Mr Doug
Songster
Here we go. I am new to chickens, got talked into a dozen pullets a few weeks ago, now they need a place to move into. I am looking to convert an unused horse stall into a coop, would like to semi-free range them, but I do have aerial predators, coyotes, opossums, Rats, etc. I am looking for someone in the Okeechobee area that is knowledgeable, and willing to help a newbie out. Especially with materials and expertise. I don't have much money, so if I could barter for this, I would be grateful.
I can help you. Please feel free to ask any questions. I started raising my first flock of chicken around 50 years ago. One of the most important parts to me with raising poultry is security. Several years ago I had a gal who bought some birds from me to start her own flock. A year later she came back to get more birds because predators had gotten the one I sold her. I sold her some more and then about another year later the same thing happened. I sold her some more birds. Yet again within another year the same thing, this time I told her I didn't have any birds for sale. To me it seemed like I was selling her birds to feed to the predators. She was free ranging the birds but not paying attention to them. One thing to remember is that circumstances for everyone is different from the size of the flock, coops, etc., and what works well for one person may need to be modified or done differently for someone else. You will probably get a lot of advice and most of it will be good but may need to be tweaked for your situation. Good luck and have fun...
