- Oct 27, 2012
- 3
- 0
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Hello everyone, my real name is Ron, my screen name is abbreviation of: Quarter Till Dawn - long story, tell you later. Now this is another long story.
Anyway, this site is more like friends helping friends rather than ‘my way or no way’. I like all the different thoughts of how to do things. I, as most people know, every situation is different. So we all need to pick and choose what works for our particular situation.
Well, I really do have a question. Couple things first to set up the question:
I am handicapped, wheelchair bound, (accident), so I am healthy and strong enough to get around.
I am handy with building anything needed, but SSD doesn’t leave me much money to buy stuff to build with. Although I have or can get most everything needed, (I sit all day, I got a big mouth).
OKAY, here goes, I live in the mountains of Western North Carolina, (planting zone - 6 or 7), on about an acre with neighbors, no problems, others have chickens around here.
To make it easier for me, I wanted to put my coop and a covered run under my deck, (covered deck, upstairs), it is about 470 sq..ft. total. That way, the chickens have a non-snow / rain run, although we have minimal snow here. But it is next to a heated basement where I can store supplies, come out the door to feed, clean and collect eggs.
Also makes it easier to feed and water, if need be, I have hot & cold running water right there. Plus a window I could use to set up feeders & waterers right there as well as easy to run power for lights and/or coop heaters.
Because the way the deck post are, I wanted to build a 70 sq. ft. (10’ X 7’), coop with nesting boxes outside on the wall to allow more floor space, several roost with drawer type poop-box (s) under. Then later use that ¼ inch hardware cloth under the coop for baby chicks hiding place, (later).
Then the other end take about a 10’ X 10’ section to cull out the roosters until I can butcher and/or sell. With a much smaller coop for roosting if I get to many, just to keep them warm.
Then a fenced 20’ X 30’ outside run, unprotected except for fencing, during good days. Then when I’m here, let them out all together in the evenings to hunt bugs and stuff.
Gonna get Rhode Island Reds, straight run from a hatchery and hope for close to a 50 / 50, in early spring. Find the best Roo and all the hens and keep in the main area, cull the rest of the roosters in the little area until ready to butcher.
Hoping for a dozen hens. With all my studying, the general food cost compared to selling most eggs should offset most feed cost, then sell off a few whole live culled Roo’s, butcher and freeze the rest. I’m hoping I will be close to a break even situation, (less the initial cost of pen & coop, etc).
Then, with good cleaning, is that too close to the house for smells. Noise doesn’t matter to me, I kinda like it, (cept it may make me sleep in). I have access to plenty of hay and wood shavings, and will have a compost to take the old stuff.
Around here, range chicken eggs sell for $3.50 to $6 a dozen, but I priced regular food, not organic. So the lower end. Live chickens sell for $14 to $25. Again, I’ll assume the lower end. That’s live to butcher, these are RIR, not a fancy breed.
Am I out of line, am I reading too much into this and will be in for a total shock? Barring the initial cost, is this feasible?
Thanks, sorry this was so long, but I want to do this right.
Anyway, this site is more like friends helping friends rather than ‘my way or no way’. I like all the different thoughts of how to do things. I, as most people know, every situation is different. So we all need to pick and choose what works for our particular situation.
Well, I really do have a question. Couple things first to set up the question:
I am handicapped, wheelchair bound, (accident), so I am healthy and strong enough to get around.
I am handy with building anything needed, but SSD doesn’t leave me much money to buy stuff to build with. Although I have or can get most everything needed, (I sit all day, I got a big mouth).
OKAY, here goes, I live in the mountains of Western North Carolina, (planting zone - 6 or 7), on about an acre with neighbors, no problems, others have chickens around here.
To make it easier for me, I wanted to put my coop and a covered run under my deck, (covered deck, upstairs), it is about 470 sq..ft. total. That way, the chickens have a non-snow / rain run, although we have minimal snow here. But it is next to a heated basement where I can store supplies, come out the door to feed, clean and collect eggs.
Also makes it easier to feed and water, if need be, I have hot & cold running water right there. Plus a window I could use to set up feeders & waterers right there as well as easy to run power for lights and/or coop heaters.
Because the way the deck post are, I wanted to build a 70 sq. ft. (10’ X 7’), coop with nesting boxes outside on the wall to allow more floor space, several roost with drawer type poop-box (s) under. Then later use that ¼ inch hardware cloth under the coop for baby chicks hiding place, (later).
Then the other end take about a 10’ X 10’ section to cull out the roosters until I can butcher and/or sell. With a much smaller coop for roosting if I get to many, just to keep them warm.
Then a fenced 20’ X 30’ outside run, unprotected except for fencing, during good days. Then when I’m here, let them out all together in the evenings to hunt bugs and stuff.
Gonna get Rhode Island Reds, straight run from a hatchery and hope for close to a 50 / 50, in early spring. Find the best Roo and all the hens and keep in the main area, cull the rest of the roosters in the little area until ready to butcher.
Hoping for a dozen hens. With all my studying, the general food cost compared to selling most eggs should offset most feed cost, then sell off a few whole live culled Roo’s, butcher and freeze the rest. I’m hoping I will be close to a break even situation, (less the initial cost of pen & coop, etc).
Then, with good cleaning, is that too close to the house for smells. Noise doesn’t matter to me, I kinda like it, (cept it may make me sleep in). I have access to plenty of hay and wood shavings, and will have a compost to take the old stuff.
Around here, range chicken eggs sell for $3.50 to $6 a dozen, but I priced regular food, not organic. So the lower end. Live chickens sell for $14 to $25. Again, I’ll assume the lower end. That’s live to butcher, these are RIR, not a fancy breed.
Am I out of line, am I reading too much into this and will be in for a total shock? Barring the initial cost, is this feasible?
Thanks, sorry this was so long, but I want to do this right.