Apparently I'm a farmer now...

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acsempronio

acsempronio

In the Brooder
7 Years
Jan 3, 2013
15
0
22
Oakland, CA
I mentioned once in the presence of my in-laws that I thought it would be "neat" to have chickens because fresh eggs are better than the bland, store-bought ones; perhaps I mentioned this twice over a 3 year period.

This most recent holiday season rendered a chicken coop as a gift from them.

Apparently I'm a farmer now. They got me a HomCom Deluxe (5663-1319) coop that is roughly 7 x 3 feet.

Now my overly enthusiastic, mission-oriented, Marine Corps drive has kicked in and I am now in the process of stripping my backyard of all of the irish ivy (they should call this stuff hydra ivy*,) measuring for a new fence (long overdue), planning a new shed (even longer overdue), and planning the layout of my backyard to accommodate the chicken coop, three 8 ft x 2 ft planter beds, and a compost area. I figure if I'm going to have chickens and chicken manure, I may as well restart my composting, and if I'm composting, I may as well grow things with it, and if I'm growing things, I may as well grow much of it, and if I'm doing all of this, I may as well do it right.

This will give me a chance to start growing my hops again, which means I get to start my backyard beer again.

The chicken catalyst effect: if it's not a thing, make it one.





*because when you cut part of it off, it just grows more.
 
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And
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Glad you joined this forum.
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Welcome to the addiction! When planning, if you have the space to do it, plan your coop and run in an area that would allow you to place a second coop and run close by or at least a small extension onto your existing coop because there is a little thing we fondly call 'chicken math' that will probably set in about the first time you see your new 'fluffy butts' (another fond term you will see a lot of)

Enjoy and again, welcome!!
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Welcome!! I am going through the same evolution you are, except mine was self-imposed. After years of dropping hints about wanting chickens to my wife, she casually mentioned on her own one day that it might be fun to have them. I saw the smallest crack of the door and slammed it wide open. We now have a ever growing garden and a backyard that is turning into a (sort of) self sufficient farm, with seven, soon to be ten chickens. I love it!! It's addicting, but its a good addiction.
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I won't be getting any birds until the county fair in June. This gives me time to focus on organizing the yard, building fence and shed, installing my water post (for water automation and garden drip system), constructing and placing the coop, and getting the brood box organized.

The coop manufacturer claims the coop is sutiable for 4-5 full birds or 8-10 bantams. I'm new to the BYC world, but that seems a bit cramped for 5 birds. I'll probably do 4 full birds.

If I get chicks in June, I anticipate them being capable of handling a mild bay-area winter (Mediterranean climate: dry mild to hot summers and wet, cool winters) outside.

I plan on the following:
Easter-Egger/Aruacana/Ameracauna... The wife wants colored eggs.
Barred Rock... I think this is a classic American chicken look and they're easy to handle (I have a 3-year old who is super interested in chickens now.) They are also dual-purpose.
Rhode Island Red... I understand these to be a dominant species. I have 2 cats so I would like a more aggressive bird around for them. Also dual purpose.
Leghorn... This bird has the look of a chicken's chicken and I understand them to be prolific layers.

I think this should give me a good and varied supply of eggs as well as a mixture of color and personality in the flock, and eventually, two of them will make for nice meals.

Any thoughts are appreciated.
 
Welcome from So Cal! We started with eight hens and now we are up to thirteen. We are pretty much running a small semi-rural homestead at this point, so I can relate to your first post! Good luck with your endeavors; you are going to have lots of fun and you've come to the right place for all things chicken.
 
acsempronio said:
I won't be getting any birds until the county fair in June. This gives me time to focus on organizing the yard, building fence and shed, installing my water post (for water automation and garden drip system), constructing and placing the coop, and getting the brood box organized.

The coop manufacturer claims the coop is sutiable for 4-5 full birds or 8-10 bantams. I'm new to the BYC world, but that seems a bit cramped for 5 birds. I'll probably do 4 full birds.

If I get chicks in June, I anticipate them being capable of handling a mild bay-area winter (Mediterranean climate: dry mild to hot summers and wet, cool winters) outside.

I plan on the following:
Easter-Egger/Aruacana/Ameracauna... The wife wants colored eggs.
Barred Rock... I think this is a classic American chicken look and they're easy to handle (I have a 3-year old who is super interested in chickens now.) They are also dual-purpose.
Rhode Island Red... I understand these to be a dominant species. I have 2 cats so I would like a more aggressive bird around for them. Also dual purpose.
Leghorn... This bird has the look of a chicken's chicken and I understand them to be prolific layers.

I think this should give me a good and varied supply of eggs as well as a mixture of color and personality in the flock, and eventually, two of them will make for nice meals.

Any thoughts are appreciated.
Click to expand...
Sounds like a good bunch of breeds.
 

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