Better Than Rubies
Crowing
- Oct 20, 2017
- 622
- 3,804
- 497
Hey, guys!
This is my first thread I'm posting (I've attempted to post others, but I guess that never went out so well
).
I've got some questions about designing a coop, and questions about certain things I want in different breeds of chickens, for lack of better wording. I just decided to post it all in one thread, instead of creating multiples. Hope I got in the right forums topic.
Anyways...
For ten chickens, how big of a coop would house them comfortably? Please don't answer in square feet, 'cause I'm not good with that stuff, lol. And I don't want a huge coop, but one where they could fit in with a little extra room to move around, including having a nesting box possibly inside the coop.
And for a sloped roof, how big would the slope need to be? Is just so many inches fine? (Like, say the highest point was about 4 ft.).
And as for the chickens...
I will say this first: I don't want Buff Orpingtons (right now, anyways), Barred Plymouth Rocks, Rhode Island Reds, or Black Sex Links, as a couple of my neighbors have those, and one of my neighbors' chickens free-range, and if I let mine out (even supervised), I wouldn't want them getting mixed up with my neighbors' birds...just in case, lol. But do you think I would be able to identify mine if that were to happen? Like, by their personality, or distinct difference (e.g., their comb)?
And what I want in a chicken is a quiet breed that doesn't typically use a loud voice (I do like the soft clucking, but fairly quiet in general is fine with me). And I would like a variety of egg colors, though I'm not sure yet if I want to spend over $5 for a chick (hopefully I would get them from an online hatchery). 'Cause you know how Black Copper Marans from hatcheries are over $10?
And I'm personally into spotted animals, and speckled chickens are gorgeous. I'm really wanting a Speckled Sussex. I like the looks, the egg-laying production, and all in all, they sound like a great bird.
But I also want just a few fancy ones, maybe. Like a crested one (like the Silver Spangled Appenzeller Spitzhauben), a feather legged (Brahma) and muffed/bearded one (Salmon Favorolle).
But for the most part, most of my chickens don't need to be fancy.
So what are ten great breeds each of you guys can name, speaking from experience having owned one? You can name ten, or just one (and hopefully I'll get enough replies equally to at least ten).
Oh, and I want at least 5 very good egg layers, and very important to me is the friendliness of the chicken breed, or ones easy to tame.
And one last thought: What is your guys' experience/intake of the Spitzhauben? I know they're active, but not really skittish, and I've read good things about them, and they're so pretty and unique...I just really want one. =) But I'm also hoping--without having a covered pen--that it won't go flying out very often. Or, if it did, would clipping the wings help?
Sorry this post is so long. But I appreciate any answers.
~God bless!
This is my first thread I'm posting (I've attempted to post others, but I guess that never went out so well
).I've got some questions about designing a coop, and questions about certain things I want in different breeds of chickens, for lack of better wording. I just decided to post it all in one thread, instead of creating multiples. Hope I got in the right forums topic.
Anyways...
For ten chickens, how big of a coop would house them comfortably? Please don't answer in square feet, 'cause I'm not good with that stuff, lol. And I don't want a huge coop, but one where they could fit in with a little extra room to move around, including having a nesting box possibly inside the coop.
And for a sloped roof, how big would the slope need to be? Is just so many inches fine? (Like, say the highest point was about 4 ft.).
And as for the chickens...
I will say this first: I don't want Buff Orpingtons (right now, anyways), Barred Plymouth Rocks, Rhode Island Reds, or Black Sex Links, as a couple of my neighbors have those, and one of my neighbors' chickens free-range, and if I let mine out (even supervised), I wouldn't want them getting mixed up with my neighbors' birds...just in case, lol. But do you think I would be able to identify mine if that were to happen? Like, by their personality, or distinct difference (e.g., their comb)?
And what I want in a chicken is a quiet breed that doesn't typically use a loud voice (I do like the soft clucking, but fairly quiet in general is fine with me). And I would like a variety of egg colors, though I'm not sure yet if I want to spend over $5 for a chick (hopefully I would get them from an online hatchery). 'Cause you know how Black Copper Marans from hatcheries are over $10?
And I'm personally into spotted animals, and speckled chickens are gorgeous. I'm really wanting a Speckled Sussex. I like the looks, the egg-laying production, and all in all, they sound like a great bird.
But I also want just a few fancy ones, maybe. Like a crested one (like the Silver Spangled Appenzeller Spitzhauben), a feather legged (Brahma) and muffed/bearded one (Salmon Favorolle).
But for the most part, most of my chickens don't need to be fancy.
So what are ten great breeds each of you guys can name, speaking from experience having owned one? You can name ten, or just one (and hopefully I'll get enough replies equally to at least ten).
Oh, and I want at least 5 very good egg layers, and very important to me is the friendliness of the chicken breed, or ones easy to tame.
And one last thought: What is your guys' experience/intake of the Spitzhauben? I know they're active, but not really skittish, and I've read good things about them, and they're so pretty and unique...I just really want one. =) But I'm also hoping--without having a covered pen--that it won't go flying out very often. Or, if it did, would clipping the wings help?
Sorry this post is so long. But I appreciate any answers.
~God bless!
