Best breeds to buy

[bruceha2000]

You can have less room per chicken if you have a large run, which we will.

As long as the birds aren't held in the coop except at night. IMO

 

[Seesagirl]

As long as the birds aren't held in the coop except at night. IMO

The idea is to let them out in the run every day. Leaving the coop open so they can access food, water, and shelter. And having available water and shelter in the run as well.

 

[bruceha2000]

If your run is predator safe I would install an auto door that opens and closes with a photo cell. That way the birds don't have to wait for you and you don't need to hurry out in the morning

 

[Seesagirl]

If your run is predator safe I would install an auto door that opens and closes with a photo cell. That way the birds don't have to wait for you and you don't need to hurry out in the morning

Nah, we have ALL the predators around here lol. Foxes, bears, hawks, etc. We will make it as good as we can, but I'm not chancing it. The coop will be Fort Knox, but the run is harder. Hardware cloth, deer netting, and electric fence, but that will only do so much.

 

[3KillerBs]

I find it interesting that some of you like Wyandottes, we had 4 and they were nasty little things lol! Beautiful feathers and good layers though.

Mine is the most docile bird in the adult flock -- though she now has competition in the Cochins.

Not a good layer though. 4-5 medium eggs per week and they're often a bit wonky, being wrinkled or with calcium deposits. I won't breed her.

 

[bruceha2000]

Nah, we have ALL the predators around here lol. Foxes, bears, hawks, etc. We will make it as good as we can, but I'm not chancing it. The coop will be Fort Knox, but the run is harder. Hardware cloth, deer netting, and electric fence, but that will only do so much.

Sounds like you've got your "chicken keeping" head on straight It is "interesting" to read about what some people think will keep their birds safe.

 

[Farmgirl1878]

Nah, we have ALL the predators around here lol. Foxes, bears, hawks, etc. We will make it as good as we can, but I'm not chancing it. The coop will be Fort Knox, but the run is harder. Hardware cloth, deer netting, and electric fence, but that will only do so much.

If you can afford to, I’d put a roof over that run so the girls can stay out of the coop on craptastic weather days. When it’s windy, all of my girls stay in the coop. They have enough space in there so that they don’t get on each others’ nerves, can dustbathe, nap, or whatever. With a small coop and big birds, bad weather days will be stressful. My run has a metal roof over two-thirds of it and has a tarp-covered hoop roof over the rest (it’s all enclosed with 2”x4” fencing material). So far, only the wrens and a very intrepid squirrel have been in there with the girls.

 

[Seesagirl]

Sounds like you've got your "chicken keeping" head on straight It is "interesting" to read about what some people think will keep their birds safe.

We had chickens for several years a while back, we just gave up after they kept getting wiped out by bears. New location means we try again. But when we were building the first coop, I looked up what predators go after chickens in our area. I quickly realized we had seen, heard, or caught on camera every single one on the list. We fortified that coop so much that bears couldn't get in. They tried! Unfortunately that meant it was too heavy to move when we left. As far as the run goes, deer netting over the top kept hawks out, and the rest of our troubles would've been solved with hardware cloth and electric fence, neither of which we could afford back then. Now we can, we've already got the electric fence and some of the cloth.

 

[Seesagirl]

If you can afford to, I’d put a roof over that run so the girls can stay out of the coop on craptastic weather days. When it’s windy, all of my girls stay in the coop. They have enough space in there so that they don’t get on each others’ nerves, can dustbathe, nap, or whatever. With a small coop and big birds, bad weather days will be stressful. My run has a metal roof over two-thirds of it and has a tarp-covered hoop roof over the rest (it’s all enclosed with 2”x4” fencing material). So far, only the wrens and a very intrepid squirrel have been in there with the girls. View attachment 2881645

We plan to roof part of it. The last coop was off the ground so they could run under it, but we can't do that with this coop.

 

[Rhodebar Lover]

I'm partial to Brahmas myself. My chickens are entirely pets so that's going off of personality. They also lay well (when they're not broody.) I've had my girls for about 1.5 years now and all but one have gone broody and most have gone broody multiple times. They do lay well in the winter though. Mine started laying in December and laid all the way through. They're quite good foragers too