft free container, clean bedding (pine shavings, not cedar or paper towels are best) with a light so that they can regulate the temp they need? They should be getting free choice chick starter crumbles or mash (finer powder) and fresh water that they can not fall into.

Next comes the coop. Build it big enough for twice the number of chickens you imagine yourself having (using 4 sq feet per bird inside and 10 sq feet outside as a guide) because of chicken math which you will understand later

. Seriously, build it way too big. Next, make sure your coop could hold a large mean dog who was determined to get out. That will keep said dog from getting in! Make sure there are no openings you can put your fist through. I used dog wire (2"x4" welded wire) and covered it with chicken wire around the bottom to keep the chicks in. It has been tried several times by big dogs and has held beautifully. Next, make sure nothing can dig in from below, burying a skirt of wire or attaching a wire floor and covering it with soil or sand will work. You will need to spend more on the coop than you want to, but avoiding the heartache of your children finding the aftermath of a predator breach is well worth it.

If you have any questions that you can't find answers to here on the site, feel free to PM me! Good Luck and have fun!

 

[Back2MyRoots]

First things first, do you have them in a draft free container, clean bedding (pine shavings, not cedar or paper towels are best) with a light so that they can regulate the temp they need? They should be getting free choice chick starter crumbles or mash (finer powder) and fresh water that they can not fall into.

Next comes the coop. Build it big enough for twice the number of chickens you imagine yourself having (using 4 sq feet per bird inside and 10 sq feet outside as a guide) because of chicken math which you will understand later

. Seriously, build it way too big. Next, make sure your coop could hold a large mean dog who was determined to get out. That will keep said dog from getting in! Make sure there are no openings you can put your fist through. I used dog wire (2"x4" welded wire) and covered it with chicken wire around the bottom to keep the chicks in. It has been tried several times by big dogs and has held beautifully. Next, make sure nothing can dig in from below, burying a skirt of wire or attaching a wire floor and covering it with soil or sand will work. You will need to spend more on the coop than you want to, but avoiding the heartache of your children finding the aftermath of a predator breach is well worth it.

If you have any questions that you can't find answers to here on the site, feel free to PM me! Good Luck and have fun!

Wisher, I noticed your suggestion to use 2"x4" wire which makes me wonder... Has anyone in this area had a problem with snakes? My chicks are living in a converted rabbit hutch for now and we are in the process of building their forever home. I can't decide what kind of wire to use. I had about decided to use chicken wire panels, but there has been a HUGE black racer hanging out in the back yard for the last week and I am just scared to death that he has McNuggets on the brain. My (Red Star/Golden Comet/whatever) chicks are now 11 weeks old and I think they are too big for that skinny old snake to eat, but who's to say he won't try if given the chance. Feed-back appreciated!

 

[akashia26]

i doubt he will mess with 11 week chicks. give it 10 weeks though when they start laying and watch your eggs. you might find mr scaley in the nest box asleep with 3 or 4 lumps in him.

 

[Back2MyRoots]

i doubt he will mess with 11 week chicks. give it 10 weeks though when they start laying and watch your eggs. you might find mr scaley in the nest box asleep with 3 or 4 lumps in him.

So should I just go with rabbit wire panels instead?

 

[Alabama ee]

Mine are in a chicken tractor. I have not had any issues with snakes (yet) since ethey have been in there. The only time I had a snake get into a coop
was one that was rather large, and non moveable. It didn't eat the chickens, but it would sometimes eat an egg. Even though I am not a huge fan of snakes, it was nice tht it kept the mice at bay. HOwever, with the coop I have now, I have not had an issue with mice or snakes. It has a 2 by 4 wire in the run(portable run) and in the floor of the coop (portable) so that droppngs will fall through. Also, on the floor I have a plastic mat that I place over the wire, so their feet are more comfortable, The mat is porous so things can fall through. Howver, it is closer woven than the 2 by 4 wire. A snake would not go through it.

 

[mamaschnecke]

Thanks so much for the info. We have spent the last several days researching types of wiring to use. I really don't want my children to have to find their chickens after an attack! I can see that we will be spending a good bit on the coop. Whatever it takes to keep the ladies safe and happy.

 

[Wisher1000]

Quarter inch hardware cloth all the way around would be best (but EXPENSIVE!) If you can make it bigger by using 2x4 welded wire, I would suggest it. You can always add the hardware cloth around the bottom (over the 2x4 wire) and work your way to the top a bit at a time to spread the cost out. Snakes usually target eggs, but nothing would surprise me. I have found that bird netting (Lowes - for covering blueberry plants) makes a wonderful snake trap. It is cheap and easy to handle, cut, put up. The snakes try to crawl through and get stuck, the chickens them torment it until I find it. I have caught at least 10 snakes in the bird netting around the coop (the first solution to chicks escaping) and several have died before I found them. I put it up around my nest boxes (along the wall under the ramp) now to keep them out of the eggs.

 

[griffinkid02]

I think I could tollorate having a rat eater around, and even grudgingly let him have an egg or three as long as it didn't get out of hand. Of course, getting a snake to sign a contract agreement stating the number of eggs per week he's allowed would be a bit difficult...