Connecticut!

[NewtownChicks]

crazy about chickens in newtown...

Hi there. I'm in the research stage of figuring out what I'd need to do to raise hens for eggs on my 2 acre property in Newtown. I'd like to have 8 hens for our family of four. If you started from scratch, can you tell me: do I need a zoning permit for a coop large enough to house that many birds? We just moved to this property last month and in cutting back some wildly overgrown forsythia and wild grape vine, I found a small coop - guessing it might house 2-3 hens at most...

I'd prefer to free range some heritage breeds, but doubt one of my dogs would behave herself so am thinking about using a chicken tractor during the day and putting them into a secure (insulated?) coop at night.

I have a bunch of adult onset allergies and until last week thought eggs was one of them. Turns out it's only eggs from hens fed soy (trialed some eggs from Tropical Traditions)! Since I can't find any such eggs in CT, I plan to have fun tending our own small flock & reaping the fertilizer and egg rewards.

Any advise/tips would be greatly appreciated!

 

[new chick 203]

How big is the coop you found? Is it in good shape? You might want to start with that while you plan your dream coop. You usually want 3-4 feet of space per bird inside, along with a foot of roost per bird. In the run aim for at least 10 feet per bird, but more is better. Check out the coops pages, they are invaluable for giving you ideas about what you need. Visit as many real set ups as you can and ask questions. People always have lessons learned and things they wish they did differently and you can learn allot that way. Newtown is great, but there will be predators, hawks in particular, so keep that in mind. Good luck and welcome!

Hi there. I'm in the research stage of figuring out what I'd need to do to raise hens for eggs on my 2 acre property in Newtown. I'd like to have 8 hens for our family of four. If you started from scratch, can you tell me: do I need a zoning permit for a coop large enough to house that many birds? We just moved to this property last month and in cutting back some wildly overgrown forsythia and wild grape vine, I found a small coop - guessing it might house 2-3 hens at most...

I'd prefer to free range some heritage breeds, but doubt one of my dogs would behave herself so am thinking about using a chicken tractor during the day and putting them into a secure (insulated?) coop at night.

I have a bunch of adult onset allergies and until last week thought eggs was one of them. Turns out it's only eggs from hens fed soy (trialed some eggs from Tropical Traditions)! Since I can't find any such eggs in CT, I plan to have fun tending our own small flock & reaping the fertilizer and egg rewards.

Any advise/tips would be greatly appreciated!

 

[LilacSpring]

Nana gave me my first egg on Saturday. I was at a retreat in NJ, so I missed the event, but my husband was
home to accept it. It was small. And she has laid one every day since. Now waiting for the other three to give.

 

[new chick 203]

That's great! Nothing like the first egg. It always seems so special I can hardly bring myself to eat it.

 

[LilacSpring]

Can I start to give all my girls layer feed, even though only one is laying now. Or do I have to wait for all of them
start laying? Still learning!

 

[new chick 203]

How many weeks old are they? It has more to do with that. It depends on the manufacturer what they recommend. But if one is laying and they are all the same age and breed they will all start going soon. I would just switch. It's a real pain to have all the birds on different food.

Oh, this is my 1,000th post!

 

[LilacSpring]

They are all the same age 20 weeks old ( as of yesterday Sept 10th)

How many weeks old are they? It has more to do with that. It depends on the manufacturer what they recommend. But if one is laying and they are all the same age and breed they will all start going soon. I would just switch. It's a real pain to have all the birds on different food.

Oh, this is my 1,000th post!

 

[new chick 203]

Oh, for sure put them on layer, and give them crushed oyster free choice too. They grow up so fast!

They are all the same age 20 weeks old ( as of yesterday Sept 10th)

 

[TomS714]

Hi. I also live in Newtown (Sandy Hook). You don't need a permit, but the coop needs to be 100ft from any property line. I have 7 hens. On the days I'm off from work, I let them free range around the yard (they seem to instinctively know my property lines!) and they find their way back to the coop at night and I lock it up. On the days I'm at work and nobody is home, I have the coop door open where they have access to a larger run that I've built. Please message me if you have any questions. I'm fairly new to this, but having a lot of fun!

Tom

 

[TomS714]

Hi. I also live in Newtown (Sandy Hook). You don't need a permit, but the coop needs to be 100ft from any property line. I have 7 hens. On the days I'm off from work, I let them free range around the yard (they seem to instinctively know my property lines!) and they find their way back to the coop at night and I lock it up. On the days I'm at work and nobody is home, I have the coop door open where they have access to a larger run that I've built. Please message me if you have any questions. I'm fairly new to this, but having a lot of fun!

Tom