Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[Nomibear]

 Each grown bird needs at least 18" of space on the roosts.This is for large fowl. You might get by with 12-14" for bantams, bearing in mind that they tend to scrap more.Chickens are not missles. They need room to spread their wings to get on the roosts!

The coop plans I used called for 12 feet of roosting, made with 2x4s. What I didn't understand at the time was that they shouldn't be below the nesting boxes. These roosts are only 6 inches off the coop floor. They Never used them. They use the top of the nesting boxes, and that Sure isn't enough for 19 birds. Today I added 4 long tree branches in several directions in the coop. Adding about 16 feet of roosting space. I'm looking forward to how they use them tonight

 

[thedragonlady]

The coop plans I used called for 12 feet of roosting, made with 2x4s. What I didn't understand at the time was that they shouldn't be below the nesting boxes. These roosts are only 6 inches off the coop floor. They Never used them. They use the top of the nesting boxes, and that Sure isn't enough for 19 birds. Today I added 4 long tree branches in several directions in the coop. Adding about 16 feet of roosting space. I'm looking forward to how they use them tonight

Coop plans are often drawn up by people who have never owned a chicken. Measure your birds' wing span just for the heck of it, and leave enough room for the LAST bird to make it up to the roost with enough room for it's wingspread.

 

[Kansas Prairie]

My darling new hubby is retired Army. Whar a surprise to find Braggs at the Commissary today!

Congrats on the new hubby!

 

[MagicChicken]

i think we are in the same boat with " lets face it's the money " problem. in most areas the weather is still ok. however build up the coops by november. the cold won't hurt the birds but the wind and wet may kill the birds. if you have to many birds please don't get anymore. chicken math or not. please just don't do it. take care of the ones you have and provide them a lavish life.

my circumstances are not ideal either at this point but will come the 1st week of the month.

my neighbors ( we raise the birds together sure we do i raise the birds ) well they decided to put the coop in the pen area. this cutting into the space area. i do free range
so that is my saving grace.

i have a big double shed 30x 10 i need to move all the birds that coop before winter. it should have been done. however has anyone priced fencing. i use 6 feet high and 8 foot long dog kennel fencing. good g-d when did fencing get so high.

just so anybody thinks their alone. i shared my circumstances

Bruce, I hear you on the cost of fencing. I was going to make a couple of hoop coops like Bee described, using cattle panels (5' x 16' welded fencing panels). Bee got them for $20 each. They're $40 and up here. I could get them for $30 +/- if I were willing to drive 150 miles to get them. Not happening. So I'm looking at remesh for the structural framework. Not as solid as the cattle panels, but I can get a 5' x 150' roll for $100 at Home Depot. Remesh can work for fencing (it's what the former owners put around the perimeter of my lot) but it is not as solidly put together as the cattle panels. It would need some smaller mesh reinforcement to keep small chickens from going through.

I keep checking Craigslist for dog runs and chain link fence panels, but they always seem to sell before I find the ad. Or they're all rusty and bent and the sellers are asking almost as much as a new panel costs

Sarah

 

[thedragonlady]

Congrats on the new hubby!

Thank you! I wish I'd married him 40 years ago! He's an angel at humoring me. We strung miles of monofilament in the last two weeks as hawk deterrent, and not a complaint! Good chicken dad!

 

[chickenlover89]

I built a 4x7 foot coop that the instructions said could handle 15 chickens. I ordered 20 thinking that several wouldn't servive the 2 day shipping. Well, they all did great! We lost ONE for no obvious reason... Now there are 19, who only sleep and nest in there. Their coop is a raised one, Inside a 2,250 ft yard with 6 Ft welder wire fencing. Their coop door is not closed at night. They share this yard with 7 mallard ducks, a 3 week old minature goat, and the guard dog at night.
My plans include a 20x12 coop made with mostly recycled pallets. This project may not be done until spring..

. I am also planning on expanding the yard area.
I also admit to wanting another 10 or so, but will Not! be allowing myself to do that until they have a better coop are suited

am I correct in thinking that 2,250 feet is 750 acres? If so, I'm so jealous!

 

[MagicChicken]

Quote:
One acre is 43,560 square feet, so a 2,250 square foot yard is about 1/20 of an acre.
Unless you're using chicken math. Then sure, it's 750 acres!

 

[chickenlover89]

One acre is 43,560 square feet, so a 2,250 square foot yard is about 1/20 of an acre.

oh...thank you.

 

[chickenlover89]

I hate how addicting chickens are!!!!!!!!!!! My small flock of chickens quickly grew from 2 to 7, and I want more, more, and more! but I don't have enough room!!!!! I can't expand much more, I think the most chickens I can get are 9, I wish I had MUCH more land!

 

[Beekissed]

I never really caught that whole "I want more chickens" thingy.

I'm not one of those people who feel addicted to chickens or getting more chickens. I really don't get that whole thing...maybe I'm just jaded? I like keeping chickens, I think it's smart to keep chickens, but I know how much the land and coop will hold so I don't long for more chickens than I can handle, so I guess I just recognize the limitations and work within them.