Family of 11--New to Chickens

[TheTravelBags]

We're a family of 11 that traveled full-time in a travel trailer until last October. Now we have a few acres that we come home to, complete with an old chicken coop.

We are brand spanking new to chickens and currently have 19 one-week-old hatchlings in a soft-sided dog kennel in our bathroom.

We aren't sure what the breeds are for certain, but we think we have a couple marans (one daughter is really hoping for a midnight majesty maran, but they might be French black copper), several golden comets, and maybe ISA browns. We simply ordered the variety box from Tractor Supply.

We're raising the chicks for their healthy eggs, but one of our girls (17) really wants a pet Lavender Orpington, so I'm on the hunt for a couple of those chicks or maybe fertile eggs to add to the family...and maybe a turken.

My husband and some of the children are musicians, which is why we travel so much. (Our oldest doesn't travel with us anymore, so we have a babysitter for the birds.) We also have a professional artist and some writers in the mix. We're roadschoolers, so chickens kinda felt like a natural step.

We have a dog who is learning to leave the chicks alone, but it's definitely going to be a problem, and we have a house cat who is annoyed with us for allowing the feathered friends into her domain. She is not interested in them at all. We also have hawks, turkey vultures, coyotes, and stray cats on the property, so we're trying to decide what to do about free-range versus a chicken tractor or a large coop. I'm also researching shelters for free-range chickens and wondering about a rooster or two and how that will mesh with my children playing out back. There's so much to learn, I think my head is cracking like an egg.

I appreciate all of the guidance we've read here so far! We found you through an online search for lavender orpington chicks. Blessings!

 

[Pork Pie]

Hi and welcome to BYC. Here are some helpful links:

• Great go-to resource - Articles
• Insightful feedback on how members manage their flocks - Topic of the Week back-catalogue
• Good link to read before building a coop / run - Space requirements

Best wishes

Pork Pie

 

[drumstick diva]

Welcome to Backyard Chickens, you are very welcome here.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Good Morning and Welcome to BYC! wow 19 chicks in your bath room. Sounds like Everyone in the family is enjoying chicken ownership. Enjoy.

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

Welcome to our FUNomenal community!
I hope you enjoy BYC as much as we do!

 

[DobieLover]

Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.
With children running around, I'd pass on the rooster.

 

[sourland]

Hello, and welcome to BYC.

 

[drumstick diva]

Welcome to Backyard Chickens. WOW, you're gonna need lots and lots of eggs.

 

[Isaac 0]

Welcome to BYC!

 

[NatJ]

I'm also researching shelters for free-range chickens and wondering about a rooster or two and how that will mesh with my children playing out back.

Fences are your friends here. If the chickens are on one side, and the children are on the other side, then that limits what can happen. It avoids a rooster attacking a child, it avoids a hen trying to eat someone's freckles or bare toes, it avoids a child tripping over a chicken, it avoids the wrestling kids landing on a chicken and squishing it, etc.

I don't think the children and the chickens always need to be kept apart, but I am sure that having the OPTION to separate them is a good thing.

About the predators, I strongly recommend having either a secure run (with roof) attached to the coop, or having a portable pen. Even if you inted to let the chickens free range, there will be times you need to lock them in. Examples include: chickens trying to sleep outside the coop, hens laying eggs in the wrong places, neighbor gets a new dog that you must train to leave the chickens alone, really bad weather, chickens wandering too far and causing trouble for neighbors, chickens pooping on your porch, etc.