Chicken Newbie - I need help!

[amberkempter]

My teenager went to Tractor Supply and purchased 4 baby chicks with one of her friends, so we are now the proud owners of a small flock (PS; why TS would allow children to purchase live animals without a parent's permission is beyond me....). I didn't really plan on having chickens, but here we are!

They have been living in a big container in the garage, but they are definitely outgrowing it and need to be moved to a coop outside soon. I have absolutely no idea where to even begin to look for a coop. Does anyone have a link to a coop that works well for 4 chickens? We live in Nebraska, so we definitely have to keep our terrible winters in mind. I sincerely appreciate any help you can give me -- I am feeling a bit lost as a new chicken mom!

 

[K0k0shka]

If your child buys live animals without parental permission, and you aren't prepared to raise said animals, you can always take them back to the store and explain what happened. I'm sure they'd understand. No need to give in and saddle yourself with a years-long commitment just because of a child's impulse... Just sayin'.

 

[amberkempter]

If you are not looking to build one yourself, this could be a good website to look into:

https://overezchickencoop.com/collections/all


I bought a run from OverEZ. Not sure if their coops have enough ventilation, as I never recieved one. Chickens need 4 square feet each in their coop and 10 square feet each in their run. Are you SURE you will stop at 4 birds?

We are definitely stopping at 4! When we went back to TS to buy supplies for the chickens, my other teenager suckered me into getting 2 ducklings, so we are at our bird quota around here, haha! We are going to house the ducks separately from the chickens since they need such a different environment.

 

[K0k0shka]

I would never abandon any animal that I decided to take care of. I have spent hours doing research on both the chickens and ducks. I just thought someone could give me some specific ideas for the chicken coop. We already have a plan for the housing for the ducks. Thanks though.

Here are some coop ideas:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/categories/medium-coops.19/

Advice most commonly given to new chicken owners:

• Don't buy a prefab coop. They are too small, poorly built, and you'll regret it later.
• Better to build your own, repurpose a shed, find a used one, etc.
• Size: per chicken, the coop needs to allow 4 square feet of floor space, 1 foot of roost length, and 1 square foot of all-year, all-weather, permanently open ventilation (yes even in winter) that's above the chickens' heads when roosting. Open more ventilation for the summer (windows). The run needs to allow 10 or more square feet per chicken.
• Chickens are food. Lots of wildlife loves eating chicken. Predator proof your coop and run, and don't use chicken wire - predators can chew through it. Welded wire or hardware cloth is best.
• Don't free range, or if you do, prepare that you'll lose chickens and don't get mad at the wildlife for it. That's just nature. If you want them alive, keep them in a protected run (hawks can swoop down even if you are out with them).
• 1 nesting box per 3-4 chickens. They'll all probably use the same one anyway.
• Don't keep the chickens and ducks together if you end up having a drake (male duck). Drakes can kill chickens if they try to mate them (and they will try).
• Have a plan for what to do with any roosters. You don't have enough chickens to be able to keep a rooster. The hens will get over-mated. It's hard to find homes for roosters, especially if you don't want them to be eaten. They are delicious though, so look into processing. Lots of videos on youtube.

Good luck!

 

[amberkempter]

Agree...being responsible for the well being of living creatures is a commitment & shouldn't be done on whim or impulse. Much research should've been done ahead of time, especially with consideration to a safe, predator proof shelter for them to live in.
This can turn out out to be the most rewarding, or the most heartbreaking experience, it can go either way, depending upon the commitment & caring level for these little lives.

