- Jan 17, 2008
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I've been talking with my family about raising a few chickens. Dh immediately said - "Sure, sounds like a great idea!" That response was a pleasant surprise! I've read a couple books on chicken raising, and a few more are waiting for me at the library; I like to be prepared.
So, here's where I start thinking "on board" and bore you to tears. We have a largish family, and to supply us with a weeks worth of eggs, we'd likely need 6 chickens (if there are any extra eggs they will be gratefully snatched up by neighbors and friends.) I kind of have my heart set on an eglu cube - they seem to provide everything needed, easy to clean, and will look nice in the yard. Looking nice isn't as important to me, but I know my neighbors would appreciate it (you know how some will start to worry about the neighborhood deteriorating into a wild jungle). To get anything as structurally sound as the eglu would take a great deal more time and money than we want to deal with.
So, here's the issue. Eglu cube won't be available in the states until late 2008/early 2009. I could either buy a regular eglu and keep just 3 or 4 chickens. Or, I could try making a less expensive coop until we could get ahold of a cube. Or we could wait a whole year to get any chickens. Is that possible? Maybe.
Has anyone modified a dog house to make a coop? I saw a reasonably priced one with a hinged roof (for removing eggs and cleaning). I only worry about proper ventilation and being able to make a suitable door. I also want something that can be moved around the yard without too much difficulty.
Maybe you can see that being able to spray down the henhouse with a hose and dry off with a big towel is a big priority with me
That sounds stupid, but it seems as though it would be very difficult to properly clean a wooden henhouse and get it dry enough to be fit for the chickens.
Is there a great advantage to getting six chicks all at once? Or is there an advantage to buying 3 and then adding 3 more in a year?
I apologize for my poorly thought-out post. Rest assured, there will be more. Any advice you have for me would be greatly appreciated.
So, here's where I start thinking "on board" and bore you to tears. We have a largish family, and to supply us with a weeks worth of eggs, we'd likely need 6 chickens (if there are any extra eggs they will be gratefully snatched up by neighbors and friends.) I kind of have my heart set on an eglu cube - they seem to provide everything needed, easy to clean, and will look nice in the yard. Looking nice isn't as important to me, but I know my neighbors would appreciate it (you know how some will start to worry about the neighborhood deteriorating into a wild jungle). To get anything as structurally sound as the eglu would take a great deal more time and money than we want to deal with.
So, here's the issue. Eglu cube won't be available in the states until late 2008/early 2009. I could either buy a regular eglu and keep just 3 or 4 chickens. Or, I could try making a less expensive coop until we could get ahold of a cube. Or we could wait a whole year to get any chickens. Is that possible? Maybe.
Has anyone modified a dog house to make a coop? I saw a reasonably priced one with a hinged roof (for removing eggs and cleaning). I only worry about proper ventilation and being able to make a suitable door. I also want something that can be moved around the yard without too much difficulty.
Maybe you can see that being able to spray down the henhouse with a hose and dry off with a big towel is a big priority with me
Is there a great advantage to getting six chicks all at once? Or is there an advantage to buying 3 and then adding 3 more in a year?
I apologize for my poorly thought-out post. Rest assured, there will be more. Any advice you have for me would be greatly appreciated.