Everyone is discouraging me

[blucoondawg]

The overwhelming majority of accumulated poop will be under the roosts, that is where it really builds up and why may people with small flocks will use a poop board under each roost, it catches to poop before it hits the coop bedding and can be scooped out into a bucket daily and kept clean, I have more roosts and more birds and decided poop boards to be more trouble than theyre worth so I just let them poop on the floor and either clean it out or rake it into the rest of the coop bedding and add more bedding. My run is just plain outdoor ground and doesn't really accumulate much poop, what is there apparently decomposes as I don't have any smell from the run nor do I ever clean it so far.

 

[mortie]

My chicken area is right up against the fence, too. My one neighbor I am not worried about but I can just imagine the guy behind me standing there on a 90 degree day just sniffing the breeze waiting for a whiff of chickens to reach him so he can complain

 

[Loghousemom]

Mortie, I am not sure how cold it gets where you are, but I would recommend that if it gets bitter cold you think about insulating your coop well and still allowing air flow in order to prevent frostbite.

I think if the coop is the right size for the number of hens you can keep them warm enough on cold days without added heat, but it wish I would have thought better when I had all my birds stuck inside while the raging below zero temps froze everything this past winter. I need to do some major re-insulating this summer at my place. Most of my hens stay inside until temps get to about 34, and even then,they only go out for a minute. They have access to outside daily but only truly venture out once temps get to 40 or so.

 

[annagarret]

I think it's all about what the hens get acclimated to. My hens did just fine in the -25 up here . I don't heat or insulate or warm their water. I was continually taking fresh water out there when it was really cold and the water would freeze. I messaged some owners from Alaska and Canada and NEITHER of them took water out in very cold temps. They would keep filling up the bowl with fresh snow. My chickens will eat snow and ice chips. No frostbite...most have laid every day...so a little drop in egg production. Don't baby them, they are strong than you think.

 

[schnebbles]

You will love your chickens! I got some last spring and I adore them. And I don't smell mine at all. I have bantam breeds. Figure smaller is better in close quarters!

 

[flowerfaeiry]

Broody poop IS smelly! I have two broody silkies and can't stand the smell!

 

[Bluebonnet]

I am considering starting a small urban flock. Everyone that I have talked to about this that has had chickens before immediately gets the same look on their face and the first words out of their mouths are "Don't do it, chickens stink!" Do they? This is not going to work out if there a strong odor involved. My husband is not a fan of this idea and my neighbors will complain and that will be the end of that. Where I live, you are allowed 4 hens. No roosters.

Everyone just keeps telling me how "stinky" chickens are. I've got no experience with them other than taking a quick stroll through the poultry barn at the fair and it's been a few years since I have done that.

Give it to me straight, chicken lovers, please!

If you can dream it, you can achieve it.

With proper planning and talking openly and honestly with your husband and neighbors, you can avoid conflicts.

Ever considered some noise eliminating insulation for your coop? Sure, it costs more, but it might save you some hassle if you need to keep them quiet for awhile. Worried about escape artists in your flock? Try some simple pens and netting.

You can do this, just make sure that you plan ahead and have a back up plan in the event that things do not work out.

Learn everything you can and be smart with your planning.

 

[mortie]

Thanks everyone!

Picking up my eggs tomorrow morning!

 

[lazy gardener]

Not so fast, Mortie.

You gotta tell us what kind of eggs you are getting! And how many.

 

[mortie]

They are 12 ameracaunas I got from a breeder who specializes in them and 12 mystery eggs I got at the farmer's market. They were pretty fresh and I know they are fertile but at the very least they will provide some thermal mass to keep the bator temp stable. They are brown eggs and could be anything from barnyard mutts to RIRs....anything that lays brown eggs. I am hoping they're sex links myself ,but we'll see.