Cheryl's Hen House...

[TerryH]

The good thing about getting the chicks before the coop is ready is that they will be keep in a smaller "container" and by this fact they will become more "acquainted" with you and Cheryl and thus be more friendly.

Yes. We're both excited about getting acquainted with our new little ones. Cheryl especially.

We've reserved 3 Black Astrolorps and 3 Buff Orpingtons. We will go to the hatchery and make up our mind from there on the rest. Some mix of Wellsummers, Blue Lace Red Wyandottees and Black Copper Marans. 12 total to start. We should have plenty of coop and run space for that many.

 

[Coopmom56]

Haven't made much headway this week except for ordering more goodies. Got my Add a Motor and timer for the pop door, the floats and the horizontal nipples for the 5 gallon bucket waterers. I'm back to work tomorrow after real work. Hopefully finishing the trim, the ventilation and the lower skirting on the walls on the outside and getting at least a good start on then inside this weekend. I had so hoped that I could be ready for Cheryl to get her chickens by her birthday on April 12th but it doesn't look like I'm going to make it.

We "finished" (is it ever really finished?) our coop just before Christmas. The best thing we did was get an automatic chicken door. To me, it was worth every penny! There are lots of ideas for feeders and waterers - the 5 gallon waterers are great, and check out the 5-gallon-bucket feeder, made with a pipe elbow. We have the Britetap waterer (goes on an Igloo cooler) and made the bucket feeder. For busy people, these are lifesavers! I check my chickens multiple times a day, but these little gadgets make it possible for us to leave town for a few days and just ask a neighbor's kids to collect eggs.

Your coop looks awesome! Other people who have more experience will be able to tell you how easy it is to have a garden with chickens that have access to it.. I was nervous about it, so we fenced off our raised beds this month. I do know that my chickens' favorite pastime, before the fence went up, was to dig in the garden dirt for bugs. I had winter spinach that came up from last summer (when I let a few plants go to seed) and the chickens ate it down to the ground before I got any. So just a heads up?

 

[TerryH]

We "finished" (is it ever really finished?) our coop just before Christmas. The best thing we did was get an automatic chicken door. To me, it was worth every penny! There are lots of ideas for feeders and waterers - the 5 gallon waterers are great, and check out the 5-gallon-bucket feeder, made with a pipe elbow. We have the Britetap waterer (goes on an Igloo cooler) and made the bucket feeder. For busy people, these are lifesavers! I check my chickens multiple times a day, but these little gadgets make it possible for us to leave town for a few days and just ask a neighbor's kids to collect eggs.

Your coop looks awesome! Other people who have more experience will be able to tell you how easy it is to have a garden with chickens that have access to it.. I was nervous about it, so we fenced off our raised beds this month. I do know that my chickens' favorite pastime, before the fence went up, was to dig in the garden dirt for bugs. I had winter spinach that came up from last summer (when I let a few plants go to seed) and the chickens ate it down to the ground before I got any. So just a heads up?

Thanks for the reply!! They will not actually have access to the garden. They will have an 8x8x20 covered run right behind the garden. Definitely doing the 5 gallon water buckets with horizontal nipples. Planning on the PVC pipe feeders. We plan to be out there multiple times a day as well but the automatic door and waterers are insurance just in case. We drag race so we are gone at least portions of some weekends and I wanted to make sure that the chickens are happy with or without us.

 

[beautifulpirate]

Speaking of feeders, have you seen the Peckomatic? That's what we'll be putting in the run.

Yay for baby chicks! And yay for Welsummers! I have two Wellie babies. I believe one cockerel and one pullet but time will tell. And I adore them loads.

 

[aart]

Speaking of feeders, have you seen the Peckomatic?

...or DIY peckomatic......less capacity, but works for my 15(24 hours worth), 7 gal bucket with funnel edge cut down to fit inside would increase capacity.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/aarts-almost-waste-free-funnel-bucket-feeder

 

[beautifulpirate]

...or DIY peckomatic......less capacity, but works for my 15(24 hours worth), 7 gal bucket with funnel edge cut down to fit inside would increase capacity.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/aarts-almost-waste-free-funnel-bucket-feeder

Aart, is there nothing you can't do? Going to look into it now haha.

