For the MINIMALISTS - those who think less is more in chicken keeping - Please help

[GetFitWithKrista]

And you might want to rethink that ramp/ladder to the coop. It won't be a problem when they are young but when they get a little older or someone gets an injury that might not work.
My girls are very spoiled and have a rubber coverd gentle sloping ramp because the little ones legs were too short for the treads and I had a girl with a wonky hip that appreciated it very much.

Wait I'm confused. How would they get into the coop without a ladder? What could I use instead of a ramp or ladder? Can you send a photo

 

[GetFitWithKrista]

Chickens (all birds I think) don’t have a “spicy” tastebud. So the pepper doesn’t bother them, but can help repel rodents. It isn’t magic, but can help make it less appealing.

This is fascinating. Maybe we'll try the trash can thing and if we have a problem we can put our traps and try the pepper in their food. Awesome info, thank you

Yup, for my run I basically use anything dry and brown. I also toss weeds in there from the garden sometimes. For the nesting boxes I use pine shavings since they seem cleaner for something that is going to touch my food…that a chicken just pooped out….

I haven't thought about the nesting boxes yet. How often do you change that out? Also, someone suggested putting ceramic eggs in the boxes in case they try to eat their own eggs. It kind of trains them not to or something. Does that make sense? Is it necessary?

And the boss hen usually gets to perch up highest with her buddies. But having indoor/outdoor roosts probably works too. If needed, there will be a cool kid room and a reject room .

This is hilarious. It's like an all girls high school. Cringe.

You should have fewer issues with “chill” breeds, but they will still need to develop their pecking order and they will bug each other sometimes. The places to get out of sight of each other help a ton with that. And no places to get cornered. Chickens can get stuck in peck mode it seems like if the thing they are pecking doesn’t get out of their way.

My chicks are hatching on 3/27 and coming home 6/9? How horrible would it be if I got a silkie from an different farm and tried to add her to the others?

It is also helpful to keep an eye out for a large dog crate. Good to have around in case someone gets sick or hurt, or is broody and you need to “break” her out of it.

Got it

I hope I remembered them all? Basically chickens can be high maintenance or low maintenance depending on how fancy you want their coop to look and how much space they have to dilute the poop. If they have plenty of space and you can tolerate the idea of dried poops down in the bedding, they are very little work .

I don't need fancy. I like simple. I would prefer to make my system somewhat easy so I can spend my time hanging out with them

 

[GetFitWithKrista]

Yes, two feeders and two waterers out of sight from each other are cheap insurance against a bully guarding the resources.

Great thanks for confirming

 

[3KillerBs]

Wait I'm confused. How would they get into the coop without a ladder? What could I use instead of a ramp or ladder? Can you send a photo

Ramps are fine as long as they're not too steep.

Also, someone suggested putting ceramic eggs in the boxes in case they try to eat their own eggs.

The purpose of a nest egg is to show the hens that the nests you want them in are good places to lay eggs -- because chickens like to lay where other chickens have laid.

Any round, reasonably egg-like object works for a nest egg. I like golf balls because I can tell them from the real eggs by touch when rooting around under a broody or collecting eggs after dark.

 

[GetFitWithKrista]

As my first winter with chickens approached, I was wondering how I'd deal with the water issue. I don't have electricity in my coop/run, but it is near my garage. Hubby solved the issue for me by drilling a 1" diameter hole through the garage wall. I got a construction grade, 3-outlet extension cord, and ran it from the garage to the run.

My husband is going to run electrical to the coop. We don't know what we'd need it for yet but it's good to have. You never know, right.

In the summer, I use one of the same rubber bowls from TSC that I use for food. I empty it out, wipe it out, sometimes add some (1/4 cup?) kombucha to acidify to get rid of algae. (Kombucha is a fermented tea that is acidic like vinegar.)

This is interesting. Is there a reason you prefer kombucha over vinegar? You don't use a large water system, you fill the bowls, correct?

I do not put any water in the coop. That way, no water gets spilled in the coop.

Right. Most people advise this which seems smart. Why clean up spills if you don't have to.

A lot of people jump into getting chickens and then try to figure what to do about coop/run/feed/water, etc? So thank you for asking questions, doing research, and listening (reading) what others have to say. You will be a great chicken mom.

Why thank you. Honestly, I feel like an idiot asking all of these questions but I also feel better when I'm prepared for big undertakings. I'm sure I'll change things around as I go but I need a starting point. I really appreciate your help. It's amazing to have this group of pros!

 

[sdm111]

My husband is going to run electrical to the coop. We don't know what we'd need it for yet but it's good to have. You never know, right.

This is interesting. Is there a reason you prefer kombucha over vinegar? You don't use a large water system, you fill the bowls, correct?


Right. Most people advise this which seems smart. Why clean up spills if you don't have to.



Why thank you. Honestly, I feel like an idiot asking all of these questions but I also feel better when I'm prepared for big undertakings. I'm sure I'll change things around as I go but I need a starting point. I really appreciate your help. It's amazing to have this group of pros!

Make sure yall run all the electric in conduit and GFCI outlets. Fire is a real hazard. I wouldn't use heat lamp bulbs inside a coop either. I know, I know "we'll be fine". Well it only takes one time.
You can search here about how many people have burned their stuff down. I've been dealing with fire, fighting it, suppressing it or preventing it for the better part of 29 years now. I've seen it time and time again

 

[Sally PB]

This is interesting. Is there a reason you prefer kombucha over vinegar? You don't use a large water system, you fill the bowls, correct?

I have to find the vinegar. I have kombucha in the fridge all the time.

I make my own kombucha, and I've given the chickens bits of scoby (the "mother"). Good probiotics.

 

[3KillerBs]

Make sure yall run all the electric in conduit and GFCI outlets. Fire is a real hazard. I wouldn't use heat lamp bulbs inside a coop either. I know, I know "we'll be fine". Well it only takes one time.
You can search here about how many people have burned their stuff down. I've been dealing with fire, fighting it, suppressing it or preventing it for the better part of 29 years now. I've seen it time and time again

Heat lamps *can* be used safely when properly secured, kept free of dust/dander build-up, and kept far enough away from anything flammable. But people sometimes don't use them correctly and don't take the correct safety precautions.

 

[GetFitWithKrista]

The purpose of a nest egg is to show the hens that the nests you want them in are good places to lay eggs -- because chickens like to lay where other chickens have laid.

Any round, reasonably egg-like object works for a nest egg. I like golf balls because I can tell them from the real eggs by touch when rooting around under a broody or collecting eggs after dark.

We've got plenty of golf balls. Do I keep it there all the time or just initially when I bring them home?

 

[3KillerBs]

We've got plenty of golf balls. Do I keep it there all the time or just initially when I bring them home?

I keep them in the nests at all times. They don't hurt anything.

In fact, I've got 10yo golf balls in the nests of the older coop that's currently empty (in need of repair).