I have constant foxes, hawks, owls, raccoons & coyote here, so a strong shed type structure with predator proof pens, so nothing can dig, chew or fly in to kill my flock, is a MUST.
Either build what you need as a family project, or have it built, it can be a great opportunity to teach valuable skills...no laziness allowed either, this is a daily commitment from now on...water, feed, good health, shelter, daily egg collection & poop scoop under perches, this is as much importance as other chores of doing dishes, laundry & cleaning house. Paint all surfaces inside coop so you don't have the horrible blood sucking mites living in there. You need to make a decision now, either do it right, or don't do it at all. Do the best you can for any animal you bring into your life. When you do, the rewards will be amazing. ❤

We have actually discussed having ducks for years. I am recently divorced and my exhusband was not on board with the idea. It's something I've always wanted to do, so while it was kind of a spur of the moment decision -- I definitely knew quite a bit of information about having ducks as pets before taking the ducklings home. I can promise you that these little guys are absolutely adored in our house and are part of the family. They are very well taken care of! The kids (I have 3) have all pitched in and have done an amazing job with helping take care of them. We joke all the time about how spoiled they are!

I didn't choose to purchase the chickens, but am committed to them and have no plans on abandoning them or not taking care of them. I appreciate all the help with the coop ideas. It definitely helps!

 

[amberkempter]

If your child buys live animals without parental permission, and you aren't prepared to raise said animals, you can always take them back to the store and explain what happened. I'm sure they'd understand. No need to give in and saddle yourself with a years-long commitment just because of a child's impulse... Just sayin'.

She and her friends hid them for about 10 days before we knew about them and then we figured it was too late to take them back. We've gotten used to the idea of having them, we just have no idea the best way to take care of them for the long term!

 

[amberkempter]

You said you let your other teenager convince you to impulse-buy ducklings, too, so there seems to be a lot of impulsivity going on around here, which is risky when it comes to living beings (that demand attention, time, space and money). Way too many unwanted animals out there acquired on impulse that ended up too much to handle long term. I hope everything works out for you, but be careful with impulsive decisions that involve living things. This website has a lot of very useful information, which is divided conveniently by category. Spend some time reading and educating yourself, and be prepared to act quickly because those chicks and ducks are going to need to go outside soon and have adequate housing. Depending on where you live and what your climate is like, this may not be the best time of the year to be getting baby poultry, so keep that in mind, too.

I would never abandon any animal that I decided to take care of. I have spent hours doing research on both the chickens and ducks. I just thought someone could give me some specific ideas for the chicken coop. We already have a plan for the housing for the ducks. Thanks though.

 

[Percheron chick]

Start with CL and FB marketplace. Look for something you can repurpose. A shed, a playhouse, a small camper, a swing set, a chicken coop... Think outside the box. Hoop coops are cheap and fast to build if you have any building skills. They can also be easily expanded down the road. Stay away from the cute very small ( pickup bed size) coop/ run setups that run $3-400 at tractor supply. Unless it is free. It will only be large enough until they are 3-4 months old. It can buy you some time.
I have a friend who lives in Mitchell and her coop is nothing special. Old storage shed with a wire front. She does run plastic over the wire to block the blowing snow but nothing other than that.

 

[DobieLover]

Do the chickens do well in the winter? Just not sure what all we need to provide for them in their coop once the weather starts getting colder. I feel a little lost with all of it!

Chickens need about 4 sq ft per bird in the coop, each with 1 linear ft of roost space and as close to 1 sq ft of year round ventilation in a DRY coop to do well in winter.
A large covered run with wind breaks on the walls serves them well during winter.
My winters go as low as -25F.
This is my coop in January.

The soffit, ridge and gable vents are open year round as are the two pop doors.
I cover the run walls with reinforced poly sheeting.

 

[K0k0shka]

She and her friends hid them for about 10 days before we knew about them and then we figured it was too late to take them back. We've gotten used to the idea of having them, we just have no idea the best way to take care of them for the long term!

You said you let your other teenager convince you to impulse-buy ducklings, too, so there seems to be a lot of impulsivity going on around here, which is risky when it comes to living beings (that demand attention, time, space and money). Way too many unwanted animals out there acquired on impulse that ended up too much to handle long term. I hope everything works out for you, but be careful with impulsive decisions that involve living things. This website has a lot of very useful information, which is divided conveniently by category. Spend some time reading and educating yourself, and be prepared to act quickly because those chicks and ducks are going to need to go outside soon and have adequate housing. Depending on where you live and what your climate is like, this may not be the best time of the year to be getting baby poultry, so keep that in mind, too.