Learning before you start is the best method but one I didn't follow myself. I had no control and brought chickens home and had to build the brooder while they were in a shoe box.
I think the suggestion is 4 sq ft of indoor space and 10 sq feet of outdoor space. We use multiple little chicken tractors and divide the chickens up by color/variety to have pure hatching eggs. The tractors move all over the yard so fresh grass and clean runs are easy. So obviously I didn't follow the suggested space as my areas are portable. According to the above suggestion, 25 chickens would then need 100 sq ft which isn't that much...just a 10 x 10 bldg. Your run would be 250 sq ft, so if you attached it to your 10 ft bldg, it would need to extend out 25 ft.
There are tons of coops and coop building plans on BYC. I love browsing the pictures and am still making revisions on my dream coop. I have been told that my chickens are living in section 8 housing but as they don't see anyone else's coop, they don't know to complain. Coops can be fancy or plain but the purpose they serve is to keep your birds safe from predators and weather. Being in TN our weather is not usually severe but predators can be a real problem. We have coyotes, possums, foxes, hawks, owls, raccoons, cats, dogs, and 2 legged people predators. I am sure there are others I failed to mention but those will keep you busy planning on how to keep them out.
Silkies are extremely gentle sweet little birds. Small enough for a child to carry. Show birds are bred for huge crests and beards. If you aren't showing, I would give them a trim to help them see. I don't mix the silkies with any grown birds. I put all my chicks no matter the breed, out with them as they transition to outside. It seems to me that the silkies give all the other poultry a more mellow attitude. The silkies have even helped raise our guineas and peafowl. The only exception is the geese. Not that they aren't mellow, I just don't put them with the silkies first. Our grown geese babysit really well.
My kids do the 'egg business' as well. We have Welsummers for that and usually have people lined up to get them. Good luck with that, the boys should enjoy it. Our sales don't offset the feed but does put a dent in the bill.
Supplies:
Something to brood in- rubbermaid/sterilite storage tub is cheap and works just fine. I like the clear ones as the chicks can see us moving around and act less spooky
Water and food- variety of containers for this. Bear in mind they poop in them, scratch bedding and feed all over the place so whatever you pick needs to be easily cleaned, thus I don't choose anything with really narrow necks. Clean water and chick feed. You can also do chick grit and pick up some vitamins/electrolytes to put in the water. I usually do.
Heat source- sell at TSC, CoOp, etc. Just a large shield around an electric bulb screw in socket. Inexpensive but important, buy at least 2 bulbs before you start. That way when your first one dies in the middle of the night with no store open that could possibly have it, you have a back up.
Bedding/flooring for your brooder- I start with paper towels or the shelf liner that is kind of rubbery. Avoid slick papers like ad paper inserts that come with the newspaper and cedar shavings. I start pine shavings in a couple of weeks, some people don't so the jury is out on that one.
That should get you started. Best of luck. PM me if you want to chat off the thread.
I think the suggestion is 4 sq ft of indoor space and 10 sq feet of outdoor space. We use multiple little chicken tractors and divide the chickens up by color/variety to have pure hatching eggs. The tractors move all over the yard so fresh grass and clean runs are easy. So obviously I didn't follow the suggested space as my areas are portable. According to the above suggestion, 25 chickens would then need 100 sq ft which isn't that much...just a 10 x 10 bldg. Your run would be 250 sq ft, so if you attached it to your 10 ft bldg, it would need to extend out 25 ft.
There are tons of coops and coop building plans on BYC. I love browsing the pictures and am still making revisions on my dream coop. I have been told that my chickens are living in section 8 housing but as they don't see anyone else's coop, they don't know to complain. Coops can be fancy or plain but the purpose they serve is to keep your birds safe from predators and weather. Being in TN our weather is not usually severe but predators can be a real problem. We have coyotes, possums, foxes, hawks, owls, raccoons, cats, dogs, and 2 legged people predators. I am sure there are others I failed to mention but those will keep you busy planning on how to keep them out.
Silkies are extremely gentle sweet little birds. Small enough for a child to carry. Show birds are bred for huge crests and beards. If you aren't showing, I would give them a trim to help them see. I don't mix the silkies with any grown birds. I put all my chicks no matter the breed, out with them as they transition to outside. It seems to me that the silkies give all the other poultry a more mellow attitude. The silkies have even helped raise our guineas and peafowl. The only exception is the geese. Not that they aren't mellow, I just don't put them with the silkies first. Our grown geese babysit really well.
My kids do the 'egg business' as well. We have Welsummers for that and usually have people lined up to get them. Good luck with that, the boys should enjoy it. Our sales don't offset the feed but does put a dent in the bill.
Supplies:
Something to brood in- rubbermaid/sterilite storage tub is cheap and works just fine. I like the clear ones as the chicks can see us moving around and act less spooky
Water and food- variety of containers for this. Bear in mind they poop in them, scratch bedding and feed all over the place so whatever you pick needs to be easily cleaned, thus I don't choose anything with really narrow necks. Clean water and chick feed. You can also do chick grit and pick up some vitamins/electrolytes to put in the water. I usually do.
Heat source- sell at TSC, CoOp, etc. Just a large shield around an electric bulb screw in socket. Inexpensive but important, buy at least 2 bulbs before you start. That way when your first one dies in the middle of the night with no store open that could possibly have it, you have a back up.
Bedding/flooring for your brooder- I start with paper towels or the shelf liner that is kind of rubbery. Avoid slick papers like ad paper inserts that come with the newspaper and cedar shavings. I start pine shavings in a couple of weeks, some people don't so the jury is out on that one.
That should get you started. Best of luck. PM me if you want to chat off the thread.
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