Coop not ready! What to do!

[MrsLumpy]

So my husband and I finally agreed to get a couple of chickens... While going over chick order lists, I post on FB how excited I am. Turns out that a friend of ours got some chicks earlier in the season that he just doesn't have time for and needs to rehome them...
So Sunday, we are going to pick up 2-4 chickens!!
This means that we will not have a coop for another couple of weeks though since we are adopting instead of ordering.
The chicks are 2 months old... What can I use as housing until we get the coop up?

Also I can only get 2-4 girls...
He has a speckled Sussex, Rhode Island Reds, Plymouth White, and Delewares...
I keep reading about each breed, but would love advise.
We live in town... Have neighbors on either side, so noise needs to be minimal.
I also have 2 small children, so I worry about aggression.
On the flip side I also have 2 dogs (the doxie has a taste for doves!)... So they need to stick up for themselves...
What breed or combo should I focus on?
TIA

 

[SallyinIndiana]

If you have dogs, you might be able to use an old dog house and add a roosting bar in the middle. You will need a door and some venting covered with hardware cloth as well.
You will need a run since you have close neighbors and they are still small enough to get out of a normal fence.

As for which breed, get one of each until you know which ones you like. Without a rooster, you don't have to worry about keeping a breed pure and having separate pens. Why not try them all for free?

RIR girls can get loud for a few minutes when they lay an egg or when they want to let out a warning cry. I can't speak for the other breads listed.

 

[MrsLumpy]

No dog house... They have a doggie door and come in and out as they please...
I need something I can throw together in less than a day that will work in the short term.
DH is drawing up coop plans complete with run as we speak, but it cannot be finished before we get them Sunday.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I'd get a dog crate carrier (large) to keep them in. You'll need to put a small feeder and waterer in there too if they are going to be in there in the daytime. Since they are 2 months old they can sleep at night, but at daybreak they need food and water. You can put sand in the bottom and scoop the poo out with a kitty litter scoop.

If you have a dog kennel you can put them in that during the day to keep the dogs away from them (letting them out of the crate until night). I'd put them in the garage at night in their crate, as raccoons, rats, weasels, and owls etc. can get into a dog kennel.

If you decide to make that their run, you would be wise to consider it not predator-proof and close them up at night inside their coop. I am thinking that a dog crate isn't predator proof is why I mention putting them in a garage at night.

Only 1/2 inch hardware cloth will keep out rats and weasels. Keep this in mind when you get your coop made. You can have a shed built by Home Depot or Lowes (insulated is best IMO to reduce noise) if you don't know which coop to get. Automatic door opener!!

Make lots of ventilation in the shed by cutting holes if necessary for extra windows with hardware cloth over them. Make your vents up high so wind won't blow on them while they are on the roost. Make your roost higher than your nestboxes or they will sleep in the nestboxes.

Your dog with a taste for doves - don't trust him with your chickens IMO. But I have never had a dog. My SS are chicks so I can only go on what I have heard which is that the roos are nice a lot of times). Had one Delaware that pecked me as a chick and we got rid of her.

We haven't had White Rocks or RIR before. RIR has an aggressive reputation for the roosters. I did have Barred Rock bantams that were aggressive as chicks and we got rid of them.

Since you can only have just a few chickens I'd go with the best egglayers you can buy- from your list there the RIR will lay the best. Just be super careful with your children. I'd not allow them into the pen unless you are right there. If they attack your children even once I'd get rid of them.

They may be friendly...hens are individuals. I have had aggressive hens before and also very sweet hens of the same breed - there is really no way to tell beforehand.

If you want to focus on them being pets and don't mind fewer eggs you can get one of each so you can tell them apart to name them.

 

[kateschickens1]

I use two dog cages put together for my 6 weeks. If you have time to let them out and watch them go explore you can have a smaller cage. At night mine are in the garage in a few taped together. This may be a little small for two month pullets. But as long as they are only in there for a couple weeks it should be fine.