Chicken Future Planning - Please Inspect!

nicolets

Songster
9 Years
May 14, 2010
210
2
103
Monroe County, PA
I hope this is in the correct category!
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Well... where to start? I suppose where I started. I guess I just somehow found My Pet Chicken and well... one thing leads to another (but overall - chicken addiction)!

The coop will hopefully turn out to be something like this:
I'm buying the plans, and can find free pallets and wood. I just don't know what size is recommended, so I know what to prefer. I'll have to build two of these, partially because I don't believe it will fit 6 chickens and also - I'm going for 8. This will be the first thing I have to do, as I've heard it's a tough job. But it'll be my safety net along with the run so I don't get caught up with chicken math! $15

The run is to be 8' by 20.5' in a corner of our house (two sides will be/are vinyl siding, which will include two windows... I'm hoping this will be fine? I'm not worried about the noise since I am not planning for a rooster, although the windows are of a bedroom). I'll, I guess, staple 1/2" 7'-high hardware cloth (have yet to find, and what I've found close is awfully expensive... I have 2" garden fencing on hand but I hear how unrecommended that size is due to raccoons so I'll keep looking, I suppose) from the sides of the coop to each side of the house, so that the coop will not be inside the run. I'm thinking of keeping the coop door open at night, so I'm going to need to protect the bottom of the fence. Whether to fold out, bury in (guess I can't do that without posts, though, can I?), or cover the entire run ground, I don't know. Suggestions? Also, the run will have a cover of some sort, even if just more hardware cloth, unless I can use my garden fencing for that. I may be able to find something to cover it, but whether I can permanently stabilize that is unlikely. I plan for a run door, as well, but how I'm going to do that is unknown. $???

So this is my full shopping list of startup & up to eighteen week materials (hoping I got the feed amounts about right... I'd give them the Medicated Starter first as I don't know if the chicks are vaccinated at TSC. Starter/Grower is for up to 10 weeks, Grower/Finisher is for up to 18).
Name

Location

Qty

Price
Female Chicks (RIR and/or Red Star)


Tractor Supply Co

8

$23.92
Wooden Pallet Coop (Building Plans)

My Pet Chicken

1

$15.00
Heated Chicken Waterer (3 gal)

Mills Fleet Farm

1

$31.27
Chicken Feeder (10 lb)

Tractor Supply Co

1

$14.99
Medicated Chick Starter (5 lb)

Tractor Supply Co

1

$5.99
Chick Starter/Grower (50 lb)

Tractor Supply Co

1

$15.49
Poultry Grower/Finisher (50 lb)

Tractor Supply Co

1

$15.69
Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth (20 lb)

Tractor Supply Co

1

$11.99
Red Heat Lamp Bulb (250 W)

Tractor Supply Co

1

$4.99
Brooder Lamp (with Clamp)

Tractor Supply Co

1

$8.99​
Total: $148.32 + tax & run
(I have changed it many, many times, so the total may now be incorrect.)
I chose RIR/Red Star for egg production, and availability at TSC. The Red Star breed also has the benefit of no sexing errors, of course. I like other breeds, but they do not suit my needs at this time. I'd want to get the chicks in late July/early August - I will be coming home from a vacation then so that is the earliest possible. I'd hate to any later or it may be too cold for the chicks to move outside when it's time and I'm sure my family would appreciate my going by 'the sooner, the better'. Plus of course, I have to take into consideration that I will once again be busy late August through early September, leading into the school year, and I cannot be raising baby chicks after then. I am considering this right, aren't I? They move to the coop at 4-6 weeks, correct?
I am reconsidering the Heated Waterer at this point because of comments of how hard it can be to work with, and I have no idea how I am going to get electricity out there. What do you all think?

I have yet to measure the distance the coop would be from my property. I'm hoping for 10'+, as it's an average minimum distance requirement in laws... it might be close. I am not sure about my local law, but I live out of town limits, counting my town as the one where I pick up my mail - Effort. If anyone knows about this I would like to hear about it. I also plan to, once chickens are a closer-set point in the future, talk to my neighbors about chickens, especially the ones the chickens will reside nearest. They are mostly friendly and should not mind.

Please comment and share your thoughts/answers!!
 
awesome! i am planning on startin gmy own bussinuss (i have had chickens for a few years now) and if i can proove to my mom i can buy all the feed and everything i might be able to add on to the coop to make it bigger. 2 eggs in the bator on day 4 eggs are comeing in more so i might set up something like this lol thanks for the idea!
 
Thanks, AAJ!
SilkieLover - Good luck!
cadams - The only 'feed store' I know of is TSC... and I only learned they were so chicken-friendly a couple weeks ago. Are there 'real' feed stores around here?
 
Everyone - Keep 'em coming! If I can get a bunch of chicken lovers to 'approve' these plans, I'm sure I can get my [currently] non-chicken-loving family to do so as well!
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I'll add that the run totals for about 164 sq ft for 8 chickens. 20 sq feet each apparently counts as 'roomy'.

Did anybody see that clip for BYC/MPC on CNN? I had my list all set at $150 like so, and then they're saying it could cost upwards of $1,000... so I'm really nervous I've forgotten something huge.
 

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