Considering chickens...

[s6bee]

Yeah, I was gonna say, that's part of the addiction, so order your original plan, 'cause you'll be gettin' more in no time flat!!!

Welcome here!
Stephanie

 

[hcammack]

I am in baltimore so it is real hot and humid I have not had my hens over the summer yet though but I was thinking mabe a fan or a ice bed and mabe my sprinkler hopfully this will not be another drought year it is snowing outside and my chicks are fine they do have a heat lamp though cause they are like 13 weeks old and they are used to it. the chicken tractor is a movable pen that fetalizes your lawn I also have a large movable fence that goes with it.

Good luck Henry

 

[pipermark]

http://www.henspa.com/Hen Chalet on Stilts.htm

If you want to go all the way, here is a heck of a chicken coop.

 

[eggzettera]

WOW after visiting henspa pricing I do not feel so bad. I thought the eglu I bought was spendy......

 

[CovenantCreek]

Quote:
What part of TN? If you're close enough, I'd love to help you think out your plan........ I may even be able to help you pick out some birds.

 

[TucsonFrizzled]

Greetings ~

~

Even with production breeds, not every hen
produces an egg each day. Plan on 5 - 6 eggs
each week, then they will also stop laying
when they molt, and brood, and in the winter.

The more eggs the better, you can sell the
extras, or give them to your neighbors for
not complaining about your pets.

Mom and I (when I was a kid) made a small
coop out of a cabinet tv. I made one out of a
trashed highboy dresser. Outfitted the cabinet
with roosts and left the bottom drawer for
a nest box. This only worked because it was
in a sheltered area.

I see that you are thinking about getting them
all at the same time. That is what I would
suggest. Integrating two sets of chickens
takes time, patience and understanding and
sometimes it still doesn't work.

Happy Chookies

Wendy and Fancie
SooperDooper Coops

 

[EweSheep]

The problem with hosing down the wood coop that it would rot...try the Outdoor Royal Sheds...I got one here in the city that is 4 x 7 and rubber mats on the floor and I tell you what, its a breeze cleaning it out and taking a hose to it and get the coop all cleaned up in very little time. Just use gentle soap, no harsh detergents!

As for light and air, I had to cut a panel to fit a basement window and exchange the door for screen with hardware wire and in the winter, I can just put up plastic or two sheets of plexiglass OR you can cut out a window on that door which would do just as good!

Mine is the Yard Mate series and hopefully this year, i am going to go for the ten by 8 or 8 x 12 Winchester shed for more room.

Good luck!

 

[MissPrissy]

Welcome!

My advise is to always plan your coop (house + run = coop) larger than you think you will need it because you will add on to it sooner than you think.

When planning for eggs - never count them before they are laid. While most chickens do lay 1 egg every 24 hours alot of them don't. I have hens that lay every other day.

There are 6 of us and Sunday morning breakfast of fried eggs means there will be 12 eggs needed. Even my 2 yr old eats 2 eggs at a time. You may find that instead of 6 hens you might need 10 - 12 hens to give you the eggs your family consumes. It is only in a perfect world that 12 hens will give you 12 eggs every single day. LOL

Enjoy your planning. Remember to plan a little larger than you expect to need. Chickens need about 4 square ft of living space each to be comfortable.

Another reason to plan a little larger - you never really can have enough chickens. Before you know it you will be joining the Hatchers Annoymous Group here and incubating your eggs.

 

[SeaChick]

I agree with everyone about getting more, not less, if you're in it for the eggs. We ate a lot of eggs before, but these backyard eggs are just SO much tastier and healthier (we're all organic) that we find we're eating a lot more. Our 6 girls are only giving us 3-5 a day now that it's winter... with the occasional 2 or 6-egg day.... and we're REALLY gald we have 6 hens, not 3 or 4. Plus everyone is so interested in the chickens and its nice to be able to share eggs with family and friends and neighbors without it meaning you have to go buy eggs at the store. (And trust me, you won't EVER want to eat store eggs again!)

Have you looked at the coop page on this board? There are some good ideas there. Here's the coop we built in our suburban yard: https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1766-Our_Garage_Coop WE built it inside a corner of our garage. Also, my advice is to go bigger, rather than smaller, than you think you need. If you look around here you might notice that LOTS of peopel are having problems with their hens pecking each other bald right now (including us) and many people think that winter boredom may have something to do with it. Our girls have slightly more space than the most conservative guidelines recommend, and I do believe they'd be happier with more space. (Indoor area is about 6 x 6 x 7 feet high; outdoor run about 6 x 11. This is especially true if you won't be letting them out to free range a lot. We have a fenced yard, so in summer, they get to free range for a couple hours a day. They are MUCH happier then. Now, there's too much snow so they're cooped up most of the time.

Also, I agree to get them all at once. While raising up the chicks is super fun, its also a lot of work and trouble, and it takes SO LONG before they start laying...

Anyway, we're newbies ourselves, pretty much, but those are the things we've learned!!!

Good luck, its so fun, and think of all the excellent homeschool lesson tie-ins you will be able to do!!

Stacey