Finally have chickens after years of wanting!

[Inthepineschick]

Thanks for all the welcomes. I have one question! Should I have a lot of natural light in my hen house or is artificial light on a timer ok? I am wondering if I should try to frame in a window. The building was already there I just needed to patch holes from knots that popped out and add the wire etc.

 

[Portlandchicken]

That is a nice coop! Hi from Portland!

I used to live in Central Oregon--Bend. I was an Assistant Producer for the morning news at KTVZ.

I never knew then that I'd own chickens now.

 

[DDNONIN2016]

Hello and welcome .... so glad you joined BYC

Natural light is much better for chickens. Even if you dont use a glass window, a window or two on the south side covered with hardware cloth will make fantasitc ventilation and can always be covered up in windy cold weather. The entire south facing side of my coop stays open all year round. The chickens really enjoy being able to see outside.


Good luck to you

 

[Fierlin1182]

It seemed big to me too! But we have a large coop and many people to share eggs with! Plus after talking to local chicken farmers they all agreed the more the merrier! My husband is already planning on expanding their coop! He really wants a bigger fenced run!

That's great that you share your eggs. We only have a couple of laying hens so we mostly keep them to ourselves. (But a box of fresh eggs seems to make a popular gift among our friends.)

 

[Inthepineschick]

They will be free ranging and have the fenced in area of their coop so they won't not have natural light just in where they will lay eggs and be at night (the solid wooden area of my coop).

Due to how cold it is where I live I am not sure doing a wire window would work. Normally snow is still flying right now or at least it is on the mountains. This is an unusually warm spring this year for 4500 ft above sea level.

Hello and welcome .... so glad you joined BYC

Natural light is much better for chickens.  Even if you dont use a glass window, a window or two on the south side covered with hardware cloth will make fantasitc ventilation and can always be covered up in windy cold weather. The entire south facing side of my coop stays open all year round. The chickens really enjoy being able to see outside.


Good luck to you

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! Glad you joined us!