- Jul 16, 2017
- 2
- 5
- 69
Never had chickens before but when I retired and bought some land I figured it was time.
An existing old outbuilding was the start. A 10' X 10' shed with a vented roof and a concrete floor.
I reshingled it, put in insulation and electricity.
Built in a five rung roost, eight nesting boxes and a supply cabinet.
A 12" board across the floor in front of the new storm door keeps the deep pine shavings from drifting out and keeps the chickens from rushing out when I open the door.
I built a 20' X 24' attached framework of 4 X 4 posts and 2 X 4s, yard/run fully enclosed with chicken wire.
Around the yard perimeter are 2 X 4s with galvanized sheet metal going a foot into the
ground to stop burrowing predators.
May 22 I bought 15 female Buff Orpington chicks one day old. They are now three months old.
Every time I googled a question about how to take care of chickens, this website popped to the top of the results.
For the first two weeks, I had the chicks in a 2' X 3' wood box in my house, but as soon as the wing feathers appeared they loved to test them which raised dust, so out to the henhouse they went.
They are now all different sizes even though they are the same age and very healthy. I still have all 15. Winter is coming so keeping the water fount from freezing is a concern so I bought two hard plastic warming pads. One for under the fount and the other to put on the wall below the roost.
At night, they all pack themselves tight together on the top two rungs so the rising heat will keep them warm on those 20 below nights.
I cut and framed a 12" square port in the house wall so they can run in and out of the yard whenever they want to.
I will hang flexible vinyl in the opening to keep out the Winter winds and still allow them to push through.
They eat lots of granulated feed and scratch grains, plus I give them leftover bread and veggies from the kitchen.
I have egg mash grain for when they're older and start laying late October or November, but they don't
like to eat it yet. They love meal worms as a treat.
They ate and trampled all the weeds and grass in the enclosed yard so I put down a lot of hay to cover the dirt.
I want to protect them, so they stay in the yard or in the henhouse all the time. They seem upset when one slips through the gate and are actually frantic to get back in with their sisters.
In the evening when they're settling in, I put on a music CD. They prefer Vivaldi, Bach Brandenburg Concerto, Indian or Japanese instrumentals.
This is fun! Cheep Cheep entertainment.
An existing old outbuilding was the start. A 10' X 10' shed with a vented roof and a concrete floor.
I reshingled it, put in insulation and electricity.
Built in a five rung roost, eight nesting boxes and a supply cabinet.
A 12" board across the floor in front of the new storm door keeps the deep pine shavings from drifting out and keeps the chickens from rushing out when I open the door.
I built a 20' X 24' attached framework of 4 X 4 posts and 2 X 4s, yard/run fully enclosed with chicken wire.
Around the yard perimeter are 2 X 4s with galvanized sheet metal going a foot into the
ground to stop burrowing predators.
May 22 I bought 15 female Buff Orpington chicks one day old. They are now three months old.
Every time I googled a question about how to take care of chickens, this website popped to the top of the results.
For the first two weeks, I had the chicks in a 2' X 3' wood box in my house, but as soon as the wing feathers appeared they loved to test them which raised dust, so out to the henhouse they went.
They are now all different sizes even though they are the same age and very healthy. I still have all 15. Winter is coming so keeping the water fount from freezing is a concern so I bought two hard plastic warming pads. One for under the fount and the other to put on the wall below the roost.
At night, they all pack themselves tight together on the top two rungs so the rising heat will keep them warm on those 20 below nights.
I cut and framed a 12" square port in the house wall so they can run in and out of the yard whenever they want to.
I will hang flexible vinyl in the opening to keep out the Winter winds and still allow them to push through.
They eat lots of granulated feed and scratch grains, plus I give them leftover bread and veggies from the kitchen.
I have egg mash grain for when they're older and start laying late October or November, but they don't
like to eat it yet. They love meal worms as a treat.
They ate and trampled all the weeds and grass in the enclosed yard so I put down a lot of hay to cover the dirt.
I want to protect them, so they stay in the yard or in the henhouse all the time. They seem upset when one slips through the gate and are actually frantic to get back in with their sisters.
In the evening when they're settling in, I put on a music CD. They prefer Vivaldi, Bach Brandenburg Concerto, Indian or Japanese instrumentals.
This is fun! Cheep Cheep entertainment.
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Glad you're enjoying chicken TV. Make sure to limit your treats to no more than 10% of their diet and enjoy your flock. We're so happy you joined us