 

[TerryH]

In order to get the breeds that we want we are going to have to get 6 chicks that are 1-2 weeks old tomorrow and 6 that are 2 days old on Tuesday. Is that going to be an issue? Suggestions on integrating them?

 

[aart]

Quote: Haha...I've always loved to build functional things, my friends call me MacGyver......and I'm cheap(reads unemployed/broke)

In order to get the breeds that we want we are going to have to get 6 chicks that are 1-2 weeks old tomorrow and 6 that are 2 days old on Tuesday. Is that going to be an issue? Suggestions on integrating them?

Hmmmm....might go okay putting them right together, might not.
Be ready to split your fridge box brooder with a mesh 'wall' and make another MHP(with a wider shallower configuration) .
Gonna paste my massive(apologies) integration notes here, might be some tips for you to use:

Here's some notes I've taken on integration that I found to be very helpful.......
......take what applies or might help and ignore the rest.
See if any of them, or the links provided at the bottom, might offer some tips that will assist you in your situation:

Integration of new chickens into flock.

Consider medical quarantine:
BYC Medical Quarantine Article
Poultry Biosecurity
BYC 'medical quarantine' search

It's about territory and resources(space/food/water). Existing birds will almost always attack new ones.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact. Integrating new birds of equal size works best.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide out of line of sight and/or up and away from any bully birds.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best of mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

Another option, if possible, is to put all birds in a new coop and run, this takes the territoriality issues away.

For smaller chicks I used a large wire dog crate right in the coop for the smallers. I removed the crate door and put up a piece of wire fencing over the opening and bent up one corner just enough for the smallers to fit thru but the biggers could not. Feed and water inside the crate for the smallers. Make sure the smallers know how to get in and out of the crate opening before exposing them to the olders. this worked out great for me, by the time the crate was too small for the them to roost in there(about 3 weeks), they had pretty much integrated themselves to the olders. If you have too many smallers to fit in a crate you can partition off part of the coop with a wire wall and make the same openings for smallers escape.

Best example ever of chick respite and doors by azygous
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1069595/introducing-chicks-to-adults#post_16276224


Read up on integration..... BYC advanced search>titles only>integration
This is good place to start reading:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock

 

[TerryH]

Hmmmm....might go okay putting them right together, might not.
Be ready to split your fridge box brooder with a mesh 'wall' and make another MHP(with a wider shallower configuration) .
Gonna paste my massive(apologies) integration notes here, might be some tips for you to use:

Well after reading that I've decided not to get chickens and just burn down what I've already built and call it good.

Ok seriously, thanks aart for all your help and suggestions. You sharing your experiences and advice has been wonderful. See what do you think about this.

Idea#1: I have a large plastic tub. Not large enough for the 6 we're getting today to be in for very long but will be ok for a few days. We could start these week olds in there and then put both groups together in the big box on Tuesday. That way they will all be new place again.

Idea #2: I could build a wire divider and expand the big box to 3x6 so both groups would have a 3x3 to start with and then integrate them after whatever period of time seems right. This is not my favorite. I really don't want to buy another heating pad for a 2nd MHP and 2nd waterer and feeder but I will if it's necessary.

Note to self: The budget for this whole deal pretty much went out the proverbial window about 2 days after it started.

 

[aart]

Quote: I know, I'm the DebbbieDowner...sorry, engineering training has me looking for failure points, I can't not see them.....and I figure you can handle the truth.

#1 makes sense, and may work flawlessly, but be ready to separate if the littlers get bashed.
Flexibility and backup plans....are a must in chickeneering!

Budget, yeah, pfft! Ever read 'The $64 Tomato'
This will be the $1200 egg...just the first one, the rest are 'free' hahahaha!