City girl getting my chicken coop together so excited!! Can't wait to get my chicks

[Copmom]

Hey Alll

I'm new to this site.... Now being a Ana of three precious GRANDKIDS and living in the city I thought hey let's get some chickens!!!!

So still looking at chicken coops should I buy or build?..

Wanting 4-6 hens love to find a Easter eggers to let the GRANDKIDS see the colored eggs

Can't wait to get started....

I can buy some 2day old chicks now but how would I keep them while I get my chicken coop

Any advice welcome

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello there and welcome to BYC!

So glad you could join our community!!

Baby chicks would not be ready for the coop yet and you will need to brood them until they are fully feathered or sometime around 5 to 6 weeks of age. Stop by this article in our learning center on how to brood and raise chicks for the first 60 days...https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...ks-the-first-60-days-of-raising-baby-chickens

As for a coop, you can go with a prebuilt coop however you may find after time you want a bigger one. My first coop was a prebuilt coop and the chickens hated it and so did I. I had a hard time getting them to roost in it at night and they never used it as a shelter at all. They did lay their eggs in it, but that was it. LOL So we eventually built a much larger coop and the birds AND myself were so much more happy. Here is a link to our coops pages for some ideas....https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/2/Coops

Good luck with which ever coops or breeds you choose and if you have any questions along the way, feel free to ask. Welcome to our flock!

 

[drumstick diva]

Glad you joined the BYC flock.

 

[Copmom]

Hey Thank you!,

I have and old bathtub that is square
If I put a screen over it and then place the shavings on the bottom and the light on top
Would that work?
And how long could I keep them in that ? What age can they go into the coop?

 

[Copmom]

Thanks!!

Can't wait to get started
I can buy from a local person baby chicks now different ones so I can buy 6 instead of having to order 15-25 that would be to many for me and living in the city...

I want the chicks to get used to the GRANDKIDS
So I guess is it better to get babies or get a hen that is already laying?.

 

[Muttpuppy]

The bathtub idea sounds pretty good. It would give the chicks plenty of room to run around and get away from the heat if they get too warm. Just make sure to put the food and water a little ways from the light. As for hen or chicks it's up to what you want. With chicks it would give the grandkids a good education on how small chickens are when they start out and how quick they grow. As for when they go into the coop,you want to make sure they are fully feathered.

 

[Copmom]

Thanks
What age is that when they have their feathers

 

[Muttpuppy]

I believe it's 8-10 weeks but it could depend on the breed.

 

[TwoCrows]

Thanks
What age is that when they have their feathers

5 to 6 weeks is generally when they are fully feathered. Just don't cram them in the tub. Give each bird at least 1/2 square foot per bird.

 

[Michael OShay]

Welcome to BYC. Glad you decided to our flock. TwoCrows has given you some excellent advice. Easter Eggers are my granddaughter's (pictured in my avatar) favorite chickens. She loves their colored eggs. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Good luck in getting your flock.